Help - Made a Mess of My Brakes - Toyota Nation Forum : Toyota Car and Truck Forums

tomfromNJ · 03-18-2006, 05:48 PM

I have a 2005 Camry XLE, 6 cyl and it was in need of front brake pads, simple enough. I bought the pads a few weeks ago at a local parts house and started the install, pads were too small. They ordered the "correct" ones and I received them and waited for some nicer weather but in the meantime wife drove the car down to metal, right side only. I bought new rotors today to start again. While driving the car I felt a pop and the pedal went down to the floor, no noticable fluid leak. I started the job, now a project because the silly little Toyota jack broke and I had to buy a real one. I now have two problems. (1) I am unable to spread the caliper to accomodate the new pads and guess what, it wouldn't matter because (2) the "correct" pads although larger, are still too small. I can go to Toyota on Monday and hopefully buy the correct pads but my real concern is the inability to spread the caliper, did I damage something when it "popped" ? Thanks for any advice.

***Eye8Pussies*** · 03-18-2006, 07:18 PM

well, from what it sounds like, you don't do much work on your car as it is....since you ddidn't even get a real jack until now...

what methods did you use to try and open the caliper piston?
did you open the brake fluid reservoir cap first?
did you use a c-clamp?

tomfromNJ · 03-18-2006, 08:00 PM

You are correct, haven't done any work on this car. Had a cougar before this and did head gaskets among other things, always did the brakes myself. Spreading the calipers was never this difficult. Used both a caliper spreader and a c clamp. Moved slightly but not near enough. I did not pop the top on the fluid reservoir. I assume that you're thinking that it's airtight and I'm not relieving the pressure ??? I'll certainly try it. Thanks.

marc780 · 03-18-2006, 08:03 PM

Sounds like the piston seal may have popped out. Maybe caused by the piston having to travel so far out of its caliper? Get a rebuild kit for the caliper or better yet, a rebuilt caliper. You seem to be having not much luck at all right now! So i say good luck to you oughta be able to finish this job hopefully without something else breaking.
BTW i hope you got some jack stands too with that jack?

skewe · 03-18-2006, 08:15 PM

i would not drive ur car till it is fixed

cos the more u drive, the worst it gets

tomfromNJ · 03-18-2006, 08:34 PM

Marc780 - I guess I'll get the correct pads (I hope) from Toyota and try the drivers side, which was not grooved (rotor) and had some pad left. If the caliper spreads normally then the pass side must be damaged somehow. Part of the problem has been that there are diff pads for LE & XLE & 6 cyl vs 4 cyl. Maybe more power requires more brake surface. The parts thing, including the rotors has been hit and miss, mostly miss. Right now I'm concerned I might do this on a sunny day and get struck by lightning. Thanks for your reply and yes to the stands.

skewe - Not driving it but I've been thinking about cutting holes in the floorboard and stopping ala Flintstones.

Novice_cardude · 03-18-2006, 09:14 PM

Well, if you're replacing the rotor on one side, replace it on the other side. A new and old rotor can cause pulling and inconsistency is never good on the same axle.

I'd guess that the pop you heard was the caliper. I've seen a couple pistons come out of calipers before, and they won't go back in unless the seals are out of the way and you push them in PERFECTLY straight.

Good luck!

Camryamnesty · 03-18-2006, 09:19 PM

Ok, is it a v6? if so you may have gotten rear pads, check that seal if it is the seal, there would definately be fluid leaking...., make sure when you compress your pistion, do it slowly

nodrogkam · 03-18-2006, 10:29 PM

well everyone seemed to have covered everything. my only concern is why did the right one wear out so fast compared to the left? Brake pads should wear out evenly, especially on such a new car. Im thinking there was something wrong to begin with that should have been checked out by toyota or a mechanic. That caliper could have been bad to begin with. It seems on my camry that anything besides OEM or OEM replacement pads cause an issue even if they fit the caliper. SO go with stock pads. You'll be glad you did.
Good luck.

tomfromNJ · 03-20-2006, 01:48 AM

To cover the last few points.
Yes, replacing both rotors. Will probably pull the caliper today and try to compress and/or reseat. One question, can anyone tell me if I have to cap the brake line ? Will brake fluid gravity feed out and empty or am I safe leaving it open for an hour or so ??
There was no fluid leakage anywhere on the caliper.

It is a V-6 engine. Also, went to yet a third parts store and they gave me still the wrong pad, too small be 30% or so. Beginning to wonder if Toyota US put the wrong caliper in the car. Will get pads from the Toyota dealer today and see.

Right wearing out first. I was also surprised that I have so much pad left on the drivers side than the pass side. I would have expected to feel something in the brakes if the pass side was applying more pressure all along. I'm puzzled and will report back the final solution.

To recap my remaining question - when I pull the caliper to reseat or compress do I have to cap the brake line ?, will fluid gravity feed out and empty itself or will pressure or vacuum prevent that. Am I safe leaving it open for an hour or so ?

Thanks to All.

88 LE · 03-20-2006, 03:10 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tomfromNJ

To recap my remaining question - when I pull the caliper to reseat or compress do I have to cap the brake line ?, will fluid gravity feed out and empty itself or will pressure or vacuum prevent that. Am I safe leaving it open for an hour or so ?

If you remove a brake line(s), fluid will leak.

You'll have to fill up the brake fluid reservoir and bleed the brakes after you get everything back together.

Brakes are a closed system.

nodrogkam · 03-20-2006, 09:00 AM

u've gotta clamp or plug the brake hose otherwise your fluid will go bye bye.

If for some reason you cannot get the brake cylinder to reset into the caliper using a c-clamp fairly easily i would say take it to a pro. Brakes are so important (even more so than the engine), and if you need to do more than just change the pads...thats bad.
Moreover, as you've stated, you were shocked at the fact the passenger pad wore out so much faster, but didnt feel the difference. So again i say theres something wrong to begin with and you need to bring it into a pro.

tomfromNJ · 03-21-2006, 05:44 PM

I thought I'd post a follow-up on this issue, it's concluded. I replaced the drivers side without any problem, caliper spread normally. On the pass side I tried again to spread the caliper with no luck. I priced a replacement caliper and thinking that I had nothing to lose I removed the pass side caliper and as soon as I pressed the piston it spit out fluid, I was then able to compress the piston easily by hand till flush with the housing. reinstalled, installed the new rotor and pads, bled the brake and all is fine. No idea why I was unable to compress one piston and not the other. No idea what that pop was that I felt on the pass side caliper.

Thanks to all for your help and suggestions.
Tom.

nodrogkam · 03-21-2006, 05:50 PM

Glad you got it fixed. Keep an eye and an ear out for any irregularities just in case. But it sounds like you should be okay.

marc780 · 04-19-2006, 02:40 AM

The piston was of course stuck, either from dirt or wear or both. It might be ok now with the new pads. But if i were keeping this car a while id at least rebuild the caliper if you can find a kit. Or, to save some money, i would just take the caliper apart, but carefully so you can reuse the seals. You can use gas station air through the hose hole to gently spritz out thee piston.
Then go round and round inside the piston bore with steel wool for a minute (not up and down - round and round!), clean everything metal with brake cleaner and then brake fluid and soak in brake fluid and reassemble.