How to Replace Brake Rotors on a Nissan Kicks

By Core Brake Parts Tech Team — Circleville, OH warehouse

How to replace brake rotors on a Nissan Kicks is a fair question to ask before you buy parts, and the short answer is that it is the brake pad job with two additions: the caliper bracket has to come off the knuckle, and the old rotor has to come off the hub. Neither is complicated, but the bracket bolts are tight and the rotor is often rusted on. Plan on two to three hours per axle the first time, and never lift the vehicle without jack stands under it.

Rotors are replaced in axle pairs, and new pads go in with new rotors every time.

Gather the tools first

• Floor jack plus jack stands. A jack alone is not a support.
• Lug wrench, socket set, and a breaker bar for the caliper bracket bolts.
• Torque wrench.
• C-clamp or piston retraction tool to push the caliper piston back.
• Brake cleaner and a wire brush.
• High-temperature silicone caliper grease for slide pins and pad abutments.
• Anti-seize for the hub face only.
• Penetrating oil, a dead-blow hammer, and two bolts that fit the rotor jacking holes.
• Wire or a hook to hang the caliper from the spring.

How to replace brake rotors on a Nissan Kicks

1. Loosen the lug nuts with the wheel still on the ground, then lift the corner and lower it onto jack stands.
2. Take the wheel off and slide it under the vehicle as a second line of defense.
3. Unbolt the caliper and hang it from a hook. The flexible brake hose should carry no weight at any point.
4. Unbolt the caliper bracket from the knuckle. Expect these to be seized; a breaker bar and steady pressure beat impact hammering on a fastener you cannot see the threads of.
5. Remove the small retaining screw in the rotor hat if one is fitted. After that, only rust is holding the rotor on.
6. Pull the rotor. If it will not move, soak the hat with penetrating oil and tap around it, or thread bolts into the two jacking holes most rotors provide and turn them evenly.
7. Clean the hub face down to bare metal with a wire brush and brake cleaner.
8. Wash the shipping oil off the new rotor with brake cleaner and a clean rag, then fit it.
9. Reinstall the bracket and caliper at service-manual torque. Grease the slide pins so they move freely by hand.
10. Refit the wheel, torque the lug nuts in a star pattern, and lower the vehicle.
11. Pump the pedal until it is firm before you drive. The first press after retracting a piston travels a long way.

The hub face is the part people skip

Rust and debris trapped between the hub and the rotor hat is a leading cause of thickness variation and the pulsating pedal owners describe as warped rotors. Even a thin ridge of scale tilts the disc, the pads wipe that high spot on every rotation, and a shudder shows up a few thousand miles later on parts that are still nearly new. Wire-brush the hub until it is shiny, wipe it, and add a light smear of anti-seize on the hub face, keeping it well away from the braking surface.

Notes specific to the Kicks

Rotors on the Kicks are larger than a compact car's, so expect some weight when the disc comes free. On many model years the rear has an electronic parking brake, and the caliper has to be commanded into service mode before the piston will retract. That takes a scan tool or the on-vehicle procedure for your model year. Never force an electronic parking brake piston back with a C-clamp. Rear rotors also tend to rust to the hub harder than the fronts, because they see less heat over their life and never bake the moisture out from between the mating faces.

Bed the brakes in before you drive hard

New pads and new rotors need a bedding procedure to lay down an even layer of friction material on the disc. Use the sequence the pad maker publishes, typically a series of moderate-effort stops from moderate speed with cooling between each, and avoid holding the pedal down at a stop while the brakes are still hot. Doing this once at the end of the job is the difference between smooth brakes and a shudder you will chase for months.

Is this a job worth doing yourself?

If you own a torque wrench, jack stands, and a breaker bar, a rotor and pad set costs a fraction of the shop bill and the work is well within reach. If the rear has an electronic parking brake and you have no scan tool, or if a bracket bolt starts twisting instead of turning, that is the moment to hand it to a shop rather than force it.

Common questions

Can I replace just one rotor?

Not if you want even braking. Rotors go in axle pairs so both sides have matching thickness and surface finish.

How do I know the rotors need replacing and not just resurfacing?

Check the minimum thickness stamped on the rotor hat against a measurement across the friction surface. If it is at or near the minimum, or has deep scoring, a hard lip, or cracks, replacement is the only answer.

Do I need to bleed the brakes after this job?

Not if you never opened a hydraulic line. Retracting the piston pushes fluid back toward the reservoir, so watch that the reservoir does not overflow, but no air enters the system.

What torque should the caliper bolts get?

Look it up in the service manual for your model year rather than guessing. Front and rear values differ, and an undertorqued caliper bolt is a serious safety problem.