[stelly]

I just replaced the brake pads on my '09 that is one year old this month. 79,000 miles and the rear just hit the wear indicators. My RAV4 needed the brakes replace every 40,000 miles.
I was a little uneasy about doing the rear with the emergency brake cable but it is simple.
Love driving the xB 240 miles a day!

 

[scion]

How about some step by step instructions on how you did the rear brakes, that would help those of us that have never done a system with a screw in piston.

Glad to hear it was easy!!

 

[alfundo]

rent the rear caliper tool from auto zone, its pretty straight forward

 

[stelly]

It is easier to do it with the tool but easy even without it.

 

[scion]

Since my rear caliper is sticking some, I guess it's time to do the front/rear brakes. My question is, when doing the rears, do you have to take off the emergency cable from the caliper or can you just remove the caliper with the cable attached and get the job done?

If there is enough play in the cable to remove the caliper without removing the parking brake cable, that would be a bonus for me.

Update... It's easier to back off the parking brake cable nut (located inside the console by parking brake handle) and just remove it from the caliper housing rather than trying to yank and pull the caliper to clear the rotor. After you back off the adjusting nut by the brake handle, slide the parking brake cable end from the caliper, slide a 14mm box wrench over the cable end and pull the cable housing to release it. The wrench will compress the parking cable clip so the cable can just slide out of the mounting hole. My cable had a ton of corrosion from salt so I had to work it back and fourth some.

Thanks!

 

[stelly]

I removed the cable. It is easy to do.

 

[scion]

Could you explain some about removing the cable? Do you have to loosen the cable at the brake handle? Do you remove it from the caliper by removing the clips that hold it to the caliper bracket? Do you cut it and replace the cable?

Thanks

 

[scion]

For those of you who have actually done brake jobs, what kind of brake grease did you buy for the caliper slides, and where did you purchase it?

I order rotors/pads and will do a 4 wheel brake job when it arrives next week. Toyota spec. information will never match what is available in the local store.

Update.... I purchased Permatex Ultra Disc Caliper lube from Autozone. It's a synthetic lube.

Thanks!

 

[boblamb58]

I just replaced the brake pads on my '09 that is one year old this month. 79,000 miles and the rear just hit the wear indicators. My RAV4 needed the brakes replace every 40,000 miles.
I was a little uneasy about doing the rear with the emergency brake cable but it is simple.
Love driving the xB 240 miles a day!

79k! that is awesome. I'm just below 40.. how far did the fronts go?

On my New Beetle the fronts went at 20K the first time around. Yes, you read that right : 20,000 miles.

You got any pix?

 

[BoogerXB]

I just did my front brakes and they are squeeking louder now than they were before replacement. Any ideas on how to fix??? Thanks for the help

 

[scion]

Did you put the brake shims on back of the new pads? Are you using OEM parts or aftermarket?

 

[ai17828]

I just did my front brakes and they are squeeking louder now than they were before replacement. Any ideas on how to fix??? Thanks for the help

Did you turn the the rotors?

 

[jetman]

rent the rear caliper tool from auto zone, its pretty straight forward

I just replaced my 2010 xB pads this morning at 56000 miles. They really did not need it but since I had bought them already and had them off I replaced them. The threads I found on line pointed to loosening the ebrake cable inside the car but I could not find anything telling me how to get too it. I finally used a screw driver to hold the cable arm down on the back of the caliper and pulled the ebrake cable free, very easy. I then pulled down on the cable just under the bracket that holds it in place at the caliper, used a screw driver to push the clips down and removed the cable from the bracket. You have to keep pressure on the cable and pop the clips in one at a time until the cable pops through the bracket. Once this was done you remove the bolts holding the caliper and pull it free. I then used a medium pair of vise grips and adjusted them to fit into the ebrake adjuster on the piston, pushed inward with the vise grips on the piston, turned it clock wise to get it retracted into the housing, worked like a champ. Replaced the pads, reinstalled caliper, reinstalled the cable and it was done. Had I known all this when I started I would have been done in less than an hour including a test drive, so easy when you know how.