Brake Job

I have a 1997 tacoma 4X4, I need to do a replace the brakes. can anybody help me out?

 

Are you looking for tips and advice or someone who can do it for you?

 

@Timmah! you guys have a how-to video on doing 1st gen brakes?

 

It's weird, but we haven't actually shot a video for front disk brakes. We have the Tundra Brake Upgrade, but that's a little different because we're removing the calipers and cutting the dust shield. But, I suppose somebody could use that video to do the front brakes.

OP, you can use the Tundra Brake Upgrade video below as a reference. When people do front disk brakes, they replace the pads and either get their rotors resurfaced or they just replace them. If you wanted to resurface them, you'll have to find a shop near you that does it. Some don't do anything with the rotors but you'll have a higher chance of having some braking shudder afterward if you do that because the pads wear into the rotors and it's best practice to start with a perfectly machined surface.

You'll need to compress the calipers pistons so they're fully retracted to allow room for the new pads. Take a look at the brake fluid level in your master cylinder and draw some out with a syringe or turkey baster especially if you're currently at the max level. When you compress the pistons, that brake fluid is going to go somewhere and it's going to go right to the master cylinder. After you draw some fluid out, keep the cap off. Now you need to compress the pistons. An easy way is to put one of the old pads in and compress the pad by clamping onto it with a big channel locks, one jaw on the pad and the other jaw on the outside of the caliper body. If you're worried about marring the surface of the caliper, just put a folded rag between the channel lock jaw and the caliper. After this, you can follow the video of how we get the rotors and calipers back on and torqued to spec and then the brake pads installed and the pins greased in the appropriate spots.

We have a rear brake video too. However, I have learned there is another rear brake configuration Toyota used on some 3rd Gen 4runner and 1st Gen Tacomas. The adjuster wheel and plate are actually on the inside near the backing plate and not facing outward like the design in the video. Hopefully you have the one we showcase in the video.

Afterward, you may as well bleed your brakes and we have a video for that too. Good luck!

https://www.youtube.com/embed/P8zy-j4UBUo

https://www.youtube.com/embed/IJkVEBYSecs

https://www.youtube.com/embed/rnyK3V-OGn4

 

I will being doing it myself

 

Watch the video above.

When I bleed my brakes, I have the Better Half sit inside. I start engine and I tell her that when I say "on", she is to push the pedal to the floor. Not jam it to the floor, just push once with a bit if pressure, and NOT to release the brake. While she's pushing I loosen the bleed screw for a second or two, then tighten it up, and then I say "off". I repeat that several times until clear fluid comes out and then move on to the next wheel.

It's really a simple procedure. Been doing it for almost 60 years now.