Rebuild the front brake calipers on a 2024 Model S Plaid by removing the caliper, replacing the piston seals, dust boots, and slide pin hardware, then reinstalling and bleeding the system. The Plaid uses Brembo 6-piston fixed front calipers — these are NOT a typical sliding-pin caliper, so rebuild involves piston seal kits per piston, not slide pin service.

Warnings

Tools required

Parts

• Front caliper rebuild kit (piston seals + dust boots, Brembo 6-piston) × 2 — OEM Tesla front caliper seal kit for Plaid Brembo 6-piston
• Copper crush washers for brake hose banjo (if equipped) × 4 — Match OEM size
• Brake fluid × 1 — Verify DOT 3 or DOT 4 by VIN — refer to Tesla Service Manual

Fluids

• Brake fluid (DOT 3 or DOT 4 — verify by VIN) — 1 qt

Preparation

1. Park on level ground, place in P, and engage the electric parking brake via the touchscreen.
2. Exit all doors with the key fob away from the vehicle. Wait at least 2 minutes for HV systems to fully de-energize, even on this non-HV job.
3. Open the frunk, remove the nose cowl/cover panel, and disconnect the 12V (or 16V lithium if equipped) low-voltage battery negative terminal. Some 2021+ Plaid units locate the 16V under the rear seat — verify by VIN.
4. Do not touch, cut, or pierce any orange cable. If you encounter an orange cable, an HV component, or are unsure if a system is de-energized, STOP and consult a Tesla-certified technician.
5. Enable Service Mode or Jack Mode on the touchscreen to disable the air suspension auto-leveling (Plaid uses adaptive air suspension on all four corners). Failure to do this will cause the suspension to fight the jack.
6. Loosen the front wheel lug nuts ½ turn while the vehicle is on the ground.
7. Lift the front of the vehicle using Tesla-approved jack pad pucks at the designated pinch-weld jacking points. Support on jack stands rated for the vehicle's weight.
8. Remove both front wheels.
9. Have a fluid catch pan and rags positioned under the caliper before opening any hydraulic line.

Procedure

1. 1

   Inspect and document caliper condition
   Before disassembly, photograph the caliper, brake hose routing, and pad wear sensor wiring (if equipped). Note piston positions in their bores. Confirm this is a Brembo 6-piston fixed monoblock caliper — there are no slide pins on the Plaid front. If the caliper instead has sliding pins, STOP: the vehicle has been retrofitted or you are on the wrong corner.
2. 2

   Open bleeder and partially compress pistons
   Attach a clear bleed hose to the caliper bleeder screw and route it into a catch bottle. Crack the bleeder open and gently push each piston back ~2–3 mm using a piston spreader to break the seal stiction. Close the bleeder.
   Torque spec

   Bleeder Screw10 Nm (7 lb-ft)
3. 3

   Remove brake pads and retaining hardware
   Remove the pad retaining pin clip, slide out the pad retaining pin, remove the anti-rattle spring, and slide both brake pads out the top of the caliper. Disconnect the pad wear sensor connector if present.
4. 4

   Disconnect the brake hose
   Place the catch pan under the caliper. Using a flare-nut/line wrench, loosen the brake line fitting at the caliper. Cap the open hard line immediately to prevent fluid loss and contamination. If a banjo bolt is used, discard the copper crush washers — they are one-time use.
   Torque spec

   Line Fittings20 Nm (15 lb-ft)
5. 5

   Remove the caliper from the knuckle
   Support the caliper. Remove the two caliper-to-knuckle bracket bolts (the Plaid front caliper is a fixed monoblock — it bolts directly to the knuckle, no separate bracket carrier). Lift the caliper off the rotor and move it to a clean workbench. Inspect the bolts; if torque-to-yield or showing damage, replace them.
   Torque spec

   Bracket Bolts102 Nm (75 lb-ft)
6. 6

   Press out the pistons
   With the caliper on the bench, place a wooden block in the caliper bridge to limit piston travel. Apply low-pressure compressed air to the brake line port to walk the pistons out evenly. Pistons may come out unevenly — wedge the leading piston with a clean wood shim to force the lagging pistons out. Keep fingers clear of all piston bores.
7. 7

