Even though Toyotas are some of the best vehicles on the market, they are susceptible to aging like every other vehicle on the road. Some of this aging can bring significant issues and require help from a professional mechanic, but other fixes, like new brake pads, are something you can do at home. Read on to learn some tips for installing new brake pads on your Toyota.
Get Safe
Before doing any vehicle repairs, make sure that everything is safe. When it comes to brake pads, that means parking your vehicle on a flat, dry surface. Then you should check the hood and see how much brake fluid you have in the reservoir. You can remove some if there’s a lot to avoid the overflow. Make sure to secure your vehicle with wheel chocks, then lift it on secure jack points. After loosening the lug nuts on the tire, you can raise the car with a hydraulic jack before setting it on the jack stands you’ve placed.
Follow the above steps precisely to ensure you are safe and that your car doesn’t fall or get damaged. You must also be extremely careful when putting things back together because that’s when it’s easiest to think you’ve finished the job and lose focus. On top of everything, wear safety goggles and protective gloves to keep yourself extra safe.
Inspect Old Pads
In addition to installing new pads, you should examine the pads you’re replacing. They could indicate different problems with your vehicle that you should account for to prevent the same thing from happening to your new brake pads. Uneven wear could mean that the pads are sticking because of the following:
- Lack of lubricant
- Sticking caliper piston
- Worn caliper hardware
While fixing these will require extra work on top of replacing the brake pads, they are crucial. Letting them go untreated will only result in worse issues that force you to replace the brake pads again.
Clean, Clean, Clean
Before installing your new brake pads, you must watch out for rust. Rust easily accumulates on the underside of cars, Toyotas or not, and you must clean out this rust. If left alone, it can grow and eat into more vital systems, such as your exhaust, causing additional leaks and other issues. A rust penetrant mallet can help you remove it, but a wire brush is also good at removing rust and other debris. Brake cleaner is another essential tool you should use to ensure your rotor and brake pads don’t have any contaminants before you install them.
Keep these tips in mind when installing new brake pads on your Toyota so that you can stay safe and your Toyota can stay in good shape. Improperly installed brake pads can be dangerous, so be extra careful. If you need brake pads, head to Northwest Team Yota! We have plenty of Toyota parts online, including brake pads, so you can keep your Toyota going strong!