Two different fasteners, two very different figures: guide pin bolts around 25 ft·lbs, carrier bracket bolts 70 to 130 ft·lbs. Values by manufacturer.
Short answer: there are two caliper fasteners and they are not interchangeable. Guide pin (slide) bolts hold the caliper body to the bracket — 20–31 ft·lbs (27–42 N·m). Carrier bracket bolts hold the bracket to the steering knuckle — 70–130 ft·lbs (95–176 N·m). Using the guide-pin figure on a bracket bolt leaves the brake loose on the knuckle.
| Manufacturer | Guide pin bolt | Bracket bolt | N·m (bracket) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Toyota / Lexus | 25 ft·lbs | 79 ft·lbs | 107 |
| Honda / Acura | 24 ft·lbs | 80 ft·lbs | 108 |
| Ford | 25 ft·lbs | 85–125 ft·lbs | 115–170 |
| GM (Chevrolet, GMC) | 31 ft·lbs | 85–125 ft·lbs | 115–170 |
| Nissan / Infiniti | 23 ft·lbs | 98 ft·lbs | 133 |
| Subaru | 25 ft·lbs | 58 ft·lbs | 79 |
| Volkswagen / Audi | 22 ft·lbs | 92 ft·lbs | 125 |
| BMW | 22 ft·lbs | 81 ft·lbs | 110 |
| Stellantis (Ram, Jeep, Dodge) | 26 ft·lbs | 110 ft·lbs | 149 |
| Hyundai / Kia | 22 ft·lbs | 75–95 ft·lbs | 102–129 |
| Fastener | ft·lbs | N·m | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| Brake hose banjo bolt | 25–30 | 34–41 | New copper washers both sides |
| Bleeder screw | 6–9 | 8–12 | Tapered seat, easy to snap |
| Brake line flare nut | 11–18 | 15–24 | Use a flare-nut wrench |
| Rotor retaining screw | 7–11 | 9–15 | Often seized — impact driver |
| Backing plate bolt | 10–15 | 14–20 | Small, into the knuckle |
Clean and grease the slide pins, then torque dry bolts. The pin shafts need brake-specific silicone grease so the caliper floats. The bolt threads themselves get thread locker if the manufacturer specifies it, and the torque figure assumes whichever condition the manual states.
Never hang a caliper by its hose. The hose is a hydraulic component, not a strap. Support the caliper on a hook or a stand while the pads are out.
Bracket bolts are frequently single-use. Many manufacturers specify replacement bracket bolts, and some are torque-plus-angle. Check before you refit the originals.
Retract the piston properly. Front calipers usually push straight back; most rear calipers with an integrated parking brake must be wound in, and electric parking brakes need the caliper put into service mode with a scan tool first.
Bed the pads in. New pads and rotors need a bedding sequence of firm stops from moderate speed to transfer an even friction layer. Skipping it is the usual cause of a judder that gets blamed on warped rotors.
The wheel goes back on next
Hub nut specs and staking
Convert a metric figure
Engine, suspension and brake fasteners
Caliper guide pin (slide) bolts take 20–31 ft·lbs (27–42 N·m) on most vehicles. Caliper carrier bracket bolts, which hold the bracket to the knuckle, take 70–130 ft·lbs (95–176 N·m). Toyota is 25 and 79 ft·lbs; Honda is 24 and 80 ft·lbs.
The guide pin bolt threads into the sliding pin and holds the caliper body to the bracket — it is small and lightly torqued. The bracket bolt holds the whole caliper bracket to the steering knuckle and is much larger and torqued three to five times higher.
Follow the manufacturer. Many specify a medium-strength threadlocker on guide pin bolts, and some bracket bolts are supplied with a pre-applied patch and must be replaced rather than re-used with fresh compound. Never put threadlocker on the sliding surface of the pin — that gets brake grease.
Sometimes, but many manufacturers specify replacement, especially where the bolt is torque-plus-angle or has a pre-applied locking patch. Because the consequence of failure is losing a brake, replace them when in any doubt.
25–30 ft·lbs (34–41 N·m) for most, always with new copper crush washers on both sides of the hose fitting. Over-torquing a banjo bolt distorts the fitting and causes a leak that no amount of extra tightening will stop.