Hey - just finished up my first brake job on a Toyota (or anything, for that matter!). I got in some jams and thought I'd share what happened. This is for the ULTRA NOOBISH folks. You still need SOME mechanical skills, though! If you're not sure, get a hand from someone with experience. My buddy talked me thru some of this, but he wasn't present to be sure I wasn't fouling anything up.

Mods feel free to move this to a more appropriate place if this isn't a good forum for it, but being noob I thought it would be.

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SOAK CALIPER BOLTS AND BRAKE LINE FITTINGS, and ALL BLEEDER FITTINGS IN PB for 1-2 days prior to doing this!

You WILL need a 10mm flare wrench for brake lines. Without it, you will round the fitting over and ruin the line.

REPLACING PADS:
Place truck safely on jack stands with wheels chocked according to manufacturer. Do this RIGHT or you will be DEAD. BE SAFE! Pull tires. If your truck is old and crusty, you may even need to use a block of wood and hammer on the back of the rim to remove the tires! Also, if it's old and crusty, plan on another trip to get (2) 20" brake lines, 10mm x 1 for Toyotas. Wise to bring the old one in with you so they can match the flaring on the end (important).... Chances are good you will ruin the lines while playing around in there....and if they're crusty, it only costs about $15 to change both up to the rubber hose and be done with it. Be sure that rubber hose isn't too crusty; if it is, you'll have to go farther.

Clean up the backing plate with a wire brush. Inspect your rotors...clean everything with Brakleen brake cleaner....get no oil or anything on rotors or braking surfaces!
Remove outside retaining clip and pull/push sliders (the pins holding the pads in) out. Catch the "W" anti-rattle spring and don't lose anything. Note the orientation of that W spring before removal.

Check how the pads come out; new ones need to go in the same way (they are different shapes).
At this point, follow the FSM or Haynes guide on checking the rotors, compressing pistons and re-installation. Be sure to use the anti-squeal grease, and make sure the springs go back in correctly.

REPLACING CALIPERS:
The caliper pistons on old and crusty trucks like mine often won't compress, and are frozen. On mine, the O rings holding the boots on the pistons rolled out with the pads, ha ha. I bent a C clamp out of shape trying to recompress the pistons. So I pulled them completely out with a breaker bar (I think 18mm 6-point socket). This is where you almost HAVE to break your brake line (glad you're ready to get those 2 new ones, huh?). Make sure you have at least a basic tubing bender, too! Put a can under that broken line and catch the dripping brake fluid for disposal. If your master cylinder (MC) goes dry, you'll have to bleed it, too, when done installing. Remove the fittings from the rubber tube line and the caliper to bring to the parts store with you.....

Ok, you've taken out the top & bottom bolts, and removed the caliper. It is wise to change both calipers if one is gone or you may have uneven braking! Note that the bleeder is UP on these!!!

When the calipers are out, install a new brake line, on either side, to the rubber one. Use the broken line for a guide on how to bend the new one - lots of posts on here about how to bend brake lines. It's ok if it is too long, just be sure to route it to a spot that won't rub on front end components when you turn the wheels!!! I'm not sure if a 12" line might make it, but for me, I couldn't bend one tight enough so just got 20".

Install new line into rubber hose fitting (hold that fitting moderately (without crushing) with vice grips when taking off/putting on lines, or you may ruin the hose, too!). Use your flare wrench to loosen and fully tighten these fittings!! A normal 10mm crescent can be used in between for speed.

Install new caliper, again being sure you have the bleeder UP! They are a different part for each side and CAN be put on the wrong sides....torque the 2 bolts down good. Install other end of brake line into caliper.

Install new pads per FSM/Haynes. Check all your work on both sides about 5 times.

BENCH BLEED the MC if it went anywhere near dry during this! Lots of posts on this, too, but I got 2 appropriate brake lines 12" long (let the parts folks match them for you, the flare may be different for the master cylinder!). Removed brake lines, and also the line on the engine side of the "T" fitting below the MC so as to not ruin it by bending to remove the T. Removed MC from truck, placed gently in vice without warping anything using the plate the studs go thru at the front, and bent the 2 lines into the top of the MC, full of fluid. Hand-push the piston inside with a phillips head screwdriver until no more air comes out, and then some. Keep those lines under the fluid level while cranking it! Keep the bleeding fittings on MC for now...Bend lines up a little, put cap on MC, and re-install. Don't forget to reattach the stuff you took off to get the MC out, including the electrical connector. 1 at a time, remove the bleeding lines and re-attach your brake lines.

I chose to have my lovely wife help me bleed the fronts while still on the stands. Then I carefully got the truck back down and lugs tightened up.

NOW you can bleed the vehicle as you normally would: RP, RD, LSPV. I omitted the front since I had already done it, but it would probably be good practice to just do them again (RP, RD, FP, FD, LSPV). I'll check my fronts in a day or 2 when it's not 28 and freezing rain!

Make sure everything looks good, and is operating properly. You're done.

Before you replace your brakes/calipers, read up on:
- using jack stands
- bench bleeding
- bleeding your brakes
- brake line bending
- pad replacement

I hope this helps some noob figure it out - do it once, and you'll be a pro (sorta!). 8 hours the first time, 3 the next.

 

Vacuum caps work great for capping open brake lines so you don't lose fluid.

:wabbit2:

 

I would highly suggest going one step further with this. It is the best time to remove the rotor and hub and repack the bearings. Also a good time to take out the locking hub, if you have one, and clean and regrease everything. Then you know your good for a while.

 

If I am doing the brakes for the first time I always replace the hardware

Then most often just replace all the brake lines brake hoses.

Most of the Toyota`s I get have been very neglected. in the greater salt belt.

 

I just did new pads and rotors and am having issues with the pads dragging slighty. anyone have any input as to what could be causing this?

 

Great answers!
I looked for 'endcaps', but none of my local places carry anything like that (limited here in Maine...). Then your MC retains its fluid and saves you that headache.

My wheel bearings were fine, and the rotor seemed fine, but like you said, Snobdds, that sure is the full way to go. It's what the dealer would recommend....I will do those things, of course, but up here we gotta get thru winter!
It's cold out there....
I'm thinking of just finding 2 'new' assemblies, and going back when it's warm and changing them out...

 

Some drag is normal

If it is at the point the wheel won`t turn then you might have a problem with a stuck piston