toyota brake job
#1
toyota brake job
I have a '95 toyota 4runner that does'nt see alot of road, it only has 33,000 miles on it. I noticed a constant squeal in the front brakes so i took it to the local toyota dealer who in turn said i'm looking at a $700.00 job to replace the calipers and pads that they say are rusted / frozen. I never heard of a brake job running that high in $$ I'm a pretty good backyard mechanic and if were pushed enough i would attempt the job myself, does anybody suggest to do so? is it really that hard to do? i really feel like saving a few hundred rather than paying a dealer @ $65.00 per hour, any advise would be helpful, thanks.
#2
I've never done a 4Runner, but Toyota brake jobs in general are not difficult. Why not pick up a diy manual (Haynes or Chilton) and see if the procedure is within your capabilities? For my money, I would replace just the pads (using a good aftermarket set; NAPA, CarQuest, etc) and see how it goes. Among other things, when you do the pads you will need to compress the caliper pistons back into the bodies to make clearance for the new pads. This may alleviate part of the problem. If just the pad replacement doesn't do the job, you haven't lost anything because the pads will still be good even if more extensive work needs to be done.
Just curious, did they put it up in the air and pull the wheels off for a visual inspection before they gave you the estimate?
A brake job is NOT something I would go to a dealership for.
My $.02 worth.
Just curious, did they put it up in the air and pull the wheels off for a visual inspection before they gave you the estimate?
A brake job is NOT something I would go to a dealership for.
My $.02 worth.
#3
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I've got a 98 tacoma, and while it's not a 4 runner, I can honestly say the brakes are every bit as simple as the ones in my 86 mustang gt, which is cake. I seriously doubt yours are much more difficult. Grab a capable friend and a twelve pack. $100-$200 later MAX you'll be finished. I recently replace everything brake related except the calipers for just over $100. Rotors cost me $30 each (those were the more expensive ones!) and so far are not warping. I also replaced both inner seals, and all four bearings, and of course the pads with the more expensive pads. Autozone price came to $120 or so. New calipers would have brought the total to around $200, which is a $500 savings. Learning how to do your own basics on your car will save you some serious cash.
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Please,... don't roll your eyes at me you idiot. If you have some form of alcohol consumption problem, don't take that out on me. For the rest of us Red blooded Americans who are perfectly capable of handling a beer or two and turning a wrench, we'll keep doing so.
I always love when ignorant do-gooders try to throw in their .02
getting drunk and working on a car is a bad idea, having a couple of beers while working on your car is just fine, and practically manditory
I always love when ignorant do-gooders try to throw in their .02
getting drunk and working on a car is a bad idea, having a couple of beers while working on your car is just fine, and practically manditory
#6
well i work on cars often at home, yet i never consume. would you feel safe with your family in the car with the pickup truck behind you that just had it's brakes done with someone who doesn't know his limits or his ability to repair brakes. i wouldn't.
cabbageleaf: get a second opinion. from a professional shop, one who is reputable and ASE certified. don't rely on unaccountable strangers on the internet.
the reason is: two weeks ago i worked on an isuzu rodeo, was towed in for not starting. turns out it needed a connector for the fuel pump. i take it out for a test drive and the pedal is good and hard, yet it doesn't stop and is quite scary. i pull the tires and it has new pads front and rear, yet the rotors are rusted beyond any rust i've ever seen. rotors from the scrap pile out in the rain were in better shape than these. i spoke with the customer and his story was that it sat for 6 months, then someone told him to 'hang pads' only.
you can see what an unexperienced eye ended up doing. the first time he needed to 'panic stop' someone, a construction worker, school kid, small child, dog, tow truck driver, police officer, motorcyclist.....would have surely died.
the repair was....new pads, new rotors at all 4 wheels, and i had to sand some serious rust from the calipers or they surely would have been replaced too. being 4WD, the labor was higher as the front rotors are part of the front hub assembly and the rear calipers are integrated with the e-brake assembly. and this was done at the dealer, at $85 an hour, and it was repaired the first time, and correctly.
cars nowadays that don't see a lot of miles, even with normal braking, end up needing rotors, as the edges of the machined surface are too rusted to resurface.
isn't peace of mind worth something, especially with brakes?
cabbageleaf: get a second opinion. from a professional shop, one who is reputable and ASE certified. don't rely on unaccountable strangers on the internet.
