By Core Brake Parts Tech Team — Circleville, OH warehouse
Replacing the brake pads on a Subaru Forester is a manageable DIY job. Expect about an hour per axle on the front with basic hand tools, and a little longer on the rear where many model years use an electronic parking brake that must be placed in service mode before the piston will compress. You need a floor jack, jack stands, a socket set, a caliper piston tool, high-temperature caliper grease, and a torque wrench.
Foresters tend to live in places with hills, snow, and road salt, and that environment is hard on brake hardware. Corroded clips and dry slide pins are the usual reason a Forester's pads wear on a taper or squeal after a pad-only swap. The procedure below builds the cleanup and hardware replacement into the job so the new pads wear evenly and quietly.
Tools and Parts You Need
- Floor jack and two jack stands
- Lug wrench or breaker bar with lug socket
- Socket set, ratchet, and extension
- C-clamp for front pistons; cube-style rotating tool for rear pistons that screw in
- Torque wrench
- Brake cleaner, rags, and a wire brush
- High-temperature silicone caliper grease
- Bungee cord or hook to support the caliper
- Micrometer for measuring rotor thickness
- An axle set of Subaru Forester brake pads
- New abutment clips, pins, and boots from a brake hardware kit
- Rotors if the existing ones are grooved or under minimum thickness
- Scan tool or in-dash procedure for electronic parking brake service mode on the rear
Numbered Procedure
- Loosen the lug nuts half a turn with the wheel on the ground.
- Lift and support. Jack the corner at the factory lift point, set a jack stand under a structural member, and lower the Forester onto the stand. Never work under a vehicle supported only by a jack.
- Remove the wheel and slide it under the body as a backup support.
- Remove the caliper. Take out the two slide bolts, lift the caliper off the bracket, and hang it from the spring with a hook so the hose is not stressed.
- Remove the old pads and clips. Note the orientation of the wear indicator.
- Inspect the rotor. Check for scoring, a raised lip, and heat spots. Measure thickness and compare to the minimum on the hat. Replace the rotor if it is under minimum or deeply grooved.
- Retract the piston. Open the reservoir cap and watch the level. On the front, compress the piston with a C-clamp against an old pad. On the rear, see the parking brake section first.
- Service the slide pins. Pull each pin, clean it, inspect the boot for cracks, apply a thin film of high-temperature silicone grease, and reinstall. Pins must slide freely by hand.
- Install new clips. Wire-brush the bracket channels and snap in the fresh abutment clips. A light touch of grease on the clip contact points keeps the pads free.
- Install the new pads with the wear indicator matching the original position.
- Reinstall the caliper and torque the slide bolts to the service-manual specification. Use thread-locker if and only if the manual calls for it.
- Refit the wheel, lower the vehicle, and torque the lug nuts in a star pattern per the service manual.
- Repeat on the other side of the axle. Pads are always replaced as an axle set.
- Pump the pedal until it is firm before moving the vehicle. Recheck and adjust the fluid level.
Rear Calipers with an Electronic Parking Brake
On many Forester model years the rear caliper houses a motorized parking brake actuator. The actuator holds the piston and will not let it retract until the system is placed in service mode with a scan tool or the dashboard sequence in the service manual. Once in service mode, some rear pistons press back like the fronts while others must be rotated in with a cube tool that fits the notches in the piston face. Turn clockwise with light inward pressure until the piston is flush. After the caliper is reinstalled and torqued, take the system out of service mode and cycle the parking brake several times so the actuators re-seat against the new pads.
| Common mistake | Result | How to avoid it |
|---|---|---|
| Reusing old abutment clips | Pads bind, wear on a taper, squeal | Install the clips from a new hardware kit |
| Skipping slide pin grease | Inner pad wears out early | Clean and grease pins with high-temp silicone grease |
| Forcing the rear piston | Damaged parking brake actuator | Enter service mode, use a cube tool where required |
| Guessing torque values | Loose caliper or stretched bolts | Look up specs in the service manual |
| Driving before pumping the pedal | No brakes on the first stop | Pump until firm, then test at low speed |
Safety
- Level surface, wheels chocked, and jack stands under the vehicle at all times.
- Keep brake dust wet and avoid inhaling it.
- Brake fluid eats paint; keep the reservoir capped and wipe spills immediately.
- Replace pads in axle sets, and replace rotors when they are under minimum or grooved.
- Use the service manual for every torque figure and any thread-locker requirement.
- Confirm a firm pedal before the first drive.
Bedding In
Follow the bed-in instructions supplied by the pad manufacturer. The routine is typically a series of moderate slowdowns with cooling time in between and no full stops while the brakes are hot. This transfers an even film of friction material to the rotor surface. On a Forester, a proper bed-in also matters because a heavy first stop on cold, unseated pads can leave a deposit that shows up later as a pulsing pedal.
When to Call a Shop
Let a professional take over if the parking brake will not enter service mode, a piston is seized, a caliper bolt or bleeder breaks, a hose is cracked or bulging, or the pedal stays soft after pumping. A persistent soft pedal indicates air or a leak that needs a bleed and inspection. If the rotors measure under minimum and you are not set up to swap them, a shop can do pads and rotors in one visit.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long does a Subaru Forester brake pad replacement take?
Roughly an hour per axle on the front and a little longer on the rear because of the parking brake service mode step. A full four-wheel job fits into an afternoon.
Why does my Forester's rear piston refuse to compress?
On years with an electronic parking brake, the actuator holds the piston until the system is in service mode. Some rear pistons also need to be rotated in with a cube tool rather than pressed. Never force them.
Should I replace rotors with the pads?
Only when the rotors are below the minimum thickness stamped on the hat, grooved, or heat-spotted. Rotors above minimum with a smooth surface can be reused.
Do I need new clips and pins?
Yes. Salt-belt Foresters are especially prone to corroded clips and stuck pins, which cause uneven wear and noise. A hardware kit fixes both for very little money.
Core Brake Parts carries fitment-verified pads, rotors, and hardware kits for the Forester and the wider Subaru range, and the find-your-vehicle page filters the brake parts catalog to what fits your exact year. Orders over $75 ship free, in-stock parts ship fast, and every purchase is covered by a 30-day return policy.
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