How to Replace Front Brakes 11-18 Subaru Forester

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1A Auto shows you how to repair, install, fix, change or replace your own worn, squeaky, fading old brakes. This video is applicable to the 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18 Subaru Forester
This process should be similar on the following vehicles:
2014 Subaru Forester
2015 Subaru Forester
2016 Subaru Forester
2017 Subaru Forester
2018 Subaru Forester
🔧 List of tools used:
• Flat Blade Screwdriver 1aau.to/oxo/1AX...
• 14mm Wrench 1aau.to/ogM/1AX...
• 17mm Wrench 1aau.to/ogM/1AX...
• 14mm Socket 1aau.to/owT/1AX...
• 17mm Socket 1aau.to/owT/1AX...
• 19mm Socket 1aau.to/oj3/1AX...
• Vise-Grips
• Ratchet 1aau.to/oyX/1AX...
• Socket Extensions 1aau.to/owT/1AX...
• Anti-Seize Grease
• Brake Parts Cleaner
• Bungee Cord
• Wire Brush 1aau.to/ocj/1AX...
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⚠ DISCLAIMER:
While 1A Auto strives to make the information provided in this video as accurate as possible, it makes no claims, promises, or guarantees about the accuracy, completeness or applicability of the content. No information contained in this video shall create any expressed or implied warranty or guarantee of any particular result. All do-it-yourself projects entail some risk. It is the sole responsibility of the viewer to assume this risk. 1A Auto is not responsible or liable for any loss damage (including, but not limited to, actual, consequential, or punitive), liability, claim, or any other injury or cause related to or resulting from any information posted in this video.

[@1AAuto]

√ *Watch the Video* √ *Buy The Part at 1A Auto* 1aau.to/m/Visit-1AAuto √ *Do it Yourself* √ *Save Money*

[@krisgee9553]

4:05 Small bolts for taking off rotor are M8 x 1.25 you can go shorter than 40mm but I bought the longest I could find. Hammer didn't work for me.

[@hugginmcgroyne8262]

Hey Kris.. THANK YOU! :). i needed that.

[@scottaldenfisher1]

Yes: thank you, Kris. The bolts cost $1.29 apiece and saved me a world of grief and annoyance.

[@adrianwalthall4870]

A word of advice is to get hardened bolts. Cheap bolts will shear, especially if they're longer, and the hardened ones are only a little more. I keep M8 x 1.25 bolts in my tool box because they're common for a lot of rotors.

[@roberttatro577]

Thanks for that info. I will be doing all 4 on my 15ltd 2.5.

[@daisymashburn593]

Thank you! Ran into this issue today🤦🏼‍♀️

[@ashleysteinhart7956]

Excellent video. I call this guy "The Brake Whisperer." Thank you for using hand tools and providing torque values.

[@1AAuto]

+Ashley Steinhart Thanks for the feedback and checking us out!

[@questernvideos]

The torque values were incredibly helpful

[@sitrat8914]

Just finished the front brakes on my wife’s Forester. Thanks for the video assist!

[@OneDullMan]

Thanks for this video - I have a 2013 Forester that I will be changing the front brakes in a couple of days. These type of videos give me the confidence to do it myself.

[@MrLuvMonster]

If I may ask, how did it go? Looking forward to changing my own brakes for the first time on my 2015 Forrester.

[@martinradtke5181]

Good video. Suggestion: for high moisture / snow locations brush on thin coat of Antiseize on hub before installing rotors - helps prevents future rusting rotor to hub

[@abbas1872]

it's a shame this dumbass mechanic doesn't already know this.

[@soundknight]

7:30 brake calliper position. Note - do not clean this way, remove all parts, wash rubber in detergent and soft brush clean. Acetone for all metal parts. Use a silicone ceramic paste designed for the pins only, not a brake calliper grease.

[@Squarekn0t]

Great clear video with good angles and talking us through. Just got an estimate from local "Mine" shop for $480 to do this. The same people that have been cross stripping my studs when doing tire rotation and then charge $30 per stud to replace. ( told me Subaru has bad studs) .