   Remove dust boots and piston seals
   Using a non-metallic pick, remove each dust boot from the bore lip. Then carefully extract the square-cut piston seal from the seal groove inside each bore. Do not gouge the seal groove or bore wall — any scoring requires caliper replacement, not rebuild.
8. 8

   Clean and inspect
   Wash the caliper body, all piston bores, and the pistons themselves with fresh brake fluid or denatured alcohol. Never use petroleum solvents on rubber-contact surfaces. Inspect each piston for pitting, scoring, or plating damage; pit-free pistons may be reused, otherwise replace. Inspect bores for corrosion.
9. 9

   Install new seals and dust boots
   Lubricate new square-cut piston seals with clean brake fluid and seat them in the bore grooves. Install new dust boots into the outer bore lip first (for boots that mount that way) per the rebuild kit instructions. Coat each piston with clean brake fluid and press it straight into the bore by hand — no twisting. Seat the dust boot lip into the piston groove.
10. 10

    Reinstall caliper to knuckle
    Apply medium-strength blue thread locker to the caliper-to-knuckle bolts. Reinstall the caliper over the rotor and torque the bolts to spec in two stages.
    Torque spec

    Bracket Bolts102 Nm (75 lb-ft)
11. 11

    Reconnect the brake hose
    Install new copper crush washers (if banjo-style) or simply reseat the hard line fitting. Torque the line fitting using a flare-nut wrench. Do not cross-thread the aluminum-bodied caliper port.
    Torque spec

    Line Fittings20 Nm (15 lb-ft)
12. 12

    Install brake pads and hardware
    Apply a thin film of silicone brake grease to the pad backing plate contact tabs. Slide pads into the caliper, install the anti-rattle spring, slide the retaining pin through, and secure the clip. Reconnect the pad wear sensor if equipped.
13. 13

    Bleed the front brake circuit
    Top off the master cylinder reservoir with the correct DOT brake fluid (verify DOT 3 vs DOT 4 by VIN). Bleed the caliper at the bleeder screw using a pressure bleeder or two-person method until clear, bubble-free fluid flows. Bleed each piston bank if the caliper has multiple bleeder screws. The Plaid uses an iBooster electric brake system — a full system bleed via Tesla Toolbox is recommended after caliper service to cycle the booster and ABS unit; if Toolbox is not available, perform a thorough manual bleed and verify pedal feel before road test.
    Torque spec

    Bleeder Screw10 Nm (7 lb-ft)

Reassembly

1. Repeat the rebuild on the opposite front caliper — always service brake calipers in pairs.
2. Reinstall both front wheels. Hand-thread all lug nuts before any torquing.
3. Lower the vehicle to the ground.
4. Torque the wheel lug nuts in a star pattern to 140 Nm (103 lb-ft).
5. Reconnect the 12V/16V low-voltage battery and reinstall the frunk nose cowl.
6. Exit Service/Jack Mode on the touchscreen and allow the air suspension to re-level.

Verification

• With the vehicle running and brake pedal applied firmly, confirm pedal is high and firm — no sponginess. If soft, re-bleed.
• Inspect both caliper hose fittings and bleeder screws for any seepage after 5 minutes of static pressure on the pedal.
• Drive at low speed (under 10 mph) in an empty area and apply the brakes 5–10 times to bed the seals and seat the pads. Listen for dragging or uneven braking.
• Check for ABS, traction control, or brake system warnings on the instrument cluster — the Plaid will flag iBooster faults if bleeding was incomplete.
• After the first 50 miles, re-check the caliper bracket bolt torque and inspect for any fluid weep at the line fitting.
• Per Tesla's published recommendation, brake fluid should be flushed every 2 years regardless of mileage. Log this service date.
• Confirm pad wear sensor is functional (no warning on cluster) if the vehicle is so equipped.
• If pedal feel is not fully restored, perform a full system bleed using Tesla Toolbox to cycle the iBooster and ABS modulator — refer to Tesla Service Manual.

More procedures for this vehicle