DIY - Brake Pad change (includes pics)

[BAZPRADO Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close BAZPRADO]

I am trying to take off the rear caliper to replace the brakes, which way does one turn the screws to take the caliper off, clockwise or counter clockwise? I am trying to avoid buying an impact wrench and save some money. Cheers.

[raydes Advanced Member Find all posts View Profile Close raydes]

Bazprado ,,,,which way does one turn the screws to take the caliper off, clockwise or counter clockwise? If you need to ask that question you seriously NEED to leave your brakes alone

[gspy4u Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close gspy4u]

righty tighty lefty loosy :-)

[tdprado Junior Member Find all posts View Profile Close tdprado]

+1 with what raydes said. Take it to a mechanic for your own, and families sake.

[BAZPRADO Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close BAZPRADO]

C'mon guys, I really have changed quite a few brakes sets already, I just got stomped because the fricking screws would not budge. I guess I will have try to find some more muscle or use an electric impact wrench to get them off. Cheers.

[brogers Advanced Member Find all posts View Profile Close brogers]

Bendix High Performance brake grease

Thanks so much for the information regarding the pad change for the 120 folks. It is bascially the same for the 150, and it was very helpful indeed to have read through these posts first.

I replaced front and rear brake pads today on my 150 diesel Prado with Bendix 4wd pads (the ones with the "blue titanium stripe").

The Bendix 4wd pads are twice the price of some cheaper pads, but the Bendix pads are still less than genuine toyota pads. Bendix DB1482 4wd cost $89.00 for the 4 front pads, and the Bendix DB1200 4wd cost $89 for the 4 rear pads.

(I was quoted $120 front, $120 rear for genuine toyota pads).

Having read good reports on the Bendix Pads I decided to use them, and I am very pleased so far.

I also used two small satchels of the "distinctive blue" coloured Bendix brake grease from Repco, and I have tried to attach a pdf file explaining the use of this grease. (File is too big...sorry, so have a look at the Bendix website)

(Information regarding the Bendix High Performance Brake Grease can be found on the Bendix website: http://www.bendix.com.au )


Basically the bendix high performance brake grease is used sparingly on moving caliper parts, pins and shims (naturally you must avoid getting grease on disc rotors and brake pad friction surfaces).

You can also get Bendix brake cleaner spray, but I had a can of CRC BRAKECLEEN so I used that to clean the disc rotor surfaces etc, to ensure I had meticulously clean surfaces to help the pads "bed in".

Instead of "backflowing" the brake fluid back up into the reservoir when compressing the caliper pistons back, I "bled" the brake fluid out of the bleed nipple whilst useing a "G clamp" to push the pistons back into the calipers to make room for the new pads, and I then bled the entire system after changing the fluid in the reservoir.

The Toyota Technical Document advises that the brake calipers are bled in the following order...front right fisrt , then front left, followed by rear right, the finally rear left. Flushing from closest to furthest from the master cylinder.

When bleeding the rear brakes, Toyota recommend you have the vehicle ignition switched on, and the rear brakes will "bleed" quickly once the brake pedal is depressed and held down while loosening the bleed nipple. Depressing the brake pedal activates a brake fluid booser pump, and thus you don't need to repeatedly depress the brake pedal while loosening the bleed nipple, and tightening the nipple before releasing the brake pedal. Toyota recommend that you don't depress the brake pedal for more than 100 seconds to avoid damaging the brake fluid booster pump.


My disc rotors were almost perfect, so I decided not to machine them this time, but I will definately machine them next time. I cleaned them and cleaned them, and the best advise is that you should machine the rotors, but the mechanic shop was closed by the time I got around to removing the pads, so I'll have to machine the rotors next time.

Of great interest to me also also was the information I read on the DBA website: http://www.dba.com.au and the Rotors and Drums Asutralia website: http://rdabrakes.com.au/

If you are interested to learn more about brakes, and pads, and rotors etc, have a read through the "techncal" sections of those websites, they provide some excellent generic advice, especially with regards to brake fluid, bleeding, bedding in pads, and care for your brakes, as well as some interesting information on correct wheel nut torque, and the effect that incorrect wheel nut torquing can have on your disc rotors. Interesting...you can stuff your rotors by incorrect torquing of wheel nuts.