[@ricksgarage8069]

Good video. You might want to mention that it could be necessary to empty the master cylinder reservoir as you push the pistons back.

[@soundknight]

Would have saved me a lot of late night heartache if you had an ingredients/shopping list at the start.

[@rodilacopiado1733]

Add brake brake grease on outside of brake pads and it’s smelling like crazy in cabin. Instructions that came in Subaru box doesn’t say to put grease on outside of pads. It does come with gold grease that instructs u to put it only on outside of pads that touches metal clips.

[@egx161]

Using a dial test indicator on the rotor and wheel bearing can show if they’re out of spec. Run out check. Best way to prevent the car from coming back due to vibration. Thanks

[@mattsalladay7190]

Such a well done vid. Did the rear of my car yesterday using your other video. So easy to follow along. Thank you so much.

[@soundknight]

9:55 17mm socket torque to 59ft pound

[@dwasifarkaralahishipoor2223]

Great guide. Very thorough, right down to noting the interference on the top bracket bolt. That said: you might want to loosen the cap on the master cylinder before pushing in the pistons; you skipped showing the inboard pad installation; and I thought it was funny that the two bolts you used to drive the rotor off had different sized heads, requiring you to keep swapping sockets. :) Usually I do the caliper piston retraction during disassembly. When you're using the big screwdriver to retract the pistons enough to get the caliper off, you might as well just keep going and push the pistons all the way in at that step. I'm sure someone will chime in now and tell me why I shouldn't be doing that.

[@soundknight]

Do the callipers cups need to be compressed? I don't have yet again another tool in this video but my calliper seems to fit OK... Will I did tomorrow?

[@radekten]

Please DO NOT USE the black brake caliper grease on the pins!!!!!! Only silicon grease on pins, like sil-glyde brake lubricant. If you use this black brake caliper grease your pin will get stuck and you won't be able to remove them next time. Also your braking will be compromised!!! I made this mistake, one of the pins got stuck, the brake pad was worn only on top because the bottom was stuck, I had to use a hammer and a lot of force to remove the pin. The black brake caliper grease goes only on brake pads outside, do not put them inside the pins like on this video!!!!

[@davidwhittaker9511]

Caliper grease is NOT compatible with rubber, the boots will swell, and yes the pins will seize. Silicone is rubber's best friend for longevity.

[@flamedub]

Great video. Professional and easy to follow. What is the importance of the correct positioning of the caliper guide pins during reinstallation?

[@theheyseed]

Very nicely done. Thanks. I needed a refresher, been a while since my last Subaru brake job. One of the last vehicles I worked on was a Landrover and it had twist in pistons, that was not fun.

[@williamevans7932]

So I can change my front pads and rotor on a 2017 forester without a scan tool ?

[@rhymereason3449]

Excellent video on how to do it right!

[@1AAuto]

+Rhyme& Reason Thanks for checking us out. Shop here for high quality auto parts: 1aau.to/m/Shop-1AAuto-c

[@missemotional8710]

For real stock Subaru brakes are so GOOD!!

[@1AAuto]

+M'Kay u stoopid UwU Thanks for checking us out! 1aau.to/m/Shop-1AAuto-c

[@marklott2927]

Do you have to replace the rotors? Can you just replace the pads? Thank you.

[@Pork_Rolllin]

Can anyone tell me if the rear brake pad process is the same and when I should be changing them? My fronts need to be changed and I will be using this for a guide.

[@soundknight]

13:35 20ft pounds, Brace the socket pin whilst torque the 14mm head.

[@dogidarko6862]

great tutorial video. thank a lot. could you please tell the torque indormations of the screws in SI (metrical) units?

[@ozzierabbit587]

I've also heard the recommendation to replace the caliper bracket pad slides when replacing pads.

[@douglasbroccone3144]

What size are the snug bolts?

[@anthonyguess5528]

Please do 2017 outback rear pads and rotors with electric parking brake

[@egx161]

Thanks. Very nicely done. Question. How can we clean the inside of the calipers pistons? Rust buildup. Aarrrgghh.

[@tommacklem6559]

I always open the brake bleeder screw when compressing the pistons, long time ago I destroyed my ABS braked system.

