How to Replace Brake Pads on an
QX60

By Core Brake Parts Tech Team — Circleville, OH warehouse

Replacing the brake pads on an Infiniti QX60 is a realistic weekend job for a home mechanic. It takes basic hand tools, a floor jack, jack stands, and roughly ninety minutes to two hours per axle. The QX60 is a full-size crossover, so its calipers and rotors are larger and heavier than a car's, which means bigger sockets, higher torque numbers, and a caliper you should hang up the moment it comes off the bracket.

Tools and Parts You Need

• Floor jack with enough capacity for a loaded SUV corner
• Two jack stands
• Breaker bar and correct lug socket
• Socket and ratchet set, including the larger sizes used on QX60 caliper bolts
• C-clamp or caliper piston tool
• Torque wrench
• Brake cleaner and wire brush
• High-temperature silicone caliper grease
• Caliper hanger or bungee
• Micrometer for rotor thickness
• Axle set of brake pads for the Infiniti QX60
• Replacement clips and pin boots from a brake hardware kit

Have the pads and hardware in hand before you lift the vehicle. Discovering a missing clip with the caliper hanging from a bungee is a bad way to spend an afternoon.

How to Replace QX60 Brake Pads, Step by Step

1. Loosen the lugs on the ground. Break each lug nut free about a quarter turn while the tire still has traction.
2. Lift and support. Jack the corner at the factory point, set a stand under the frame rail or subframe, and lower the QX60 onto it. Shake the vehicle to be sure it is planted. A jack by itself never holds a vehicle you are working under.
3. Take off the wheel and lay it flat beneath the rocker as an extra backstop.
4. Unbolt and hang the caliper. Remove the caliper slide bolts, lift the caliper off with both hands, and hang it from the suspension with a hook. The brake hose must not support any weight.
5. Remove old pads and clips. Pull the pads out of the bracket and pry off the abutment clips. Note which pad carries the wear indicator and where it sits.
6. Measure and inspect the rotor. Compare measured thickness to the minimum in the service manual. Look for grooves, a raised lip, or bluish heat marks. Under-minimum or grooved rotors get replaced while the wheel is off.
7. Compress the piston. Remove the fluid reservoir cap first. Place the old inner pad across the piston face and push it back with a C-clamp, keeping the piston square. Watch the fluid level and remove a little if it approaches the top.
8. Clean and lubricate the slide pins. Pull each pin, wipe it clean, inspect the rubber boot, and apply a fresh coat of silicone caliper grease. Brush the bracket landings where the clips seat until bare metal shows.
9. Fit new clips and pads. Snap the new clips onto the bracket, grease the contact points lightly, and slide the pads home.
10. Reinstall the caliper. Thread the slide bolts by hand, then torque them to the Infiniti service-manual value. Apply thread locker if and only if the manual specifies it.
11. Mount the wheel. Hand-tighten the lugs, lower the tire to the ground, and torque in a star pattern to the spec per the service manual.
12. Pump the pedal. With the engine off, press the brake pedal until it is firm. Recheck fluid and cap the reservoir.
13. Bed the new pads. Follow the pad maker's procedure, then let the brakes cool completely before parking with the brake applied.

Rear Brakes on the Infiniti QX60

Before starting on the rear axle, identify what you have. Some QX60 model years use an electronic parking brake that must be placed in service mode before the rear caliper piston will compress; the manual describes the exact procedure. Forcing a piston against an engaged electronic parking brake can damage the actuator. Also be aware that some older or base trims use rear drums instead of disc brakes. Drums use shoes and springs, not pads, and require a different procedure entirely. Pull a rear wheel and confirm before ordering.

Safety Rules for This Job

• Work on level concrete and chock the wheels remaining on the ground.
• Never rely on the jack alone; jack stands carry the load every time.
• Support the heavy caliper properly and never let it hang from the hose.
• Wet brake dust with cleaner rather than blowing it around.
• Keep grease off pad friction faces and rotor surfaces.
• Do not drive until the pedal is firm and the reservoir is at the correct level.

When to Call a Shop

Bring in a professional if the electronic parking brake refuses to enter service mode, if a slide pin is frozen in the bracket, if the caliper bolt threads are damaged, or if the pedal stays soft after pumping. That last symptom means air or a leak in the hydraulic system and needs a proper diagnosis and bleed. If you find rear drums and are not set up for shoe work, a shop can finish that end. With those exceptions, a patient DIYer with the correct brake parts can complete this job safely.

Frequently Asked Questions

How much time should I set aside to replace QX60 brake pads?

Roughly two hours per axle for a first-timer, less once you have done it. The rear axle may take longer because of the parking-brake service-mode step.

Does the QX60 need special tools?

No specialty tools for the fronts. You will want larger sockets than a compact car requires and a torque wrench that reaches the higher caliper-bolt values in the manual.

Why should I measure the rotors?

Because a heavy SUV wears rotors quickly. A rotor below minimum thickness cannot shed heat properly and can warp or crack, and new pads on a grooved rotor will not seat correctly.

Is it fine to reuse the old clips?

No. Old clips lose tension and corrode, letting the pads bind or rattle. A fresh hardware kit is cheap insurance against noise and uneven wear.

Core Brake Parts supplies fitment-verified pads and hardware for the Infiniti QX60. Confirm your exact model year on the find-your-vehicle page; orders ship fast, shipping is free over $75, and returns are accepted for 30 days.