How to Remove the Front Rotors on a Toyota Tacoma

The rotors on your Tacoma should typically last through three sets of brake pads. That does not account for severe driving conditions, however, such as continuous towing or everyday travel on mountainous roads. You will often notice the first signs that the rotors are deteriorating when you depress the brake pedal. You may feel hard grinding or have to apply the brakes sooner to effectively stop your truck. The front rotors can sometimes be resurfaced rather than replaced, depending on the amount of wear. You can remove them for inspection right at home with a few tools in 30 minutes or less.

Instructions

1

Apply the emergency brake on your Tacoma. Loosen the lug nuts a quarter-turn counterclockwise with a lug wrench on the front, passenger's-side tire.

2

Raise the truck with your hydraulic jack. Place a jack stand on the left of the hydraulic jack. Lift the support arm on the jack stand until it equals the height of the hydraulic jack.

3

Remove each of the lug nuts by hand and slide the tire off the hub assembly studs. Place the lug nuts in a safe location free of dirt and debris. If the lug nuts get contaminated, they may cross-thread and damage the studs.

4

Locate the caliper mounting bracket bolts at the rear of the rotor. The brake caliper sits in and is bolted to the mounting bracket. The caliper has two bolts and the bracket has two bolts that sit just below the calipers. Remove only the bracket bolts, using your socket wrench, not the calipers.

5

Attach one end of your 6-inch bungee cord to the shock tower's spring. Lift the mounting bracket and caliper off the rotor. Suspend the assembly with the available end of the bungee cord. Do not hang the assembly by the brake line. Stick the hook on the bungee cord through one of the bracket's bolt eyelets.

6

Remove the rotor by pulling it straight off the studs. If the rotor does not pull straight off, turn it with both hands to the left and right to free it. Reverse this procedure to install your new passenger's-side rotor. Repeat the entire process to replace the driver's-side rotor.