[@1AAuto]

+tom Macklem Thanks for the feedback!

[@creamedkern2155]

I always opened the fluid cap so any air gets pushed back out the top.

[@alexsandertroutnoodler9713]

Thanks for that tip at 04:20! That's the bugaboo that was holding me up, and it's a brilliant engineering solution. 👍👏 Almost as good as moving the oil filter from the Ring of Fire to the *top* of the engine! 🔥🤕☠

[@soundknight]

12:00 reset calliper position for new pad placement / fitting (larger pad depth)

[@bwmacallister]

Only did one side. Might be obvious to most but for the other side of car turn the steering wheel to left for easier access

[@WomBatVIC]

Thank you. A nice clear, calm, quiet (importantly) and informative guide. It's a pretty basic process but good to confirm what I will be dealing with before I do the job. I'm guessing my 2006 model will be very much the same. Mine is a two liter naturally aspirated LL Bean. I'm in a reasonably remote area of New Zealand and I so want to ensure I get the right parts and have no hiccups necessitating returns. This USA SG5 version is not a standard model here in NZ and I have not found specs specifically on LL Bean front brake rotors with a google search. Do you happen to know what rotors they use? Are they just standard Japanese Forester rotors or did your USA version get upgrades? Yes, I'll probably remove the wheel and measure too :) FYI - I love its' great low range manual 4x4 traction on a slippery off-camber grass hill and a muddy hill I use to get around the back of my place! :D I have thought a couple of times, this will be the day I get stuck, but no, I just slowly and calmly chug chug chug up them... I did cheat and sprinkle a sparce layer of about 15L of stones on the worst parts a while back though, lol. Cheers

[@1AAuto]

+@WomBatVIC Thanks for checking us out. Shop for high quality auto parts on 1AAuto.com: 1aau.to/m/Shop-1AAuto-c

[@jayjy1583]

Should we be spraying brake parts cleaner into the rubber boot?

[@1AAuto]

No, we would not suggest spraying brake cleaner into the rubber boot. +J Medlen

[@blahraptors]

@@1AAuto But the mechanic did in the video?

[@matthewheath1044]

Any idea when I reinstalled the caliper bolts, 13:07 of video, the bolts just kept spinning on me. I had my torque wrench set at 20 ft - lbs. I eventually broke one of the bolts off, luckily I was able to get the broken piece out with pliers, and the other bolt, I stripped the threads on it. I used locking pliers too. Any advice before I go at it again would be much appreciated.

[@1AAuto]

+Matthew Heath Thanks for checking us out! You may want to tighten the lock on the pliers to get a good hold on it and ensure there isnt any damage to the nut threads or the inner threads as these may cause some slippage leaving the bolt to keep spinning without locking down

[@vzangelo13]

thank 1A Auto Parts for this videos i will do my first brakes by myself greats services and parts prices fast deliver

[@1AAuto]

+angelo lampignano Thank you! We love empowering our customers and showing how to perform DIY auto repairs with our high-quality auto parts. 1AAuto.com

[@geomaticcomplex7496]

Is it a major concern if I didnt pull out and lay the brake pad clip to that outside resting place? Instead I folded and tucked it in the clip channel. Do I need to redue it, considering the other (backside) of the brake pad didnt have a clip at all? Thanks for the video.

[@jamestheotherone742]

No. They are just there to keep the pads from making noise as long as they are pushing against something and not bent out loose, it shouldn't matter.

[@profcp]

@@jamestheotherone742 The clip on the pad that you folded out should go on the inner mount and NOT be folded out as is designed to touch the brake disc/rotor when the pad is worn and squeal.

[@johncohrs]

Excellent tutorial. Thanks!

[@1AAuto]

+John Cohrs Thank you for your order. If you would like to leave us a review on Google it would be greatly appreciated. Here is a link to our reviews section. Have a great day! goo.gl/i5JFNY

[@theelectricpatriot973]

Very clear thank you

[@michaelgarcia5181]

So take off the cap or not? Just want to make sure and not get air in the system, thanks!

