1st gen brakes DIY?

My truck really! needs new front brakes and I would really! Like to not pay the 250-ish that I was quoted. I have never changed my own brakes before but am fairly capable.

Has anyone done their own? If so how long did it take you? How much work was it and where did you order the new pads and how much were they?

I'm fairly confident I can do it but the brake line bleeding and making sure everything is working properly makes me a little apprehensive.

I would love any advise as well. Thanks in advance guys!

 

Doing the front brakes on the 1st generation Tacoma is easy. I did mine myself, in two and half hours with no problem. There are a few videos on Youtube.

 

If all you need is rotors and pads, you do not bleed the brakes. That only happens when you replace a caliper.
Make room for the new pads by prying the old pads apart BEFORE you remove the caliper. Pry between the rotor and the pad. DO NOT pry against the piston.
Make sure you clean all areas where the pads touch, then lube the same areas with 3m caliper lube. Do not use wheel bearing grease or regular antiseize, it will gum up fail.
Clean new rotors with brake cleaner before install, they have a protective grease on them.
Work and finish one side at a time. Then you'll have an idea when you forget how it goes back together.
Do not breathe brake dust. It may not be asbestos, but it is bad for you. Clean everything with brake cleaner before you start.

 

This looks like a good video.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M7gEOMny5Dw
I haven't done them on my truck yet, but did my wife's Ford Escape not too long ago. I just took my time, used lots of brake cleaner, and made sure not to stress the brake lines.
I don't remember how much the front pads were, but even buying the mid-high pads at Kragen was pretty cheap. Since you do one side at a time, you always have an example to look at. I used the special brake pad lube although the pads I bought specifically said not to put the lub on the back of them so I lubed posts where things move.
Matt

 

This is what I used as pointers. Last brake job I did was on my old K5 Blazer and it was years ago and this video helped remind me what I was doing.

Installed Brembo blanks and Hawk LTS pads a while back on my truck and was done with both sides in an hour. Huge improvement over OEM brakes too.

 

it takes me about 10 minutes per side including taking off tire ( pads only) but i dont have a yota front end. its relatively simple and once you do one side the other is a cake walk. btw buy a haynes manual, it will be your best friend. also i believe there is a write up about it on here somewhere

 

Thanks the the advise! I watched the video and it looks easy!
Now any input on pad and rotor brands or materials?

 

Brembo blanks and Hawk LTS pads. Be sure to get some anti-squeal compound for the backs of the pads too.

 

We've always had luck with cheap duralast pads from vatozone. Also take the rotor into your local NAPA store (or any machine shop really) and see if they can be turned.

 

remove caliper bolts and slide out caliper, pop old pads out and use a C clamp to press in the caliper plunger til it's flush with the caliper. pop new pads in, use the grease on the backs of all the moving parts but not the material side of the pad or rotor. clean off the rotor if you touched it. slide caliper back on and re tighten bolts, profit.

 

Just be happy it doesn't need rear brakes

 

This is what I do, C clamp ftw! Except, I leave the old 'plunger' side pad in while I'm using the clamp, this way the cylinder isn't damaged in the process. The old pad get's all the force and scaring. I realized this worked better for me after I chipped a ceramic plunger.

Also pop the break fluid reservoir cap before using the C clamp, this let's the fluid easily flow back up to the reservoir.

 

That is a good idea, i'll do that next time (the old pad on the plunger part) I accidentally left out the take the cap off the res part.

 

I pop the cap of the fluid reservoir and use a huge set of channel locks to compress the plunger, mostly because all of our c clamps are 12".

 

Just a word of warning, that video makes things look a hell of a lot easier than they can be. Hopefully being in North Ca. your pins won't be too rusted, but over here in new england mine were so badly rusted in that I had to use a dremel to cut them out and then use a drill to drill out one piece of the pin. It took me most of an entire day to get them out. I put anti sieze on them before putting the new pins back in, so hopefully next time it won't be too bad. Compared with my wifes Honda the Toyota's are a PITA.

 

Always use 3m copper caliper lube. Regular antiseize will gum up rapidly and cause the pads to stick. Antiseize is for bolts.

 

what's the torque for the caliper bolts?

 

I trust you and not disagreeing, but I used standard spark-plug anti-seize and haven't had a problem, that was 2 years ago.

 

The dielectric grease for the boot, or anti seize for the threads?