Rear Brake Pad Replacement (Honda Civic Si EP3 / Acura RSX)
Introduction
This guide covers replacing the rear disc brake pads on a 2002 Honda Civic Si (EP3), a job that restores stopping power once the friction material has worn down. Because the rear caliper on these cars uses a threaded, self-adjusting parking-brake piston, the pads cannot be reached without unbolting and swinging the caliper aside, and the piston must be wound in rather than pressed. The same procedure applies closely to the Acura RSX (DC5), with one difference noted by owners: some bracket fasteners are 12mm on the RSX where they are 10mm on the Civic. Read through the whole procedure before starting, gather the torque figures, and never rely on anything but jack stands to support the car. Adapted from a community writeup by Ju5t Ep3 Pr4ct1c3 on Club RSX (https://www.clubrsx.com/threads/diy-rear-pads-removal-replacement.335319/), including corrections from the follow-up discussion.
Reference
Tools Required
- Floor jack and two jack stands
- Wheel chocks or wooden blocks
- 1/2 in. drive breaker bar
- 1/2 in. drive torque wrench
- 1/2 in. drive ratchet with 19mm socket (lug nuts)
- 3/8 in. drive ratchet with 14mm socket
- 14mm combination wrench
- 10mm socket or wrench for the line brackets (12mm on RSX)
- Large flat-tip screwdriver, or a rear caliper piston wind-back tool
- 1/2-to-3/8 in. drive adapter and extension
- Clean rag
Parts Required
-
Rear brake pad set (e.g., Hawk HPS)
-
Brake caliper grease
-
CRC Disc Brake Quiet or equivalent brake shim lubricant
Safety Warnings
- ⚠ Support the vehicle on jack stands at the seam weld before working underneath; a jack is for lifting only, never for holding.
- ⚠ Never let the caliper hang from the brake hose. Rest it on the hub or dust shield.
- ⚠ The rear piston is a screw-in type; a C-clamp will not retract it and can break under the force.
- ⚠ After the job, pump the brake pedal until firm before driving, and brake gently until the new pads are bedded and warm. Stopping distance is longer until then.
- ⚠ Brake work done incorrectly can cause loss of braking and serious injury; confirm every fastener is torqued to spec.
Step-by-Step Instructions
1 Prepare the pads and rotors
Choose a quality rear pad set; the original author fitted Hawk HPS. Before installation, have the rotors resurfaced or lightly scuff their friction faces with sandpaper so the fresh pads bed evenly. Confirm you have brake grease, a can of CRC Disc Brake Quiet, and a clean rag within reach.
2 Break the lug nuts loose and chock the car
With the car still on the ground, crack each rear lug nut loose about a quarter turn but leave them threaded on. A seated wheel resists spinning, so loosening the nuts now saves a fight once the wheel is in the air. Chock the front tires or wedge blocks against them so the vehicle cannot roll.
3 Raise and support the rear
Position the jack under the central rear lift hook and raise the body to a comfortable working height. Transfer the load onto jack stands placed on the reinforced pinch/seam weld that runs along the underside; that ridge protrudes past the surrounding metal and is the intended contact point. A jack by itself must never hold the car while you are beneath it.
4 Remove the wheels and release the parking brake
Spin the loosened lug nuts off, pull each rear wheel, and keep the nuts with their wheel so none go missing. With the brakes exposed, drop the parking brake if it is set so the caliper and piston can move freely in the following steps.
5 Unbolt the caliper
Locate the pair of 14mm bolts securing the caliper to its bracket. Reach the upper one with a 14mm socket on a 3/8 ratchet and turn the lower one with a 14mm combination wrench; both are tight and take real effort to crack loose. On the RSX the caliper can be freed by pulling only these slider bolts rather than the whole mounting bracket.
6 Free the line brackets
Follow the brake hose and the parking-brake cable back toward the body until each meets its small retaining bracket. Remove the bracket bolt on each fitting; these are 10mm on the Civic Si. Later RSX owners report the same fasteners take a 12mm, so confirm the size on your car before reaching for a socket.
7 Lift the caliper off and remove the old pads
Swing the caliper clear and rest it on the rear dust shield or hub; never allow it to dangle from the flexible hose. Push the pads back off the piston and slide them out. Read the wear pattern, since uneven thickness side to side points to a sticking or misaligned pad, and inspect the piston and its rubber boot. Any fluid weeping means the caliper needs a rebuild or replacement before you go further.
8 Wind the piston back into the caliper
The rear piston retracts by threading inward, not by straight pressure, so a C-clamp will not seat it and can snap under load. Turn the piston clockwise with a large flat-tip screwdriver until it bottoms out; the resistance eases as it winds down. A dedicated rear caliper wind-back tool driven by a 3/8 ratchet does the same job faster and with less risk of tearing the dust boot.
9 Lubricate the retainers and pad shims
Apply brake grease generously to the steel pad retainer clips where the pads slide within the bracket. Coat the back of each pad's shim with CRC Disc Brake Quiet to suppress squeal. Keep every lubricant off the rotor face and off the pad friction material.
10 Fit the new pads and refit the caliper
Set the inboard and outboard pads into position, using the untouched opposite corner as a reference so neither pad is reversed or swapped. To clear the rotor, draw the outboard pad outward to spread the caliper open a little, then guide the assembly back over the disc.
11 Torque the fasteners to spec
Tighten each fastener to its figure: the 14mm caliper mounting bolts to 41 ft-lbs, the brake line bracket bolt to 16 ft-lbs, the parking-brake bracket bolt to 7.2 ft-lbs, and any disturbed small rotor set screws to 7.2 ft-lbs.
12 Reinstall the wheels, bed in, and test the pedal
Refit the wheels and torque the lug nuts to 80 ft-lbs. Before moving the car, hold the parking brake and pump the pedal about five times until it firms up, because the piston has moved out to meet the new pads. Bed the pads following the maker's break-in procedure, and drive gently at first, since braking is weak until the pads have seated and warmed up. Repeat the entire procedure on the opposite side.
Pro Tips
- 💡 A dedicated rear caliper piston wind-back (cube) tool driven by a 3/8 in. ratchet retracts the piston more easily and safely than a screwdriver; pick the face whose drive pins line up with your caliper.
- 💡 Have the rotors resurfaced or lightly sand the friction surfaces so the new pads seat evenly.
- 💡 Use the undisturbed brake assembly on the opposite side as a visual reference for correct pad orientation.
- 💡 Owners rate these as among the easier rear pads to service; a careful front-and-rear job runs roughly an hour.
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