2015-2020 Honda FIT Front vs Rear Brakes: What Wears First and What to Replace

By Core Brake Parts Tech Team — Circleville, OH warehouse

On a 2015-2020 Honda Fit the front brakes wear out first, and usually by a wide margin. The Fit uses ventilated front disc brakes and rear drum brakes, and the front discs do most of the stopping, so expect to replace front pads and rotors more than once before the rear shoes need attention. The rear drums still need inspection at every front brake job, because a seized self-adjuster or a leaking wheel cylinder can hide behind the drum.

How the 2015-2020 Fit Brake System Is Laid Out

The third-generation Fit sold in North America uses the same basic layout across its trims: disc brakes up front and drum brakes in the rear. Published specifications for the 2018 model list front disc / rear drum brakes with four-wheel ABS, and the Canadian DX spec sheet adds that electronic brake force distribution (EBD) and brake assist are standard.

The Fit is a light car. Listed curb weights for the 2018 run from roughly 2,522 to 2,568 lb depending on configuration, and much of that weight sits over the front axle with the engine and transaxle. When you brake, weight shifts further forward, which loads the front tires and puts the front brakes in charge. EBD trims rear brake pressure so the lightly loaded rear wheels do not lock first. The result is that the rear drums do a small share of the work and wear slowly.

What Wears First, and Why

The front pads are the first wear item on this car, followed by the front rotors. A few things push the fronts to wear even faster on a Fit:

• City driving. The Fit is a commuter car. Stop-and-go traffic means many short stops, and the fronts absorb most of that energy.
• Small, light rotors. Small-car rotors have limited mass to soak up heat. Repeated hot stops can leave pad deposits or uneven wear that shows up as pedal pulsation.
• Sticking caliper slide pins. If the slide pins dry out or corrode, one pad can drag and wear much faster than the other.

The rear shoes wear slowly because the drums do a small share of braking. What typically sends a Fit to the shop for rear brakes is not worn-out lining but a problem around it: a weeping wheel cylinder, a self-adjuster that has stopped working, a parking brake that needs adjustment, or a drum that has worn oversize or scored.

Symptoms and How to Tell Front From Rear

Front brake symptoms

• Metallic noise while braking. Honda's owner's manual says that if you hear a continuous metallic friction sound when applying the brakes, the pads need to be replaced. That is the wear indicator touching the rotor.
• Steering wheel shake or pedal pulsation when braking from highway speed usually points to front rotor thickness variation.
• Pulling to one side often means a sticking front caliper or slide pin.
• Grinding means the pad lining is gone and steel is contacting the rotor. Replace pads and rotors together at that point.

Rear brake symptoms

• Low or long brake pedal that improves when pumped. A self-adjuster that no longer advances lets shoe clearance grow, so the pedal travels further before the shoes contact the drum.
• Parking brake lever pulls up much higher than it used to. Usually excess rear shoe clearance or a parking brake that needs adjustment.
• Scraping or thumping from the rear can be a broken spring, loose hardware or a lip on a worn drum.
• Wet backing plate or inner tire sidewall is a leaking wheel cylinder. Fix it right away and replace any fluid-soaked shoes.

Check the fluid level too

Honda notes that if the fluid is at or below the MIN mark, the car should be inspected for leaks or worn brake pads. Pad wear slowly lowers the reservoir level, so a low level on a car with no visible leak often means the front pads are thin.

What to Replace, and What Goes With It

Front brake job

For most Fits, the practical front job is pads and rotors together. Fresh rotors give new pads a flat, clean surface to bed in on and remove pulsation left by the old rotors. A matched 2015-2020 Honda Fit front brake kit includes both, so the pad and rotor fitment is already sorted for this car. At the same time:

• Clean and lubricate the caliper slide pins and replace the pad abutment clips. A brake hardware kit covers the clips and small parts.
• Look at the rubber front brake hoses for cracks or bulging. See our brake hoses if either is suspect.
• If a caliper piston is sticking or the boot is torn, replace the caliper. Our brake calipers collection covers loaded replacements.

If you only want pads, browse ceramic brake pads, which suit a daily-driven Fit: quiet, low dust and consistent in stop-and-go traffic. Rotors alone are in brake rotors.

