Depending on the type of brake pads chosen and the degree of harm your previous worn-out pads have done to the various sections of your vehicle, such as the rotors, replacing the brake pads on a Toyota Tacoma can cost anywhere between $150 and $300 each axle.
In This Article...
Can I replace my own brake pads?
- 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.
How much do brake repairs cost at Toyota?
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. The labor and parts costs are included in this estimate.
Are there four-wheel disc brakes on Toyota Tacomas?
In the tiny pickup truck market, potential buyers have a few different options. The Toyota Tacoma is by far the most popular option, followed by the new Ford Ranger and the Colorado from Chevrolet. Different cab and bed configurations are available for all three. All three have four-wheel disc brakes and can tow a minimum of 6,800 pounds. Wait, they don’t. The Tacoma still has drum brakes in the back. Yes, even the most recent TRD Pro models lack rear disc brakes after several generations, and Toyota has no plans to change this anytime soon. If the rear drums are deterring you from buying a Tacoma, whether you’re a potential customer or a current owner looking to improve, we’ve got some good news for you. Pedders Brakes & Suspension The TrakRyder Rear Disc Brake Conversion Kit (PED-PBCK006) is made particularly for the 20052021 Toyota Tacoma by the Australian aftermarket automotive professionals! For the purpose of demonstrating what this conversion to rear disc brakes is all about, we joined up with our friends at R/T Tuning in Montgomeryville, Pennsylvania, during a recent installation.
WHY DOES THE TACOMA STILL HAVE DRUM BRAKES?
There are several responses to that query, but the cost to Toyota for development on millions of trucks and the cost to the consumer for future maintenance items is the most important one. Toyota saves money by recycling existing brake components rather than developing an altogether new braking system because it had paid to create the Tacoma’s rear drum technology and parts decades ago. Better brake protection in adverse situations is another reason Toyota has stated that its well-known truck still uses outdated technology while its rivals have updated. However, there is considerable area for debate about this.
WHAT ARE THE DOWNSIDES OF DRUM BRAKES?
For starters, they have an enclosed system with all of the braking parts contained inside the drum, which encourages friction and heat and causes a problem called brake fade that negatively affects braking performance. Apart from the accumulation of used friction material (brake dust) from the shoes over time and its detrimental effects on the numerous springs, seals, and hydraulic system’s wheel cylinder, the enclosed braking area is also unable to discharge any trespassing foreign contaminants. The drum is not a sealed environment, thus any entry of mud or water can reduce the components’ capacity to brake.
WHY CONVERT TO DISC BRAKES?
To me, it seems like a no-brainer. Almost no excuse exists for not switching to disc brakes, with the exception of price, which in our business rarely serves as a deterrent. It is a more recent technique that is based on the open-air principle, which effectively dissipates heat. Centrifugal forces also work in conjunction with the open design to remove water and impurities, maintaining a continuous braking potential. If you want your braking system to look nicer, disc brakes also provide several options for drilled or slotted rotors, along with colorful caliper choices.
WHO IS PEDDERS?
The Pedders crew has been a major force in the Australian automotive aftermarket since 1950. The company’s main objective is to provide passionate drivers with solutions, and while each of its parts performs superbly on the racing track, each is still appropriate for the street. By tackling projects with the accuracy of OE engineers and free from the restrictions of large corporate finance departments, Pedders seeks to strike the ideal balance between courtesy and effectiveness. When it was time for the business to concentrate on the Toyota Tacoma, they were aware of two areas that needed immediate improvement. The rear disc brake conversion kit that we’re talking about today is the first. The truck’s suspension system is the second, which we’ll discuss another day.
KIT FEATURES AND BENEFITS
Let’s start with maintenance simplicity. I don’t want to sound like one of those late-night infomercials, but if you’ve ever struggled to change the delicate shoes, springs, and wheel cylinders on a drum brake setup, I’m sure you’re open to a simpler fix. Disc brakes can provide that, I suppose. After installation, the maintenance procedure is quite straightforward, requiring only the removal of two bolts to change the brake pads and no other removal of components to inspect the system. The factory parking brake cable is still used with this kit, which makes adjustments simple and keeps the OE look and feel.
The numerous general reasons for upgrading to disc brakes, such as heat dissipation, water dispersion, enhanced stopping power, and improved brake pedal feel and modulation, can now be discussed. The duration of brake fade increases with exposure to open air, and the disc brakes’ complete self-adjustability is an added benefit.
Last but not least, this kit includes pretty much everything required for the full conversion from rear drum brake to disc brake. Included are parts like a set of rear TrakRyder Kevlar Ceramic brake pads and Pedders TrakRyder Geomet-coated disc brake rotors. It is ADR (Australian Design Rule) Certified and offers piece of mind with a 2-year/24,000-mile guarantee.
THE INSTALLATION
This would likely be a medium dog setup if our difficulty scale was based on dog size. This one may be best left to the experts if you’re not particularly tech-savvy or mechanically inclined (as we did by taking it to R/T Tuning). Be careful because some points need for sophisticated understanding and a press. We’re going to take you through our experience rather than having Pedders host an installation video that shows the procedure.
Before removing the wheels, Pat from R/T Tuning elevated the vehicle into the air. To release the fluid inside, he withdrew the fill and drain plug from the rear differential. He then removed the wheel cylinder itself, the hydraulic brake lines, the parking brake wire, and the drum to gain access to the interior parts.
Carefully removing the ABS sensor is a crucial step to avoid harming it in the process. It makes no sense to spend money on a replacement for one of these pricey little sending devices if you don’t have to. In our situation, the rust accumulation was so severe that they still needed to be replaced.
The installation’s assembly phase takes up the remaining steps. We began attaching the new Pedders backing plate to the prepared bearing and housing. Pat installed the wheel studs before repositioning the axle seal, backing plate, and new spacer on the axle. He reinserted the axle into the truck and pressed the axle assembly into the hub.
Then, all of the brackets, hardware, emergency brake shoe assemblies, cables, rotors, calipers, and brake pads must be bolted on. The next step is to adjust the e-brake shoes’ tension, top off the gear oil in the differential housing, and bleed the complete brake system when everything has been torqued to specification. Pat adjusted the parking brake tension and bedded in the brake pads before the road test.
THE STATS
After installing this upgrade, Pedders presented verified data showing that the Tacoma and Hilux trucks slowed from 64.6 mph to 0. The truck’s original drum brake system required 327.1 feet to bring it to a halt, whereas the Pedders TrakRyder rear disc brake upgrade required only 199.2 feet. Upgrading the average deceleration from 13.88 feet per second to 21.52 feet per second results in this. The increased stopping power speaks for itself, but the disc brakes’ visual appeal is also noteworthy. Stay tuned as we tackle the Pedders SportsRyder suspension system on this same truck for the installation’s conclusion.
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.
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.
Should I service my own brakes?
It could be time to change your brake pads if they are grinding or screeching. You’ll be pleasantly delighted to learn that you can quickly, simply, and without specialized tools replace the brake pads in your car’s disc brake system. You will also spend much less money if you do it yourself.