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I have a 2019 XC40 T5 Momentum and thought it would be good to share what I know now that I've changed all brake pads myself.
Unsure which size pads to order? Each brake caliper havs the rotor size stamped into it. My front rotors are 322mm and my rear rotors are 302mm. I bought PowerStop Z23-2136 (front) and Z23-2137 (rear) brake pads. Different variants of the XC40 (e.g. T4, T5, R-design, Electric) have different rotor sizes, so check what the caliper says.
Tools Required:
19mm & 14mm sockets (for wheel bolts and brake calipers)
Allen wrenches (for rear electric brake motor removal... I used, I believe, 6mm and 4.5mm allen wrenches)
Socket wrench (for removing brake caliper with 14mm socket, preferrably 3/4" drive or smaller)
Torque wrench (for re-installing wheel bolts with 19mm socket, preferrably 1/2" drive)
C-clamp / brake piston compression tool
Chisel / screwdriver (for separating glued pads from calipers)
Brakleen spray
Grease (new pads usually include)
Jack
Jackstands (safety first!)
Gloves
Safety glasses
COVID mask (prevent breathing in cancerous brake pad dust... that mask was useful after all haha!)
Clean cloth / paper towel
SAFETY FIRST. THINK SMART. If this is your 1st time, do this with someone for safety! NEVER, EVER get under the car or stretch your legs under the brake calipers, control arms... anywhere under the car. If the jack fails or the car rolls off the jack, you don't want the car landing on you.
Rear wheels procedure:
I started at rear, first. Shift the transmission to Park, but ensure the manual electric parking brake is OFF using the switch located in the center console below the shifter (push down on it with the car running). Using the plastic clip tool from the trunk (kept with the jack), remove the wheel bolt caps. Loosen (don't remove) the wheel bolts using the 19mm socket or the wheel bolt wrench from the trunk (kept with the jack). Jack up the rear wheel by placing it where you see the small arrow / triangle on the underbody. Place jackstands under control arms for safety. Remove wheel bolts and remove wheel.
Use allen wrench to remove the black plastic electric brake motor from the other side of the caliper body. I believe I used a 4.5mm allen wrench and removed two (2) small screws with knurled sides. These bolts come off easily - remember to replicate the torque / pressure when you re-install them. CAREFUL - the electric motor has a 2-in rubber circle gasket that will fall when you remove it, keep that! Place or hang the black plastic electric motor somwhere that doesn't stress the cable attached to it. Next, use a socket wrench and 14mm socket to remove the two (2) brake caliper bolts attaching the caliper to the caliper body. These bolts are more difficult to remove, but not ultra-tight. The pad caliper should slide away from the caliper body. Place or hang the brake caliper somwhere that doesn't stress or twist the hydraulic lines attached to it. Remove the two (2) V-shaped metal springs that are fitted into small holes in each of the pads (my new pads included new replacement springs). These springs ensure the pads move away from the brake rotor when you let off the brake pedal (reduces squeeking). Slide out old brake pads (two per wheel, of course). Use a chisel / screwdriver to pop off the metal brake pad guides where the brake pads fit into the caliper body (my new brakes included new replacement guides).
Next, use a second allen wrench to reset the electric brake motor. On the outside of the black plastic electric brake motor, you'll see a bolt with an allen socket in the center. I believe I used a 6mm allen wrench. Place the allen wrench into the bolt and gently turn CLOCKWISE until it stops. This is a self-adjusing bolt that governs the travel of the electric parking brake. It will automatically re-adjust after you're all finished and subsequently turn on the parking brake.
