Replace the rear brake pads on a 2012 Tesla Roadster. Because the Roadster is built on the Lotus Elise platform, the rear brake hardware is largely Lotus-sourced rather than Tesla-specific, and standard Lotus/Brembo-style service practices apply.

Warnings

Tools required

Parts

• Rear brake pad set (Tesla Roadster / Lotus Elise-compatible spec) × 1 — OEM-spec rear pad set — verify with Tesla Roadster service info or Lotus Elise cross-reference
• Anti-rattle clips/shims (if supplied with pad kit) × 1 — Included with most OEM-spec pad kits

Fluids

• DOT 3 Brake Fluid (top-up only, if needed)

Preparation

1. Park on level ground, place in P (or in gear with parking brake firmly engaged on manual-transmission Roadsters), and engage the parking brake.
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. Disconnect the 12V low-voltage battery before lifting the vehicle. Refer to the Roadster owner/service documentation for the 12V battery location on this Lotus-based chassis.
4. DO NOT touch, cut, or pierce ANY orange cable — these are high-voltage and lethal.
5. If at any point you encounter an orange cable, an HV component, or are unsure if a system is de-energized: STOP and consult a Tesla-certified technician.
6. Loosen the rear lug nuts slightly while the vehicle is on the ground.
7. Raise the rear of the vehicle using the manufacturer-specified jacking points only (the Roadster's bonded aluminum tub is easily damaged) and support on jack stands.
8. Remove both rear wheels and set them aside on the pad-side of the body to avoid scratching paint.
9. Open the brake fluid reservoir and remove a small amount of fluid with a syringe/baster to make room when the pistons are retracted.

Procedure

1. 1

   Inspect rear brake assembly
   Visually inspect each rear caliper, rotor, pad backing plates, dust boots, and brake hose. Note pad thickness on inner and outer pads. Check rotor for scoring, lip, or heat damage. If a caliper piston is seized or a dust boot is torn, address that before continuing — this procedure assumes pad-only replacement on serviceable calipers.
2. 2

   Retract caliper piston slightly
   Using a C-clamp or piston compressor against the outer pad, gently push the piston back into the caliper bore just enough to relieve pressure on the pads. This makes slide pin removal easier and creates clearance for the new (thicker) pads later. Watch the master cylinder reservoir level as you do this.
   ⚠Do not pry directly against the rotor face or against the dust boot — damage to either is expensive to fix.
3. 3

   Remove caliper slide pin bolts
   Locate the rear caliper slide pin bolts (typically two bolts on the inboard side of the caliper body, accessed with a wrench while holding the slide pin from rotating if required). Remove both bolts and retain them — they will be reused with fresh threadlocker and brake grease on the pins.
   Torque spec

   Caliper Slide Pin Bolts30 Nm (22 lb-ft)
4. 4

   Lift caliper off bracket
   Slide the caliper body off the bracket and pads. Support the caliper with a hook or bungee from a suspension component — DO NOT let it hang by the flexible brake hose. Inspect the slide pins and dust boots; clean and re-grease the pins with silicone brake grease. Replace pin boots if torn.
   ⚠Hanging the caliper by its hose can damage the hose internally and cause future failure.
5. 5

   Remove old pads and hardware
   Slide the old pads out of the bracket. Note the orientation, any wear sensor wiring (if equipped), and the location of any anti-rattle clips or shims. Remove the abutment clips from the bracket if the new pad kit includes replacements.
6. 6

   Clean caliper bracket and inspect rotor
   Wire-brush the pad abutment surfaces on the bracket and clean with brake cleaner. Inspect the rotor friction surfaces — if the rotor is below the manufacturer-specified minimum thickness, scored, or heavily lipped, it should be replaced. Spin the hub to confirm the rotor is true and the bearing has no play.
7. 7

   Fully retract caliper piston
   With the caliper off the bracket, fully compress the piston into its bore using a piston compressor. Verify whether the rear caliper piston requires a straight push or a rotating wind-back (some integrated parking-brake calipers require rotation). If unsure, STOP and verify before forcing the piston — forcing a wind-back piston straight in will destroy the caliper.
   ⚠Confirm rear caliper piston type before compressing. Forcing the wrong method damages the parking-brake mechanism inside the caliper.
8. 8

   Install new abutment hardware and pads
   Install any new anti-rattle clips/shims supplied with the pad kit into the bracket. Apply a thin film of silicone brake grease to the pad ear contact points (not on the friction surface). Install the new inner and outer pads into the bracket in the same orientation as the originals.
9. 9

   Reinstall caliper over new pads
   Verify slide pins are clean, lightly greased with silicone brake grease, and move freely in their bores. Slide the caliper body back over the new pads and onto the bracket. Start both slide pin bolts by hand to avoid cross-threading. Apply threadlocker per the verified torque note.
   Torque spec

   Caliper Slide Pin Bolts30 Nm (22 lb-ft)
10. 10

    Torque slide pin bolts
    Torque the caliper slide pin bolts to the verified specification. If the rear caliper on this vehicle uses bracket-to-knuckle bolts that were disturbed (they should NOT have been for a pad-only job), torque those to the verified rear caliper bracket bolt spec — otherwise leave them undisturbed.
    ℹ️For a pure pad replacement, the caliper bracket bolts should not need to be removed. Only torque them if you actually disturbed them.
    Torque spec

    Caliper Slide Pin Bolts30 Nm (22 lb-ft)

    Caliper Bracket Bolts100 Nm (74 lb-ft)
11. 11

    Repeat on opposite side
    Repeat steps 1–10 on the other rear corner. Always replace rear pads as an axle set — never one side only.

Reassembly

1. Top up the brake fluid reservoir to the MAX line with fresh DOT 3 fluid and reinstall the cap.
2. Before lowering the vehicle, sit in the driver's seat and pump the brake pedal slowly several times until the pedal feels firm — this seats the new pads against the rotors. The first one or two pumps will go nearly to the floor; this is normal.
3. Reinstall both rear wheels. Hand-thread all lug nuts before applying any torque.
4. Snug the lug nuts in a star pattern, lower the vehicle to the ground, then final-torque the lug nuts to the verified specification in a star pattern.
5. Reconnect the 12V low-voltage battery.

Verification

• With the vehicle stationary and engine/drive system off, pump the brake pedal until firm. Pedal should not sink under steady foot pressure.
• Recheck brake fluid level after pumping — top up to MAX with DOT 3 if needed.
• Power up the vehicle and confirm no brake warning lights or ABS faults are displayed on the Roadster's instrument cluster.
• Perform a low-speed roll test in a safe area: at ~10 mph, apply the brakes gently and confirm the car stops straight with no pulling, grinding, or unusual noise.
• Bed in the new pads per the pad manufacturer's procedure (typically several moderate stops from ~30 mph followed by a cool-down period). Avoid hard stops until pads are properly bedded.
• Recheck lug nut torque after the first 50–100 miles.
• Note: Tesla recommends brake fluid replacement every 2 years regardless of mileage. If fluid age is unknown or overdue, schedule a full bleed/flush as a follow-up service.

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