- 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...
What is the price of replacing the brakes on a Toyota Corolla?
Depending on the type of brake pads chosen and the degree of harm your previous worn-out pads have done to other parts of your car, including the rotors, replacing the brake pads on a Toyota Corolla can cost anywhere between $150 and $300 each axle.
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.
Are there rear brakes on Toyota Corollas?
Your Toyota Corolla rear brake pads will normally deteriorate at the same pace on both the left and honest side of your car, similar to how front brake pads do. Due to the brake mechanics of rear wheel drive cars, most rear brake pads tend to wear out more quickly than front brake pads.
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.
How challenging is it to replace your own brakes?
You can perform some auto repair and maintenance tasks on your own, but not all of them. Should you attempt to replace your own brake pads? A DIY brake job has the following benefits and drawbacks:
DIYYou’ll Always Know When Your Brakes Need Changing
You’re probably already accustomed to the agonizing brake squeal, which is produced when metal rubs against metal. Your brake pads are worn and need to be replaced if you hear what sounds like nails on a chalkboard. This may be the most obvious indication that your brake pads need to be replaced, but it’s not the only one.
The stopping distance of your vehicle, or the distance required to bring your car to a complete stop, is another important consideration. The lengthening of the stopping distance for your car may be a sign that the brake pads need to be replaced because they are worn out.
Another clue that it’s time to change the brake pads is feeling vibrations through the brake pedal. When it’s time for a brake job, the brake pedal may even sit lower to the floor than usual, albeit this may be more difficult to notice.
Looking at them is a better approach to determine whether your brake pads will last a long time. When the friction material in your brake pads is less than 4mm thick, the majority of experts advise replacing them. To keep your car safe, your brakes should be replaced right away if the measurement is less than 3mm.
Additionally, looking at your brake pads will show you if they’re wearing unevenly, which could mean that your braking calipers need to be replaced or may be stuck.
Don’t DIYIt Can Be Tricky
Many individuals believe that reading about it online or watching a YouTube video would teach them how to replace brake pads. Although replacing brake pads is straightforward in theory, it may easily become a challenging undertaking. Your brake job could go wrong in a variety of ways, necessitating the use of extra tools or parts that you don’t currently have.
Complexity is rising in modern automobiles. For instance, if your car has an electronic parking brake, it’s frequently necessary to use an OEM-level scan tool when servicing the back brakes. And a novice or do-it-yourself mechanic wouldn’t generally have that in their toolbox. Additionally, before you can change the brake pads on a car with automatic emergency braking, you usually need to do some additional preparations.
Every automobile is unique. Therefore, before attempting to change your brake pads, make sure you refer to the manufacturer service information for your automobile. If not, you run the risk of damaging both your car and yourself.
DIYYou Can Check for Other Problems
The good news is that when you’re changing your worn brake pads, you have a great chance to examine other brake, suspension, and steering components if you know what you’re looking for. For instance, you can learn more about the operation of the brake system and check the brake calipers, brake fluid, and wheel bearings.
Don’t DIYIf You Make A Mistake, You’re Risking Your Own Safety
We’re not trying to scare you, but if you mess up changing your brakes, you can endanger your own safety. Consider this: Your brakes are essential to stopping your wheels from moving. Making a mistake when installing brakes can have major repercussions for both the safety of your vehicle and yourself.
You can be looking in the wrong place and end up doing something incredibly risky. For instance, the fasteners that hold the brake caliper and the mounting bracket for the brake caliper (if your car is equipped) must always be torqued to the proper measurement.
Don’t forget to pump your brakes many times before starting the automobile after the procedure is finished and the wheels have been replaced. Pump the brakes first with the engine off, then again with it running. The brake pedal should be pressed firmly. When you go to drive your automobile, you’ll have little to no braking capabilities if you don’t complete this stage. And that might lead to a truly miserable day.
DIYNot A Difficult Job (On Some Cars)
Replacement of the front brake pads is typically regarded as an easy, entry-level repair. However, keep in mind that you will require some instruments to complete the task. Additionally, you’ll need a space where you can work without distractions in safety. It may be worthwhile to spend money to get your worn brake pads replaced if you lack these fundamentals.
Don’t DIYCan Be Time Consuming
A set of brake pads typically has to be changed within 30 to 60 minutes. Expect to pay a professional around an hour’s worth of labor if you hire them to finish the task. It’s important to note that, as a novice, replacing your brake pads could take you up to 3 or 4 hours (perhaps even longer). Of course, everyone has to start somewhere.
