DIY Front Brake Pad Change.

I just changed out my pads tonight and it took all of 20 mins for both sides!

 

How did removing the calipers cause a seal to be damaged? I have never heard of this before. Did you screw up somehow?

I always remove the calipers so I can take the rotors to be measured and turned. This is the best way. The rotors come out better than new with a nice cross hatch pattern that makes the pads bed in perfectly and you can guaranty there will be no pulsating.

 

by pressing them back into the caliper without the bleeder valve open will push dirty fluid into the abs actuator, causing it to potentially fail.

 

No need to open the system and introduce air into it

 

I installed Russel Speed Bleeders on all 4 brake lines and the clutch. Since I work on my Yota alone, speed bleeders are the way to go. Open 'em up 1/4 turn, run your drain hose to a catch pan, and pump away. The one-way spring valve inside the bleeder lets the fluid out while keeping air out of the line. If you and I had invented these babies, we'd be retired in the Bahamas right now.

 

good to know!

 

Get the brake bleeders from www.russellperformance.com It will be one of the easiest maintenance items on your list. Between their chart and a phone call to them, we figured out what size fit the disc calipers, the drum calipers, and the clutch. These bleeders are real trick. you'll love 'em.

 

I've bleed brakes B 4 with 2 people and by myself using a vacuum pump. The vacuum pump worked fine. What would be the advantage of the russell's ? I never bleed a clutch. When do you do that ? Do you have any pics ? I wouldn't know where the bleeder is . Is it the same as a brake bleeder ? Thanks for clearing up my ignorance.

 

Alright so first post here at tacomaworld but I've been over at TN for a while. Just switched out the pads using the "push pads in with a screwdriver" method and it worked just fine, no bleeding required. 15 minutes, done. The "grease" mentioned is anti-seize. Clean the thin metal plates on the back of the existing pads and put some anti-seize on the back of the new pads before putting the plates back on. This will help to hold them on while you put them back in and will keep them from squeaking every morning when you first hit the brakes (I forgot to do the drivers side so I get to take it apart again). Everything else has been mentioned thoroughly, I got just under 70k on the first set, hoping for similar mileage on the second.

Cheers!

 

George3, no worries, no ignorance. I should apologize to you. I'm the new kid on the block and need to learn how to post well & post right. Thanks for your patience.

Don't have pics yet, but will post pics in the spring when New England warms up and I replace pads & shoes all the way around. Sorry for the delay.

The clutch line comes off of the main brake reservoir, no separate container, which is nice.I use DOT 4 synthetic brake fluid from ATE. Stay away from DOT 5 silicone fluid even though it has the highest wet and dry boiling point of all the DOT specs. Silicone repeatedly has been problematic due to corrosion and moisture issues. My gearhead buddies had nothing but trouble with DOT 5 fluid. Now they all run DOT 4 synth fluid. The brake pedal feels solid, the ABS works, and the truck is safe.

Anyway, finally answering your question: The reason I use speed bleeders over a pump is personal preference...I have complete control of the process. I can feel the resistance of the brake pedal as I slowly push it to the floor, let it up slowly, then jump out to look at the drain hose for indications of air or color change. ATE makes their DOT 4 fluid in TYP 200, which is the standard amber colored fluid you see everywhere, and also in Blue. This is very cool because now changing the fluid is a no-brainer: The stock fluid was amber. I bled the system using ATE Blue "racing" fluid. As the old fluid is replaced, I immediately see the obvious color difference as the Blue fluid purges the brake line, ABS reservoir, and caliper.

Right now I have Blue fluid in the reservoir. This spring I'll purge the system again, this time using ATE DOT 4 synthetic TYP 200 amber fluid. No guesswork and it makes me look like I know what I'm doing!

If using the pump makes more sense and works for you, keep doing that and use ATE fluid. Google ATE DOT 4 brake fluid. You'll find it immediately. Blue racing and TYP 200 are the same excellent fluid just different colors.

...hope that makes sense. I love driving and I love working on my '06 4x4!

