Okay well this morning i went balls to the wall and did my first brake pad/rotor change on my toyota. Everything went good. I got parts from carquest rotors and premium blue ceramic pads. I just have a question about the squeeling. I did ludracate the back of the pads and bolts but the brakes seem to squeel. is this normal? does it need time to break in first? or should they make no noise at all? :ugh3: also it seems that the right side is the one to make more noise. i only drove around 50 miles on them and alot was highway.
Time to do the brakes =P
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I've never heard of carquest rotors before, is that a brand or a website?
Also what brand pads? Ceramic is usually the best bang for your buck, so that was good :thumbsup:
Most of the brake in periods differ but i'd guesstimate around 100 miles of very light braking is the best way to brake 'em in.
Most squeeling generally comes from the pad/rotor combo you have.
Also what brand pads? Ceramic is usually the best bang for your buck, so that was good :thumbsup:
Most of the brake in periods differ but i'd guesstimate around 100 miles of very light braking is the best way to brake 'em in.
Most squeeling generally comes from the pad/rotor combo you have.
they are all carquest products you might not be familiar with them. But last night i did a little research and did the bed in process as nuron said and all noise is gone now. the car stops so much nicer with ceramic pads and new rotors. the old ones were starting to make noise so i went ahead and did them. now its time for the rear drums. anyone have any experience with them. how time consuming is this?
camry drums are some of the easier drum brakes to do, but they still suck. i hate dealing with the springs. I have actually vowed that when it comes time for a rear brake job on my wife's accord that i am going to go to a junkyard and buy spindles, brackets, calipers, rotors, etc and convert the damn thing to rear disk rather than deal with those f*ing springs!
that said - i have only ever had one problem with wagner brake shoes and stock drums (almost NEVER have to replace a drum, unlike rotors). that was on an isuzu rodeo - the shoes were a hair too thick to fit inside the drum even with the adjuster closed all the way. exchanging the shoes didn't help, and no other brand was available, so i sanded them down a bit and turned the drums and all was well.
the only special tool you might need is one for the spring retainers. it looks like a screwdriver handle, but the other end has a sort of cup on the end, for pushing and rotating the spring retainers.
I also use vice grips to hold/pull springs. be careful - it's really easy to stab yourself with springs or other tools while trying to put stuff back together. taking apart is cake though.
i've done a ton of brake jobs (that happens when you're a mechanic for almost 7 years). i've only ever had to replace brake springs maybe 4 or 5 times in that whole 7 year span. it happens, but it's rare. it mostly happens when brakes have been long neglected and you can't get the drum off - the shoe has eaten into the drum, and it has a big lip, so when you pull the drum off, it tries to pull the shoes too, and breaks the retainer clips and/or springs, and bends other things. generally not fun.
you can't find a v6 camry/solara in a junkyard anywhere? i had no trouble finding one when i did the swap on my old 88. i think i paid like $100 cash for all the parts too. the pads were still good (though i sanded them a little to remove any glaze), and i turned the rotors to remove the layer of rust, and they were like new.
I also use vice grips to hold/pull springs. be careful - it's really easy to stab yourself with springs or other tools while trying to put stuff back together. taking apart is cake though.
i've done a ton of brake jobs (that happens when you're a mechanic for almost 7 years). i've only ever had to replace brake springs maybe 4 or 5 times in that whole 7 year span. it happens, but it's rare. it mostly happens when brakes have been long neglected and you can't get the drum off - the shoe has eaten into the drum, and it has a big lip, so when you pull the drum off, it tries to pull the shoes too, and breaks the retainer clips and/or springs, and bends other things. generally not fun.
you can't find a v6 camry/solara in a junkyard anywhere? i had no trouble finding one when i did the swap on my old 88. i think i paid like $100 cash for all the parts too. the pads were still good (though i sanded them a little to remove any glaze), and i turned the rotors to remove the layer of rust, and they were like new.
not any junk yard near here. and if i did it be alot more they are expensive =(. how hard is it to do the swap. what do you need to change other than rotors, callipers and all that do i need to change the brake master cylinder or what? is it simple just pull the drum assemb off and put the rotors on and all that? sorry for all the questions. how much does it improve breaking too?
From my research the swap is not very difficult just merely time consuming.
I am planning on doing it in the next few months, or as the wallet allows.
To make it all happen, the master cylinder stays put, you'll just be removing all the drum accesories and adding backing plates, rotors, pads, p-brake cables, hub o-rings... etc
The most difficult part of the job would be removing your old p-brake cable and fitting the new one I'd say. That involves getting under the car and moving the exhaust, but it also depends if your car has the brake in the center console or is in the place of a clutch pedal...
And if anything it would improve brake reliability, with maybe a little extra stopping power.
changing from drum to disk on my 88 was night and day. HUGE difference. car stayed so much more flat during braking, from light braking just coming up to a stop sign, all the way to full-on panic stops on the freeway. and it wasn't that the drums were out of adjustment or nonfunctional - they worked and held the car just fine (parking brake) and even worked as an emergency brake... but holy cow disk is just sooo much better!!
Jcamry hit all the high points for parts - i just replaced the entire spindle/hub assy as a unit to save time. that required an alignment afterwards, but since i worked at a shop that had an alignment rack, it didn't cost me anything
Jcamry hit all the high points for parts - i just replaced the entire spindle/hub assy as a unit to save time. that required an alignment afterwards, but since i worked at a shop that had an alignment rack, it didn't cost me anything
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If you have no much choices you can use pliers with a long nose to remove the springs patiently; but check first if the pads are real bad. Usually ther drums hold twice the front brakes. If the pads are good, you really do not need disks back there (rear) unless for racing performance; otherwise drums are more than fine, when working properly.i heard when doing the rear you should order the kit with all new springs and such. and do you need any special tools? i wish i could find a camry with rear disc and throw it in mine but that prob will never happen
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