Acura RSX / Honda Civic Si (EP3) Front Brake Rotor Replacement

With the tires still on the ground, crack each front lug nut loose by a quarter turn using a 19mm socket. Doing this first is far easier while the wheel cannot spin. Engage the parking brake and wedge chocks or blocks of wood against the wheels that will remain on the ground so the car cannot roll during the job.

Set the jack under the front lifting point on the subframe, located just behind the moulded black plastic arrow that marks it. Lift only until you have comfortable working height, then transfer the car's weight onto jack stands positioned under the reinforced seam weld that runs along each side of the floor pan. That ridge protrudes slightly and is the intended support point. A jack is for lifting only, never for holding the car while you work under it.

Spin off the loosened lug nuts, pull each front wheel free, and set the wheel with its hardware together in one place so nothing rolls off or gets lost. The brake caliper and rotor are now exposed.

Steer the wheels toward full lock away from the corner you are working on (turn right to open up the left brake, left to open up the right). Behind the rotor and dust shield you will find two 17mm bolts securing the entire caliper-and-bracket assembly to the knuckle. These are tight, so use a 17mm socket on the breaker bar to crack them, then spin them out with a ratchet. The caliper, pads, and bracket lift away together as one unit. Rest that assembly on a bucket or suspend it from a coil spring with a bungee cord or zip tie. Never let its weight hang on the flexible rubber brake hose. The bracket has to be fully removed because it encircles the rotor; a correction raised in the discussion confirms the rotor will not clear if you undo only the caliper slide bolts.

Two small Phillips screws lock each rotor to the hub. Douse them with penetrating spray and let it soak for a minute. The most reliable method is an impact driver: seat a hardened bit, strike the driver squarely with a mallet, and it typically frees the screw in a few sharp blows. Alternatively, place a very hard hand bit into the head at 90 degrees, push down firmly, and turn slowly. These screws corrode and strip easily; if one gives you no other option, drill it out. They only locate the rotor during factory assembly, and the brakes function correctly without them, so a new pair on reinstall is optional.

The rotor is usually rust-bonded to the hub. Tap the rotor face firmly with a hammer in the gaps between the wheel studs, working your way around until the corrosion releases and the rotor pulls off. With the hub exposed, inspect it and check for any up-and-down play in the wheel bearing. Spray the hub face with brake cleaner and wipe it so the new rotor will seat perfectly flat.

Mount the new rotor. If you are reinstalling resurfaced rotors, first wash them in warm soapy water to remove machining grit, then dry them. Fit the retaining screws if you are using them. Before refitting the caliper over thicker new pads, compress the piston: lay an old brake pad across the piston face and squeeze it back with a C-clamp until the bracket will clear the pads. Reinstall everything in reverse order and torque each fastener: lug nuts to 80 ft-lb, the 17mm bracket bolts to 80 ft-lb, and the small rotor screws to 7.2 ft-lb. Pump the brake pedal to seat the pads before driving.