A vehicle's braking capability is as important as its acceleration. For braking, it is necessary that you maintain excellent friction brake pad thickness for maximum performance of your Infiniti's brake system. Brake pads are the first to wear on your car's braking assembly. Never neglect safety when it comes time to replace your G35's brake pads.
Park your G35 in a cool, shaded spot. Comfort comes first when working on a car. Shift the car into "park," and firmly set the hand brake (emergency brake).
Put on the gloves. Using a siphon pump, remove about half of the brake fluid from the master cylinder to prevent backflow created by retracting the caliper pistons. Dispose of the fluid properly according to your local law.
Pry off the hubcaps. Loosen the wheel lug nuts, using a tire iron, just enough to break them free.
Raise the car with the jack and support it on jack stands. Position wheel chocks on the G35's back wheels to keep it from rolling. If you don't own tire chocks, a couple of bricks or thick wood planks work fine, too.
Remove the front wheel lug nuts and the wheels.
Work on one brake set at a time, leaving the other side untouched as a point of reference. Remove the caliper bolts using the 22 mm socket wrench (the 18 mm socket is for use on the rear calipers), and then take off the pins that hold the brake pads.
Lift the caliper up. Secure the caliper to the vehicle with a bungee cord or something similar, so the brake hose will not have to support the caliper's weight.
Pull down the clip on the upper-left side of each side of the caliper using the needle-nose pliers. There are two pads per caliper, one on the front of the rotor and one at the back of the rotor. Gently slide the pads out and away from the rotor.
Inspect the rotor while you are at it. Run your fingers across the pad depression area on the rotor to feel for bumps. If it is in good condition, you will see your reflection in the rotor. Otherwise, it could be warped, scratched or scored. Have the rotor resurfaced or replaced, depending on the condition. This is also a good time to remove the dust, rust, and debris accumulated on the brake parts; use a wire brush for this.
Locate the piston that is located along the back portion of the caliper; it looks like a small metal promontory with a flat top, and is four inches across in size. Push the piston in (toward the center of your G35) with your palm, to put it in the "open" position. This is to accommodate the new, thicker pads between the caliper.
Lubricate the new brake pads, using brake grease. Grease only the pad side that is not touching the rotor. Attach the pad to the plate and slide it into place between the caliper after greasing.
Reassemble the brakes, reversing the order of removal. Repeat steps 5 to 11 for the other front brake set. Put the wheels/tires back on with lug nuts after both front brakes are done and carefully lower your car to the ground.
Repeat the steps on the rear brakes, raising the rear of the car and supporting it on the jack stands and positioning the wheel chocks on the front tires.
Check your brake fluid level in the master cylinder and top it off to the full line, as needed. Pump your brake pedal several times to build back the pressure in the brake system. Stop depressing the pedal once you feel the right tension. Take your G35 on a brake test-drive.
