- Depending on your vehicle and driving style, brake pads should be replaced every 25,000 to 75,000 miles. You’ll discover that most professionals and automakers advise changing your brake pads every 50,000 miles on average.
- As part of your standard inspection, ask your mechanic to check your brake pads on a regular basis. Always remember to examine your brake pads to see if they appear worn if you prefer to perform your own vehicle inspections. When you notice severe wear on your brake pads, replace them right once to keep your car safe.
- Squealing, squeaking, and grinding noises are indications of wear. It’s probably time for a replacement if your automobile pulls to one side more than the other when you press the brake pedal or if you experience bouncing when coming to a stop.
- Your car’s performance, dependability, and safety can all be enhanced by replacing the brake pads. You can tackle replacing your own brake pads as a DIY project if you’re confident performing your own vehicle maintenance. As with any auto modification or repair, check your owner’s manual for any special instructions or instructions before you start.
In This Article...
How are the rear brake pads removed?
brake fluid can
The correct type can be found in your owner’s manual.
- Before you start, keep in mind a handful important things.
- Take the wheel off.
- Get rid of the slider bolt.
- Brake caliper pivot upward.
- The old brake pads can be slid out.
- Retaining clips should be changed.
- Insert the fresh brake pads.
- Pull the pistons back.
How long do the brake pads on a Toyota last?
How durable are Toyota brake pads? Depending on your driving habits, Toyota brake pads typically last between 30,000 and 70,000 miles. You should get an examination more frequently if you commute in congested traffic and apply the brakes frequently.
How much do Toyota’s rear brakes cost?
What is the price of a brake job? Depending on the type of brake pad desired, brake pads for a Toyota might cost anywhere between $150 per axle and $450 per axle. For all four brake rotors to be replaced, the cost might range from $300 to $750.
Does it pay to do your own brake maintenance?
To assist you with changing your own brake pads, there is a ton of information available online on do-it-yourself auto repairs. However, unless you already have auto maintenance skills, it may be more difficult than it sounds to perform tasks like changing your own brake pads or even your own oil.
If you don’t know the parts, not only can a lot of things go wrong, but you also risk missing additional serious brake concerns if you don’t know how to identify them. When you brake, you could hear grinding noises or feel your brake pedal sink quickly, but these issues could actually be the consequence of worn brake pads, a fractured rotor, or air bubbles in the braking lines. In turn, you might discover that you require more intricate repairs or parts in addition to the pads.
It’s wise to refrain from replacing your brake pads only because they frequently lead to brake issues. Before making assumptions or troubleshooting your brake pads at home, it is preferable to have an automotive expert inspect your brake system. Free thorough brake inspections are available at Firestone Complete Auto Care.
Pro Tip: Due to the extra components and connections that the front brakes lack, changing the brake shoes on vehicles with rear drum brakes can be particularly challenging. Generally speaking, it’s better to always let a qualified service professional handle front and rear brake repair.
Connect a car battery charger
While performing this task, the first step is to connect a car battery charger. Many individuals overlook or disregard this step, but if you do not, it could really damage parts and result in several issues.
Connect a diagnostic tool
Connecting your diagnostic equipment or parking brake tool to your car is the next step. Make that the battery voltage is stable and that it can communicate with the vehicle.
Loosen the parking brake pistons
Release the parking brake pistons at this moment. Either a diagnostic scanner or a parking brake-specific instrument can be used for this. If everything is done correctly, you should hear the pistons moving backward for two to three seconds. The pistons can also be pushed back using 12v+ power and ground, but it is not something we’ll discuss here because it could harm your components. Additionally, you must perform a calibration thereafter, which is challenging without a tool. You can look at our guide to the top diagnostic tools if you need a tool for this. Make sure it is appropriate for your car model and compatible with your EPB system.
Remove Caliper & Push Pistons
It’s time to lift the car, take off your wheel, and remove the brake caliper when the parking brake pistons have been released. With a tool or a large plier, you ought should be able to press the pistons back at this point. If it is not possible, either it is extremely rusted and needs renovation, or you made a mistake in the step before. You cannot press the pistons in if the parking brake motor is not disengaged. Keep in mind that some pistons need to be twisted while being pushed in order for them to come in. You might need a tool like this one from Amazon for this:
Should brakes be bled before replacing pads?
Your braking system is the most important one in terms of essential parts. You must be able to stop at any time, no matter how quickly you’re moving. Hydraulic braking systems for vehicles operate by pushing pressurized fluid. There will be less pressure, spongy-feeling brakes, and lengthier stops if there is an air bubble in the system. But that’s only the start. The car might not stop at all if left unattended.
There is a technique to avoid this in addition to fixing it. Let’s examine when and how brakes should be bled.
When to Bleed Your Brakes
First off, you aren’t truly bleeding brakes; rather, you are removing air bubbles that may have developed prior to pouring fresh brake fluid by bleeding fluid and air out of the braking system.
When should you bleed your brakes?
- when the brakes begin to feel soft.
- when pauses take longer and you start to lose confidence.
- if you discover a leak Air may also be let in through leaks in addition to fluid. Bleeding your brakes after fixing the leak is the only way to ensure that your system isn’t affected by an air bubble.
- if you’re changing out worn-out brake pads, as this could lead to air getting into the master cylinder. More brake fluid is needed while braking with worn brake pads, which empties the reservoir and leaves room for air.
- if you replace your brake pads or rotors. For the purpose of safety, every brake job needs to include a brake bleed.
- As part of good preventive maintenance, once a year.
How to Bleed Your Brakes
You’ll need a screwdriver for Torx screws (detectable by the six-pointed groove on their heads), as much fresh brake fluid your car needs, and a container to catch the used fluid for all four methods of bleeding brakes.