Install new replacement metal guides back onto the caliper body (top and bottom, two per wheel). Put a tiny bit of grease in the channels where the pads fit into the guides. Then, spread a small amount of grease over the back side of each brake pad (not on the pad's braking material!). Slide the new pads into the guide channels, like how the old ones were. Replace the V-shaped springs and/or install new springs into the small holes on either side of both pads (one side of the V spring into the left pad and the other side of the V spring into the right pad). Each V spring should point towards the center - when both springs are in place, it should look like this > < (but vertical). Use Brakleen spray to clean the brake rotor surfce and use a clean cloth to remove any residue or grease from the brake rotor surface. Use a c-clamp / brake piston compression tool to compress the brake piston on the brake caliper. Careful not to damage the rubber gasket around the caliper piston. Compress it just enough to slide the caliper over the new pads. Slide the caliper back onto the caliper body and over the newly installed pads (don't twist the hydraulic lines!). Re-install the two (2) caliper bolts. Make snug, but not ultra-tight. Find that black rubber circle gasket, clean it , cover it with a touch of grease and fit it back around the gear of the electric brake motor that faces the caliper body (there's a small channel that it fits into perfectly). Carefully replace the black electric brake motor and re-install the two (2) knurled screws using the 1st allen wrench (4.5mm?). If the electric brake motor mounts don't fit flush to the caliper body and you can't screw it down entirely, use the 2nd allen wrench (6mm?) to slightly turn the allen socket bolt on the reverse side. This will slightly turn the motor gear so that it fits into the receptical in the caliper body. There should be no gap between the electric motor mounts and the mounts of the caliper body. Hand-tight is OK, but not too tight.
Replace the wheel and thread in the wheel bolts. Remove jack stands. Jack the XC40 back down, but not entirely. Use a 19mm socket and torque wrench to torque each wheel bolt to 140Nm (103 ft-lb). Fully lower the XC40 and remove the jack. DONE!
Here's a helpful video I found on YT:
Front wheels procedure:
Essentially identical to the rear wheels except the front wheels do not have electric brake motors. You only have to use a 14mm socket to remove the two (2) caliper bolts and slide off the caliper. Special Note: the original pads were glued (???) to the caliper, which confused me at first. I couldn't slide the caliper off after I removed the bolts. I realized I had to use a small chisel / screwdriver to gently separate the pads from the calipers before I could slide the caliper away from the caliper body. I used Brakleen to remove any glue residue left on the caliper.
Side Note (your judgment): I noticed rust was developing on the face where the wheel met the rotor hub (not the braking surface). I spread a small amount of grease all over the rotor hub's face (not on the braking surface), careful to not get any grease in the wheel bolt holes. I also smeared a dab onto the torx bolt holding the rotor to the hub (so it doesn't rust, impeding the future replacement of the rotor). Never, ever put grease into the wheel bolt holes or on the wheel bolts. It will cause over-tightening when you torque the wheel bolts, potentially stripping the threads. Grease on the hub face will mitigate water ingress and prevent future seizing of the wheel to the hub.
Unsure which size pads to order? Each brake caliper havs the rotor size stamped into it. My front rotors are 322mm and my rear rotors are 302mm. I bought PowerStop Z23-2136 (front) and Z23-2137 (rear) brake pads. Different variants of the XC40 (e.g. T4, T5, R-design, Electric) have different rotor sizes, so check what the caliper says.
Tools Required:
19mm & 14mm sockets (for wheel bolts and brake calipers)
Allen wrenches (for rear electric brake motor removal... I used, I believe, 6mm and 4.5mm allen wrenches)
Socket wrench (for removing brake caliper with 14mm socket, preferrably 3/4" drive or smaller)
Torque wrench (for re-installing wheel bolts with 19mm socket, preferrably 1/2" drive)
C-clamp / brake piston compression tool
Chisel / screwdriver (for separating glued pads from calipers)
Brakleen spray
Grease (new pads usually include)
Jack
Jackstands (safety first!)
Gloves
Safety glasses
COVID mask (prevent breathing in cancerous brake pad dust... that mask was useful after all haha!)
Clean cloth / paper towel
SAFETY FIRST. THINK SMART. If this is your 1st time, do this with someone for safety! NEVER, EVER get under the car or stretch your legs under the brake calipers, control arms... anywhere under the car. If the jack fails or the car rolls off the jack, you don't want the car landing on you.
Rear wheels procedure:
I started at rear, first. Shift the transmission to Park, but ensure the manual electric parking brake is OFF using the switch located in the center console below the shifter (push down on it with the car running). Using the plastic clip tool from the trunk (kept with the jack), remove the wheel bolt caps. Loosen (don't remove) the wheel bolts using the 19mm socket or the wheel bolt wrench from the trunk (kept with the jack). Jack up the rear wheel by placing it where you see the small arrow / triangle on the underbody. Place jackstands under control arms for safety. Remove wheel bolts and remove wheel.