Toyota recommend 112 NM or torque when replacing the wheel nuts on the 150 Prado.

I recon I needed almost 1,112 Nm of torque by standing and physically bouncing on an extended wheel brace to undo the wheel nuts when removing the wheel nuts initially, thanks no doubt to the use of a "rattle gun" in the hands of an apprentice perhaps. Heavens knows if this has warped or twisted my disc rotors, but so far no shudders when braking.

I also used Toyota DOT 3 brake fluid ($8 for 500mls). From what I read I have no doubt that you shouldn't mix brake fluid brands, and definately don't use different grades of fluid (ie don't use DOT 4 or DOT5 etc) its not worth the problems that might create according to the experts.

In my opinion, its simplier and potentially safer to just stick with the Toyota DOT 3 brake fluid.

Anyway, it all went to plan, new pads are installed, brake fluid flushed and replaced, the brakes were down to just below 3mm on the rear, and they are now very very good indeed, no squeels, no shudders and great performance so far.

[Billy Junior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Billy]

Although I have replaced the brakes in the Prado at least twice in the Seven years Ive had the vehicel, the last time the work was done by the RAC. It was great little refresher to read the info on this thread before starting the job.It made the job easier and more efficient then I have done it before and probably just as good or better than any workshop could do it. The only different things I did from before was using bendix steath pads and that CRC anti-squeak stuff on the backing plates of the pads as recomended from a trusted mechanic. So far so good!

[blakegregory Lurker Find all posts View Profile Close blakegregory]

Changed my brake pads yesterday, certainly noticed the difference even though my toyota ones were only half worn. Feels a lot sharper to brake.

[mgreen18 Junior Member Find all posts View Profile Close mgreen18]

Did mine last week.
Thread tips worked a treat.
Toyota pads were still 50-60% but just felt horrible.
In goes a set front and rear Bendix 4wd pads, she now stops on a 5c piece.
Cheers for the thread.

[craigm Addicted PP Member Find all posts View Profile Close craigm]

I'm running the QFM pads in the Prado and while their stopping power is awesome, I find them to be noisy (squealing often and get a lot more brake dust on my shiny new rims...)

[craigm Addicted PP Member Find all posts View Profile Close craigm]

All rotors were machined.

[gxl_d4d Advanced Member Find all posts View Profile Close gxl_d4d]

Hi,

I'm up for a pad, rotor and fluid change after Christmas. I was having a read about greasing calipers. Some sites say to put silicone grease on the back of the pad and the pad guide clips and others say to clean everything up and only apply grease to the caliper slide pins and nothing else due to risk of pad surface contamination.

What have you guys done in terms of greasing?

Thanks,

[Ryans120 Lurker Find all posts View Profile Close Ryans120]

Did you bleed the brakes after you fitted the pads at all?

[gxl_d4d Advanced Member Find all posts View Profile Close gxl_d4d]

I got a set of Bendix 4wd pads today. They have a shim clipped to the back of the pad. Do I still need to use the shim that's installed with the factory pad or do I discard this one?

I ended up getting an answer on my caliper greasing question from my local ABS Auto. They recon grease the slide pin after cleaning it with a wire wheel, same with the piston face to pad interface, between the back of the pad and shims, the caliper slide clips (after cleaning with wire wheel) and corresponding tag on the brake pad. They also recommended a wire wheel clean and a thin layer on the hub face to avoid binding when the rotors need to be removed next. They also suggested cleaning the pistons with brake cleaner before pushing them back in to avoid seal damage from crud on the outside of the piston.

[sellit99 Junior Member Find all posts View Profile Close sellit99]

Replacing pads

Thinking I will have a go at replacing my brake pads. Are there any special tricks? Does anyone have a step by step guide? Do you need special tools? Done this years ago on an old Holden I imagine they are all the same. Wheel off, unbolt calipers, push pistons back, new pads in, bleed the system. Will I need new rotors?