Rear brake job

When the rear drums are due, replace the shoes as an axle set, and reuse or machine the drums only if they are within the limit marked on the drum. Honda's service procedure for the Fit drum brake calls for greasing the shoe contact points on the backing plate, the parking brake lever pivot and the adjuster rod ends, while keeping grease off the linings. Replace the springs and hardware at the same time, since tired return springs are a common source of rear drag and noise. You can find replacement brake shoes for the rear.

Inspect the wheel cylinders by gently peeling back the dust boots. Any wetness means the cylinder gets replaced, and the shoes on that side go with it.

Brake Fluid: The Other Half of the Job

Honda specifies Heavy Duty Brake Fluid DOT 3 for the Fit, and the owner's manual warns that fluid marked DOT 5 is not compatible and can cause extensive damage. Brake fluid absorbs moisture over time, which lowers its boiling point and corrodes wheel cylinders and caliper bores from the inside. If the fluid is dark, or it has been years since a flush, a fluid exchange during the brake job is cheap insurance for the new parts. Follow the interval in your Fit's maintenance minder and service manual.

How Hard Is the Job?

Front pads and rotors are a good first brake job. With basic hand tools, a jack, stands and a torque wrench, most owners can do one axle in an afternoon. Torque the caliper bracket bolts and wheel nuts to the values in the factory service manual, and bed the new pads in with a series of moderate stops before normal driving.

Rear drum brakes are harder. Bendix describes a drum brake as having around ten main components, including the drum, backing plate, wheel cylinder, shoes, adjuster screw and several springs, and the adjuster must be reassembled correctly or the pedal will stay low. Work one side at a time and use the other side as a reference. After reassembly, Honda's procedure is to press the brake pedal several times to set the self-adjusting mechanism and then perform the parking brake adjustment. If the drum will not come off because the shoes have worn a lip into it, the adjuster may need to be backed off first. If any of this is unfamiliar, a professional rear brake service is money well spent.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does the 2015-2020 Honda Fit have rear disc brakes?

No. North American 2015-2020 Fit models use front disc brakes and rear drum brakes. If you are shopping for rear parts, you need brake shoes, not rear pads.

Should I replace front and rear brakes at the same time?

Usually not. The fronts wear much faster, so most Fits get more than one front brake job before the rear shoes are due. Inspect the rears at every front job and replace them when the lining is thin or something is leaking or broken.

Do I need new rotors every time I replace the pads?

Not always, but on a Fit it is often the better choice. If the rotors are below minimum thickness, grooved or causing pulsation, replace them. A pads-and-rotors kit also saves the cost and wait of machining.

Why does my Fit's brake pedal feel low after a rear brake job?

The self-adjuster has not yet taken up shoe clearance, or it was assembled incorrectly. Press the pedal several times to set it, then adjust the parking brake. If the pedal stays low, recheck the adjuster assembly and bleed the brakes.

What brake fluid does a Honda Fit use?

Honda specifies Heavy Duty Brake Fluid DOT 3. Do not use DOT 5 fluid, which Honda says is not compatible with the system.

Sources

1. CarsDirect 2018 Honda Fit specifications - front disc / rear drum layout, 4-wheel ABS, curb weight range
2. Auto123 2018 Honda Fit DX technical specs - front disc / rear drum, ABS, electronic brake force distribution and brake assist standard
3. Honda Fit owner's manual - Brake/Clutch Fluid - Honda Heavy Duty Brake Fluid DOT 3; MIN mark means inspect for leaks or worn pads; DOT 5 not compatible
4. Honda Fit owner's manual - Brake System - continuous metallic sound means pads need replacing; brake assist function
5. Honda Fit service manual - Drum Brake Reassembly - shoe hardware lubrication, keep grease off linings, pump pedal to set self-adjuster, then adjust parking brake
6. Know Your Parts - The Importance of Drum Brake Self Adjusters - how self-adjusters work and why a failed adjuster causes a low pedal
7. Bendix - How brake drums work - drum brake components and how wheel cylinder pressure pushes the shoes into the drum