the reason is: two weeks ago i worked on an isuzu rodeo, was towed in for not starting. turns out it needed a connector for the fuel pump. i take it out for a test drive and the pedal is good and hard, yet it doesn't stop and is quite scary. i pull the tires and it has new pads front and rear, yet the rotors are rusted beyond any rust i've ever seen. rotors from the scrap pile out in the rain were in better shape than these. i spoke with the customer and his story was that it sat for 6 months, then someone told him to 'hang pads' only.
you can see what an unexperienced eye ended up doing. the first time he needed to 'panic stop' someone, a construction worker, school kid, small child, dog, tow truck driver, police officer, motorcyclist.....would have surely died.
the repair was....new pads, new rotors at all 4 wheels, and i had to sand some serious rust from the calipers or they surely would have been replaced too. being 4WD, the labor was higher as the front rotors are part of the front hub assembly and the rear calipers are integrated with the e-brake assembly. and this was done at the dealer, at $85 an hour, and it was repaired the first time, and correctly.
cars nowadays that don't see a lot of miles, even with normal braking, end up needing rotors, as the edges of the machined surface are too rusted to resurface.
isn't peace of mind worth something, especially with brakes?
Last edited by mike from nj; 05-19-04 at 10:39 PM.
#7
Thank you for your response Mike.
Apparently you feel the same as I, at least when it comes to brake repairs.
The braking system is the most important part of any vehicle and repairs must be approached in a knowledgeable and professional manner. A poorly performed brake repair not only endangers the driver but also endangers everyone in the path of that vehicle.
Apparently you feel the same as I, at least when it comes to brake repairs.
The braking system is the most important part of any vehicle and repairs must be approached in a knowledgeable and professional manner. A poorly performed brake repair not only endangers the driver but also endangers everyone in the path of that vehicle.
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well, unfortunetly not everyone can know their limits. It's sad.
I have an aweful lot of home mechanic experience, mostly with 5.0 mustangs. I perform MAJOR modifications ie automatic to manual swap, engine swaps etc practically in my sleep.
A lot of people are inexperienced and shouldn't be working on cars at all, and with that I agree should stay far, far away from alchohol. Perhaps I'm just jaded by experience, but the seasoned veterns can usually enjoy a beer or two, or even three. To each his own. My friends, and family all trust my work with their life. Never once have I gotten plastered while working on a car. that's just unacceptable.
Know your own limits folks, loosen up and enjoy life, and be safe.
I have an aweful lot of home mechanic experience, mostly with 5.0 mustangs. I perform MAJOR modifications ie automatic to manual swap, engine swaps etc practically in my sleep.
A lot of people are inexperienced and shouldn't be working on cars at all, and with that I agree should stay far, far away from alchohol. Perhaps I'm just jaded by experience, but the seasoned veterns can usually enjoy a beer or two, or even three. To each his own. My friends, and family all trust my work with their life. Never once have I gotten plastered while working on a car. that's just unacceptable.
Know your own limits folks, loosen up and enjoy life, and be safe.
#9
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cabbageleaf:
Do as Mike says, and get a second opinion. To me, considering the set-up on that truck (4-piston calipers & 4X4 hubs), $700 doesn't sound out of the ballpark. No offense to jthompson either, but this system bears no resemblance whatsoever to a Tacoma or a Mustang. If you insist on doing it yourself, Mitchell (available at your local library) has an excellent diagram of the caliper & pad set-up. The hubs will be the kicker though. Try and get a full blow-up diagram on them from the dealer before you tear into it (and save the beer for another day). I don't remember the exact set-up on them, but I don't recall them being terribly difficult, or requiring any special tools either. Good luck.
Do as Mike says, and get a second opinion. To me, considering the set-up on that truck (4-piston calipers & 4X4 hubs), $700 doesn't sound out of the ballpark. No offense to jthompson either, but this system bears no resemblance whatsoever to a Tacoma or a Mustang. If you insist on doing it yourself, Mitchell (available at your local library) has an excellent diagram of the caliper & pad set-up. The hubs will be the kicker though. Try and get a full blow-up diagram on them from the dealer before you tear into it (and save the beer for another day). I don't remember the exact set-up on them, but I don't recall them being terribly difficult, or requiring any special tools either. Good luck.
#10
Originally Posted by jthompson
Please,... don't roll your eyes at me you idiot. If you have some form of alcohol consumption problem, don't take that out on me. For the rest of us Red blooded Americans who are perfectly capable of handling a beer or two and turning a wrench, we'll keep doing so.
I always love when ignorant do-gooders try to throw in their .02
I always love when ignorant do-gooders try to throw in their .02