[CopeTech]

Hello Toyotaphiles!

Been reading and researching for years, but finally decided to register.

I have:
95 Corolla DX w/ 240k
01 Celica GT w/ 140k
Just bought:
97 Camry LE i4 w/ 118k
Maintain for family members:
01 Avalon w/ 150k
08 Tacoma w/ 115k
10 Corolla S w/ ???k
12 Highlander w/ 20k (still warranty, haven't touched it yet)

I am currently refurbing the new Camry and almost done. I drive 1k/week for work 95% highway. Need to overhaul the Corolla, but wanted to get the Camry perfect first so I can drop and run if a service call comes in for work.

Just found a 99 Solara parts donor, and made a deal for complete rear disc brake system and 4 - 16" OE alloy rims for $300. Question is:
This should all bolt on direct w/ no mods right? I haven't been able to confirm for certain that the Solara is abs, but it has a blown V6 3.0 and all leather interior, so I'm thinking it's fully loaded XLE type. Getting rotors, calipers, backing plate, PB Cable, and lines attached to calipers... any hiccups I should watch out for?

Thanks for all your valuable knowledge over the years, hope I might can pay some back now that I decided to participate.

-Cope

 

[BMR]

These DIYs should be helpful...

http://www.toyotanation.com/forum/1...9-2003/313605-gen-3-4-rear-drum-disc-diy.html

This one's more complete, and it's a four-parter:
http://www.toyotanation.com/forum/1...ersion-part-1-photos-proportioning-valve.html

 

[CopeTech]

These DIYs should be helpful...

http://www.toyotanation.com/forum/1...9-2003/313605-gen-3-4-rear-drum-disc-diy.html

This one's more complete, and it's a four-parter:
http://www.toyotanation.com/forum/1...ersion-part-1-photos-proportioning-valve.html

Thanks BMR!

I've actually reviewed the DIY's and other posts pretty thoroughly over the past few weeks, but don't remember seeing a definitive answer as to whether Gen 1 Solara wheels and rear brakes are 100% compatible with the Gen 3 LE i4. Anyone know for certain? I'm making the 4 hr round trip to go pull the parts in the morning.

-Cope

 

[Sport2013]

These DIYs should be helpful...

http://www.toyotanation.com/forum/1...9-2003/313605-gen-3-4-rear-drum-disc-diy.html

This one's more complete, and it's a four-parter:
http://www.toyotanation.com/forum/1...ersion-part-1-photos-proportioning-valve.html

I followed the links and looks interesting. Maybe i'm blind but what rear rear brakes were used in the DIY?

 

[CopeTech]

These DIYs should be helpful...

http://www.toyotanation.com/forum/1...9-2003/313605-gen-3-4-rear-drum-disc-diy.html

This one's more complete, and it's a four-parter:
http://www.toyotanation.com/forum/1...ersion-part-1-photos-proportioning-valve.html

I followed the links and looks interesting. Maybe i'm blind but what rear rear brakes were used in the DIY?

One used Lexus ES300 parts (bigger disc size requires larger rim size)
The other used same Gen V6 XLE parts.

Just got back from the parts-pull adventure...

2 hr drive there, 7 hrs of fighting with rusty bolts on an obviously garage kept Solara that had apparently come from the great salty north! (Sigh) Broke 2 sockets, 2 Kobalt 1/2" ratchets and 1 Craftsman 1/2" ratchet! Dropped the car on the ground once destroying a scissor jack as 2 cinderblocks and a bottle-jack sank into the loamy sand!

Then...

Since I obviously could NOT get the car up high enough on this spongy site to use the cinderblock stands on end, I ended up fighting the PB cable and brackets with my nose brushing the bottom of the car. Had to drop the muffler and cat to get at the brackets behind the heat shield (after unexpected tool casualties there was NO way I was getting a 12" 3/8" ratchet in there otherwise) And FINALLY, due to corrosion and lack of space, I ended up having to detach the PB cable from the handbrake and feed it through to pull the complete set-up as 1 piece.

Wrapped it all in black 40 Gal garbage bags and absolutely FILLED my trunk and back-seat for the drive back home.

Cost- $330, several tools, (mostly "lifetime warrantied") a scissor jack, a whole day, a lot of sweat, a little blood, 2 whole cans of PB Blast and a half a tank of gas...
End result:
4 - good looking 16" OE Alloy Rims with decent tires
4 - new OE mud-flaps
2 - fully complete sets of Camry V-6 rear brakes
1 - windshield cowl with all rubber intact, supple, and clean


All said and done, I think I came out ok!

Gonna take my time completely refurbing the brakes, and probably won't install the new wheels until I finish wearing out my current set of tires. I'll need to drill out one broken bolt from the passenger side caliper bracket, brush out a bunch of surface rust and paint everything, get new pads, shoes, bolts, and springs... and once it's all installed, I'll be one 1 minor paint job away from have a "better than new" 120k '97 Camry LE+

Now where's that vodka? (F#&K the beer!)

Thanks for everything ToyotaNation!

-Cope

 

[CopeTech]

4 - new OE mud-flaps (didn't really fit, but I was able to drill holes in them to line up anyway)
2 - fully complete sets of Camry V-6 rear brakes(need a lot of recon work, but it looks like they cross over exactly to 3rd Gen V6, which means they'll fit)
1 - windshield cowl with all rubber intact, supple, and clean(completely different and won't fit my 97 LE at all! :crying: Anybody got a Solara and in need of a like new windshield cowl?)

So it looks like my day wasn't quite as productive as I thought...

I'm quite pleased with the 16"rims though! The tires on them now are 205RO16's, I have a full sized steely as a spare. (14" stock wheel and tire)

2 questions -
1) Will it cause issues to use the stock 14 as an emergency spare with the other 3 wheels running 16's?
2) should I go with a 195RO16 tire instead of a 205RO16 to get closer to stock size? Haven't measured yet, but the 195's on my 01 Celica look closer in size to the Camry stock tires... Being I drive 1000 miles a week, the end result gas mileage and cost of low roll resistance tires has to be factored in...

-Cope

 

[iResident]

No you cannot, the tire is 1 inch smaller in diameter then the current 16s. This will definitely cause issues.

215 50 16 would be closest to the stock tire size if you currently have 195 70 14s.

 

[CopeTech]

No you cannot, the tire is 1 inch smaller in diameter then the current 16s. This will definitely cause issues.

215 50 16 would be closest to the stock tire size if you currently have 195 70 14s.

OK, so obviously I have absolutely ZERO understanding of what the numbers mean in tire sizes...
Never really had to think about it, as I usually just stick with what the tire guy tells me... (stock)

So would 215 50 16's allow short term use of my steely as a spare?

Apparently the 1st number does NOT refer to the outer diameter of the tire then?

-Cope

 

[iResident]

The first number in your tire, ie 195 is the width of the tire. The second number would be your aspect ratio,m which is the height of the tires cross section to its width. With yours being 70 it means that is 70% of the tires width. Of course the last number is your rim diameter.

To answer your question no the first number isnt the diameter of your tire. Your stock tires are 24.7 inches in diameter.