 

Man thanks for the reply. Beautiful details. That color change deal is trick. We do the clutch because it is in the same reservoir and has the same contaminant over time ? Great post.

 

Absolutely right. Contaminates would be in the clutch line if they're in the brake line simply because they share the same reservoir. That however is not the main reason I change the clutch fluid. I am Mr. Preventative plain and simple. I don't wait to see dirty fluid or develop a mechanical issue before I take action. The Northwest/Northeast have wide temperature and humidity swings throughout the year. That places a heavy burden on all functions including brake fluid. Even though I'm hedging my bet by using synthetics over conventional oils and fluids, I still replace all fluids every two years no matter what. Brake calipers, steering pumps, hydraulic clutches, ABS hydraulics, etc. have rubber and other components that function best when their lubricating fluid is clean and of the correct viscosity. At $26,000 new, this truck is well worth $10 per quart synthetic motor oil and other "extra" measures to keep it running better than when I bought it.

 

Absolutely right. Contaminates would be in the clutch line if they're in the brake line simply because they share the same reservoir. That however is not the main reason I change the clutch fluid. I am Mr. Preventative plain and simple. I don't wait to see dirty fluid or develop a mechanical issue before I take action. The Northwest/Northeast have wide temperature and humidity swings throughout the year. That places a heavy burden on all functions including brake fluid. Even though I'm hedging my bet by using synthetics over conventional oils and fluids, I still replace all fluids every two years no matter what. Brake calipers, steering pumps, hydraulic clutches, ABS hydraulics, etc. have rubber and other components that function best when their lubricating fluid is clean and of the correct viscosity. At $26,000 new, this truck is well worth $10 per quart synthetic motor oil and other "extra" measures to keep it running better than when I bought it.

 

You answered my next question before I asked it, like the mentalist. My 2000 Taco had 138,000 miles on it when they bought it back for rust thru the frame. The brake fluid was clear and appeared 2 B clean. I know brake fluid is hydro something or other, it attracts water but I didn't know how to test it, so the deal is just change it every two years or so. Is there a mileage thing on that or just a time thing ? Thanks.

 

In one sense there is a timing thing. Some manufacturers recommend changing the brake fluid every 3 years. Since brake fluid is hydrophilic (attracts H2O), it bad judgement to wait until the fluid starts to "turn". If there is water and/or corrosion in the brake system, then we have a real mess that's potentially dangerous. I'd rather change the fluid early, have peace-of-mind, and spend my weekends with some gorgeous female VS. spending the weekend replacing bad calipers and brake lines :>)

Have a great holiday man. Tacos rule!!!

 

OK, so we want to do the right thing, where do we find it for $10 ? I googled it and the blue stuff is $15. Thanks

 

I screwed up. My $10 comment was a general comment. The synth DOT 4 brake fluid is $15. Most places like Auto Zone, Pep Boys, etc. have many different varieties of DOT 3 brake fluid, all selling for around 5 or 6 bucks a bottle. My point was that the better fluid will cost more.

In my opinion ATE is the best synthetic fluid available. It has excellent wet & dry boiling point specs and therefore costs more than $10. If you choose another DOT 4 synthetic that costs less than ATE, you're still much better off using that instead of any DOT 3 conventional fluid at 5 or 6 bucks. My mistake. I'll be more specific from now on.

BTW, I buy the litre size of both Blue and Amber. I service 2 autos. The litre can makes sure I have extra on hand.

 

Thanks, I'm sure I'll come up with more questions. Tell me when you've had enough. Curious George

 

No worries George. Ask all the questions you can think of. Questions remind me to word the description in broader terms so more readers will "get" the content. Ask away! I apologize again for not being specific. Let me know how the bleeder project turns out :>)

P.S. There will be projects you've done that I want to do...will u help me w/ those?

 

Sure Check my mod list. All fairly simple so far and all off someone on TW. The mods I've done are just practical stuff I use every day and stuff to make maintenance easier and or less expensive. Everyone on here is very helpful with how to, what to, where to and why to.