How to Change Front Brakes (Pads and Rotors)

Thanks for the video! Here are my old pads with 96K. Went ahead and bought the brake caliper tool which made the job super easy

 

Thank you for the video also! +1.
I'm about to embark on this next week, post the 4th.

 

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I upgraded my front brakes a few months back and this video, along with others, helped. When I bought it from the original owner, the truck would pulse when braking from 60+ mph to a stop. It wasn't severe, but more annoying. I went with the drilled and slotted Powerstop brakes kit and replaced it. Problem fixed!

I bought the tool to compress the pistons, which I can see really helped me vs doing it with a screwdriver or something. I didn't bleed the lines, but made sure to remove the brake reservoir cap.
The rotors needed a few smacks from my sledge to come loose. That as a little nerve wracking, but it all worked out.
I made sure to properly break-in the brakes.

The brakes have been working flawlessly since and I'm glad I did this.

 

Got the TRD Brake Pads + new OEM rotors in for my front. All works as it should and very happy with the performance thus far.

 

Any hints on freeing the caliper pins? Both are rusted on pretty good. I was able to hammer/wrench out the top pin, but the bottom is seized and I'm having a hard time finding an angle to hammer it out.

 

I would suggest a pair of pliers; I'm an electrician and would use my linesman's pliers. I would put the nose of the pliers up against the pin and hit that with a hammer. Just make sure that the hinge side of the pliers is against the pin.

I assume you've sprayed them with pb blaster or something...

Good luck.

 

My mechanic is pretty good about using OEM stuff on my truck - Problem is the calipers only last about a year before I get a warped rotor... Tend to be the driver's side. Very frustrating to say the least.

Can I get a recommendation for calipers that will actually work and last longer than a year? Done with crappy parts.
Thanks

 

That's odd indeed.

I'm just going to start forking out for OEM calipers and likely rotors. Like you, I'm done with hit-or-miss aftermarket parts.

 

Typo - My mech uses OEM...They aren't lasting...

 

Is he using brand new OEM from the dealership? Or remans/"OEM quality"? I ask because for a brand new OEM calipers to crap out in a year is pretty uncommon, especially repeatedly.

 

I don't have first-hand experience yet, but others seem happy with this, which is my plan when the time comes.

 

Great Q - I'll be taking it in next week - needs an oil change. I'll get an answer then.

If it means I switch over to after market high performance stuff like the power stop red calipers then so be it. Not looking forward to wrenching in the driveway in December though...

 

@Sprocket

Definitely get a straight answer from your mechanic. I'm not making any assumptions here, but I wouldn't be surprised if new-from-the-dealership OEM calipers weren't being used. I just can't fathom OEM calipers going out in a year.

In the meantime, check out the link in @Norton's post. Definitely worth considering, and the linked post's author does his homework with things like this.

 

Thanks - Just read the whole thing - I'm betting crappy parts + crappy breaking habits caused the crappy pads to imprint on the crappy rotor.

No mechanic has ever advised regarding a break-in procedure...

 

+1 to all of this. OEM is good, but @crashnburn80's recommendations are excellent and his solutions are outstanding.

Can't speak to the parts your mechanic used, but proper break-in is critical to the functionality and longevity of your brakes.

 

Dude thank you. Definitely time for breaks for me. Don’t feel like showing out a ton of money to people this looks like something I can do

 

I’ve used rotors with e-coat painted hubs in the past- they look nice for a while until they are exposed to salt spray and corrosion. The wheels eventually remain stuck on. I wouldn’t recommend spending time (and the $10-$15 for quality primer and spray paint) painting the hubs.

 

Any idea if it's more or less the same on the 3rd gen Tacomas?