Here are the four techniques for bleeding brakes:
- Put a container underneath the bleeder screw, turn the screw to let the old fluid fall into the container by gravity. Afterward, there will be cleanup. The liquid won’t fall in a straight line; instead, it will drip down components in the space between the container and the bleeder screw.
- By hand: Place a container beneath the bleeder screw and open it as someone gently presses and releases the brake pedal, forcing the fluid and air out of the system. Smoothly use the brakes to prevent the formation of further air bubbles that could linger and contaminate the fresh fluid. Make sure the fluid isn’t frothy, as that indicates that new air bubbles are beginning to form.
- Once more, place a container under the bleeder screw and open it to provide pressure. The fluid and air should then be forced through the system and into the container using a tank of pressurized braking fluid at the master cylinder.
- Vacuum: For this technique, when you open the bleeder screw, fasten a vacuum bleeder to it. It extracts the liquid and air into a connected container.
Regardless of the route you take, bleeding your brakes when there is a problem or as part of routine maintenance ensures that your braking system operates as effectively as possible and keeps you and your passengers safe.
NAPA Online has a comprehensive selection of brake fluid; or, visit one of our 17,000 NAPA AutoCare facilities for regular maintenance and repairs. Visit your neighborhood NAPA AUTO PARTS store to speak with a trained specialist for more details on bleeding your brakes.
How are the rear disc brakes released?
Place wheel chocks in front of the front wheels to begin the process. (Avoid using the emergency brake; doing so makes it more difficult to take out the calipers.)
Place the jack in its proper position and elevate just enough to apply pressure to the jack. To remove the lug nuts from the wheel, use an impact or lug wrench. Spin the lug nuts off the lugs and raise the car until the wheel is raised off the ground. Then, remove the wheel.
Remove Bolts from Caliper Pins
To remove the bolts holding the caliper in place, use a box-end wrench. To avoid placing tension on the brake line, remove the bolts and hang the caliper up and away from the work area using mechanical wire or a short piece of bungee cord.
Remove Bolts from Caliper Brackets
To remove the two bolts holding the caliper bracket in place, use a box-end wrench. To apply more tension to reluctance bolts, you might want a longer-handled wrench. If you don’t have one on hand, you can make an extension by wrapping a piece of pipe around the box-end wrench handle. Lift the caliper free of the rotor after removing the bolts.
Lubricate Caliper Guide Pins
The two caliper guide pins should be lubricated while the caliper is still off. Each should be cleaned off with a clean rag before being lubricated with silicone paste. After reinstalling them, twist to disperse the lubrication.
Remove the Brake Pads
In the caliper bracket, slide the brake pads out. Take note of their position as you remove the old stainless steel retainer clips from the grooves holding them in place; take a quick photo if you fear you might forget. Next, use a wire brush to clean the bracket of dust.
Reattach Caliper Bracket
Allowing as much space as possible to pass the pads over the rotor, slide the pads to the outside of the bracket. Once the bracket is in place, tighten the two anchor bolts with your fingers. Utilizing a long-handled box-end wrench, tighten each bolt tightly. Avoid over-torquing, which could strip the threads.
Seat the New Brake Pads
Place the new retainer clips where the old ones were by snapping them into place. Some pads have a package of brake grease; if not, crack open a fresh sachet and dab a small amount inside each clip holding the brake pad ears.
A metal flange attached to the back of the new brake pad should be located. This flange, which should be positioned on the inside pad, acts as a squealer to indicate significant pad wear. The friction material of this pad should be facing the rotor as you insert it into the clip-lined grooves of the caliper mounting. The friction material should once more be facing the rotor as you insert the matching outer pad into the bracket’s opposite side.
Reattach Caliper
Pull the piston back. Any instrument large enough to compress the piston will work if the piston face is hollow; however, it must be used carefully to avoid damaging the thin metal that makes up the piston’s back face. By placing one of the old pads across the piston as you push it back, you can protect the piston. A unique instrument called a brake caliper wind-back tool is necessary for many more recent models. Look for a solid surface (not hollow) on the piston face with two or three recesses for the winding pins to grab and turn to identify these pistons.
If the brakes are taken apart and you don’t have the necessary equipment, you can still finish the task with a pliers or a needle-nose vise-grip wrench. To withdraw the piston, grasp the piston face firmly with the wrench’s tip.
Put the caliper back in place over the fresh brake pads. Slide the anchor bolts into the slider pins and through the caliper. A box-end wrench should be used to tighten each after finger-tightening it until it is snug.
Remount Wheel
With your fingers, thread the nuts onto the lugs after positioning the wheel on them. Instead of going around the hub in a circle, move in a star pattern while jumping over it. When all of the lugs are threaded, gently tighten them before using an impact or lug wrench to tighten them down firmly while continuing to work in a star pattern. After using your car for a few days, make it a point to check the lugs again.
Pump the Brake Pedal
Be sure to press the brake pedal once the wheels are in place to reattach the caliper piston to the brake pads. If this is not done, the first time the brake pedal is pressed, there will be no stopping power.
A Note on Safety
Asbest is still used by many aftermarket vendors, and it is impossible to tell whether brake pads contain it just by looking at them. Never use compressed air to clean any of the parts when changing brake pads. Use a brake cleaner with a spry design instead to capture the dust and stop it from escaping into the air. A dust mask should always be worn when working on brakes.
How much do Toyota brake pads cost to replace?
Depending on the type of brake pads chosen and the degree of harm your old, worn-out brake pads caused to the other elements of your car, including the rotors, the cost to replace Toyota brake pads, including parts and labor, can range from $150 to $300 per axle.