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2020 Brakes - Pads and Rotors Help

Old Sep 27, 2025 | 03:49 PM
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Default 2020 Brakes - Pads and Rotors Help

Hey all,

I just bought a 2020 that used to live in NY as a rental. The dealer I bought from did the rears as a safety item, and left the fronts alone. I knew this when I bought it, so I got a set of parts for the front.

Here is where I am - I have the front caliper loose, but contrary to all the info I can find (which is 2018 MY stuff) the front brakes are now part of the parking brake that gets applied when the vehicle is in park. So the caliper is unmounted, but still clamped to the rotor!

I don’t have a GAP tool yet as mine is a G3 and incompatible. The manual says that I can disable the automatic functionality by pressing and holding the switch down and then turn off the ignition within 5 seconds and then hold for another two.

I have not tried this, but I don’t really feel all that safe with my squishy fingers all up in the caliper. and after I’m done, how does it reactivate? The manual doesn’t really tell me.

My next issue is pads. All other pictures and video I’ve seen shows the pads coming out the back of the caliper after knocking some retaining pins loose. Well, that is not happening with these calipers. See the picture attached. In this case I’m removing the caliper so I can get them out, but next time? How is it supposed to be done? It looks like the caliper is two halves but under a bleed screw on the outside like most 4 pistons, but I don’t want to take the caliper apart and have to bleed the system or worse - damage the caliper or mating surfaces.


2020 Discovery front caliper
2020 Discovery front caliper
 

Last edited by mshale; Sep 29, 2025 at 11:56 AM.
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Old Sep 28, 2025 | 10:57 AM
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I know for the 2017 there is a procedure to get the electric parking brake into maintenance mode to do a rear brake job (did this about a year ago). Not sure if it’s the same on your newer one, but might be worth a try

https://landroverforums.com/forum/ne...ivation-97324/
 
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Old Sep 29, 2025 | 12:10 PM
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Originally Posted by Juancl
I know for the 2017 there is a procedure to get the electric parking brake into maintenance mode to do a rear brake job (did this about a year ago). Not sure if it’s the same on your newer one, but might be worth a try

https://landroverforums.com/forum/ne...ivation-97324/
Thanks for the tip! I tried this also and found that it doesn’t work for the 2020+ models.

I ended up starting the engine, removing the parking brake, and I still couldn’t wiggle the caliper off. So I shut the truck off and got out the rubber mallet. They came off with some persuasion. My guess is the rust lip on the butter edge of the rotor was keep it locked in place. I don’t know if the parking brake is applied to the fronts still. I don’t think so but will have to test it.

Regarding the pads, it looks like we have a hybrid caliper meaning that we get the pins, but we still have to remove the caliper to change pads each time.
 
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Old Sep 29, 2025 | 04:48 PM
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Do you have a GAP tool ?
 
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Old Sep 29, 2025 | 07:58 PM
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Originally Posted by Mechano2020
Do you have a GAP tool ?
I do have a tool, but it’s a G3, and incompatible.
 
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Old Oct 6, 2025 | 01:39 PM
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I had the same confusion about the pads coming out based on a bunch of pics and videos I could find. mine is 2018 and I ended up having to remove a couple very large bolts from the back side of the caliper. parking brake was not applying the front brakes on mine. the pads sure are a pain to get back into place and get the pin through.
 
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Old Oct 6, 2025 | 03:28 PM
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I think in your case (Brembo type calipers) the bolts that go to the hub need to always be taken out (even if you are just doing pads) as it is a one piece design. Once out the two pins need to be removed to change the pads. In the TRW type caliper (floating caliper), which is what I have, the bolts to the hub don't need to be removed if you are just doing pads as it's a two piece part (bracket and caliper). This video shows how pads are attached to the Brembo type caliper. In either case separating the caliper usually does need some leverage.

 

Last edited by Juancl; Oct 6, 2025 at 03:30 PM.
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Old Oct 7, 2025 | 03:10 PM
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The L462 had three caliper variants:

Sliding caliper, early 2017 gas and TD6 models.
4 piston brembo, most 2018-2023 & some 2024 gas.
6 piston brembo, I've seen these on the newer 2024+ discos.

The 4 piston Brembo is what you have. If you crack a bleeder screw, you can push the pads back a little to release them off the rotor. These calipers have to come out for a pad change.
6 piston Brembo's are the ones you can change pads without removing the caliper. I upgraded my 4 piston to 6 piston calipers off a full size RR with the larger 380mm rotor.
 
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