[@1AAuto]

+Michael Garcia Thanks for watching! You can leave the cap on for this procedure.

[@michaelgarcia5181]

@@1AAuto thank you so much for the reply 😃👍🏻

[@1AAuto]

+Michael Garcia You're welcome!

[@nixaeagle141]

must be a Michigan car with all that rust.

[@ishamw2329]

Do you need to take cap off the brake fluid reservoir?

[@1AAuto]

+isham w If you are bleeding them yes

[@joecat8566]

@@1AAuto slightly misleading. If you have to compress the caliper pistons to get the caliper back on you should have the cap open also.

[@yoncher2000]

Great video! Keep it up and thank you!

[@1AAuto]

+Yonel Chery Thanks for checking us out! 1aau.to/m/Shop-1AAuto-c

[@tjj0209]

thanks, made it much easier for me

[@kohort1]

How often to do the full brake service vs just changing the pads?

[@jamestheotherone742]

The OEM pads on my '15 Forester lasted 77k miles. The rotors should last for a very long time 200K unless they are warped or damaged.

[@randybird9979]

@@jamestheotherone742 2016 forester for me 24,000 miles and the breaks are gone, but all driving is in town, and I know what you are thinking, he rides the brakes, but on the 16 if you touch the breaks, it kills the gas pedal. but they are easy to change

[@scottfirman]

Nothing has changed. I can still change my own brakes. Funny, they did that just before I got my car. AND NEW TIRES TOO! Some one just replaced a front wheel bearing on that vehicle. You can see the blue paint they used on the alignment bolts and on the new bolt holding the axle on to the hub. That was obvious. I use antiseize on the back of the rotor and around the hub where rust always forms. The rotor never sticks to the point you have to hammer on things by using antiseize.

[@1AAuto]

+RC Hobbyist Extreme Thanks for the feedback!

[@er_mar_gur3522]

What is the brake part number? Been having the hardest time at my local auto shop on these exactly brake pads

[@1AAuto]

+HUECOS Thanks for watching! The number for the brake pads shown in this video is 1ABPS02311. Here is a link to our site for them: www.1aauto.com/*/i/1ABPS02311.

[@MichalBoguslawski]

Thanks you save me money

[@1AAuto]

+MichalBoguslawski Thank you for your feedback! We are happy we could help.

[@frankhan2483]

Do you have to do all the actions shown if you just want to replace the brake pads? Can you just buy a set of 8 brake pads and swap them out?

[@roogermoore1]

my two cents, the pads will not wear evenly or last as long unless you deal with the rotors. you can try to have oreilly's auto parts "turn" the rotors for $12 each. otherwise new generic rotors are worth the price. Buy the long lasting pads as well. worth the investment

[@leftyclick]

If the rotors are not warped or have abnormal wear, you can replace the pads only. This is ONLY if they don’t have abnormal wear and the rotor thickness is within spec. I have done this with success multiple times and have driven a long commute for years. My last set of pads lasted over 130k miles using this method.

[@chipmunkcampingandbushcraf6119]

Really helpful thanks 😀

[@1AAuto]

You're welcome ! +P Waller

[@mikezimmerman2786]

meticulous video well done.

[@scottmathisen9698]

Well done

[@jonathanhearn7244]

Is it just me, or did he skip the back break pad?

[@skipper00013]

what size are the jacking stud bolts? 12mm or 14mm????

[@MikeSorrell-lp7zf]

forgot to show the rear pad install like all the others it's not as easy as the outside ped.

[@jkxss]

Great video.

[@1AAuto]

+Jason Lee Thank you!

[@DS-xj8bp]

If the rotor is still good. Can't you just reuse it?

[@PRO4XKEV]

Possibly bleed out the old brake fluid to.

[@rondietzman3268]

Hi

[@dalemitrik1707]

doesn't show how to take the brakes off

[@1AAuto]

+dale mitrik Thanks for the feedback! We'll pass this info along to our production team.

[@libork.5323]

Very nice video. Thank you.

[@ronancherani7225]

Great video

[@1AAuto]

+Ron Ancherani Thanks for checking us out! 1aau.to/m/Shop-1AAuto-c