Use allen wrench to remove the black plastic electric brake motor from the other side of the caliper body. I believe I used a 4.5mm allen wrench and removed two (2) small screws with knurled sides. These bolts come off easily - remember to replicate the torque / pressure when you re-install them. CAREFUL - the electric motor has a 2-in rubber circle gasket that will fall when you remove it, keep that! Place or hang the black plastic electric motor somwhere that doesn't stress the cable attached to it. Next, use a socket wrench and 14mm socket to remove the two (2) brake caliper bolts attaching the caliper to the caliper body. These bolts are more difficult to remove, but not ultra-tight. The pad caliper should slide away from the caliper body. Place or hang the brake caliper somwhere that doesn't stress or twist the hydraulic lines attached to it. Remove the two (2) V-shaped metal springs that are fitted into small holes in each of the pads (my new pads included new replacement springs). These springs ensure the pads move away from the brake rotor when you let off the brake pedal (reduces squeeking). Slide out old brake pads (two per wheel, of course). Use a chisel / screwdriver to pop off the metal brake pad guides where the brake pads fit into the caliper body (my new brakes included new replacement guides).
Next, use a second allen wrench to reset the electric brake motor. On the outside of the black plastic electric brake motor, you'll see a bolt with an allen socket in the center. I believe I used a 6mm allen wrench. Place the allen wrench into the bolt and gently turn CLOCKWISE until it stops. This is a self-adjusing bolt that governs the travel of the electric parking brake. It will automatically re-adjust after you're all finished and subsequently turn on the parking brake.
Install new replacement metal guides back onto the caliper body (top and bottom, two per wheel). Put a tiny bit of grease in the channels where the pads fit into the guides. Then, spread a small amount of grease over the back side of each brake pad (not on the pad's braking material!). Slide the new pads into the guide channels, like how the old ones were. Replace the V-shaped springs and/or install new springs into the small holes on either side of both pads (one side of the V spring into the left pad and the other side of the V spring into the right pad). Each V spring should point towards the center - when both springs are in place, it should look like this > < (but vertical). Use Brakleen spray to clean the brake rotor surfce and use a clean cloth to remove any residue or grease from the brake rotor surface. Use a c-clamp / brake piston compression tool to compress the brake piston on the brake caliper. Careful not to damage the rubber gasket around the caliper piston. Compress it just enough to slide the caliper over the new pads. Slide the caliper back onto the caliper body and over the newly installed pads (don't twist the hydraulic lines!). Re-install the two (2) caliper bolts. Make snug, but not ultra-tight. Find that black rubber circle gasket, clean it , cover it with a touch of grease and fit it back around the gear of the electric brake motor that faces the caliper body (there's a small channel that it fits into perfectly). Carefully replace the black electric brake motor and re-install the two (2) knurled screws using the 1st allen wrench (4.5mm?). If the electric brake motor mounts don't fit flush to the caliper body and you can't screw it down entirely, use the 2nd allen wrench (6mm?) to slightly turn the allen socket bolt on the reverse side. This will slightly turn the motor gear so that it fits into the receptical in the caliper body. There should be no gap between the electric motor mounts and the mounts of the caliper body. Hand-tight is OK, but not too tight.
Replace the wheel and thread in the wheel bolts. Remove jack stands. Jack the XC40 back down, but not entirely. Use a 19mm socket and torque wrench to torque each wheel bolt to 140Nm (103 ft-lb). Fully lower the XC40 and remove the jack. DONE!
Here's a helpful video I found on YT:
Front wheels procedure:
Essentially identical to the rear wheels except the front wheels do not have electric brake motors. You only have to use a 14mm socket to remove the two (2) caliper bolts and slide off the caliper. Special Note: the original pads were glued (???) to the caliper, which confused me at first. I couldn't slide the caliper off after I removed the bolts. I realized I had to use a small chisel / screwdriver to gently separate the pads from the calipers before I could slide the caliper away from the caliper body. I used Brakleen to remove any glue residue left on the caliper.
Side Note (your judgment): I noticed rust was developing on the face where the wheel met the rotor hub (not the braking surface). I spread a small amount of grease all over the rotor hub's face (not on the braking surface), careful to not get any grease in the wheel bolt holes. I also smeared a dab onto the torx bolt holding the rotor to the hub (so it doesn't rust, impeding the future replacement of the rotor). Never, ever put grease into the wheel bolt holes or on the wheel bolts. It will cause over-tightening when you torque the wheel bolts, potentially stripping the threads. Grease on the hub face will mitigate water ingress and prevent future seizing of the wheel to the hub.