DIYWider Range of Brake Pads to Choose From
The majority of individuals work very hard to increase their car’s speed but neglect to consider stopping power. Different brake pads offer various features. Additionally, if you’re changing your own brake pads, you can select the friction material that best suits your driving preferences from a variety of options.
For instance, you might prefer the extra stopping power of a semi-metallic brake pad if your car is a high-performance model. On the other hand, a ceramic brake pad will reduce wear and brake dust if you mostly drive your car in congested traffic to and from work. Finally, if you almost ever drive your car, you can probably get by with a cheap, natural brake pad and save some money.
Do the brakes on my Toyota Corolla have drums?
The terms “disc brakes” and “drum brakes” refer to two different types of braking systems that can be found on modern vehicles. Your automobile has individual brakes for each wheel, and nearly all contemporary cars have disc brakes up front. Given that the front brakes of your car generate between 70 and 80 percent of its braking power, disc brakes are more expensive but provide better performance when it counts. In most cases, front brakes need to be replaced before rear brakes because of this.
The rear brakes can occasionally have drum-brake systems. For instance, the base Toyota Corolla (Base MSRP $18,500) has rear drum brakes as standard equipment, whereas the base Toyota Camry LE (Base MSRP $23,070) has rear disc brakes.
Does a Toyota Corolla have brakes on both the front and back?
Your Toyota Corolla front brake pads will typically wear down at the same pace on both the right and left side of your car, much like the rear brake pads. Due to the design of rear-wheel commuter cars, most front brake pads often last longer than rear brake pads.
How much does a brake job 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.
Does the brake fluid cap need to be removed while changing brake pads?
The replacement brake pads should be installed soon. But before you can do that, you need to finish one more step. The piston for the caliper must be manually retracted.
A cylindrical piston that protrudes from the caliper’s interior and presses against the brake pad’s inboard side may be seen there. The piston will need to be reset to its original position before the caliper and your new (and thicker) brake pads will fit over the rotor. You’ll see that it has adjusted itself to match your worn-out brake pads.
It’s a good idea to remove the cap that covers the brake fluid reservoir before you reset the caliper piston. If you don’t, you’ll have to contend with a lot of braking fluid pressure.
You’ll need that C-clamp at this point since the reservoir cap has been taken off. In opposition to the piston, place the end with the screw on it. If you’d like, you might use a tiny piece of wood to shield the piston’s surface. The clamp will exert more pressure on the piston as you spin the screw. Continue to tighten it until the new pads can be slid into the caliper and the caliper and the new pads can be fitted onto the braking rotor.
Don’t try to push the piston to retract if you see that it isn’t doing so properly. You might have a caliper with a piston that extends slowly as it rotates. If so, a specialized tool will be required to thread the piston back into the caliper. Most auto parts stores sell brake caliper tools, which are tools made expressly to retract this kind of brake caliper piston. If you’re really lucky, your neighbor might have one that you can borrow for the afternoon if you can’t find one there. Alternatively, you can acquire the tool online.
You can re-cap the brake fluid reservoir when the brake caliper piston has fully retracted. Your brake fluid reservoir’s cap should not be left off for any longer than is strictly necessary. The hydraulic system of your brakes may become contaminated with debris or even water. Because brake fluid is hygroscopic, it can absorb and hold onto water. In contrast to the relatively straightforward replacement of the brake pads that you are currently completing, water in the brake lines raises major safety issues and necessitates more involved repairs.
Simply placing the new brake pads into the slots where the old ones were will complete the installation of the new brake pads. You might want to carefully tap them in with a hammer or rubber mallet if they don’t fit in with your hands. The final step is to reinstall the pins or bolts holding them in place.
Reposition the brake caliper on the brake rotor next. Tighten the bolts holding the caliper in place to ensure a snug fit. Ensure that everything is secured, and then from inside your car, briefly press the brake pedal to check that it feels comfortable. The brakes might need to be pressed into their new position numerous times before they properly seat themselves.
The remaining brake repair is simple. Reinstall the wheel, tighten the lug nuts, take down the jack supports, and then use your jack to lower the vehicle to the ground. It is comparable to changing a tire. Once you’ve got the car back on the ground, don’t forget to torque the lug nuts all the way down.
To ensure that your brake maintenance was successful, test-drive the vehicle as well. Making sure brakes are fixed is one thing; ensuring they function correctly is another.