How to Install Brakes on a Scion Xb

The brakes on a Scion xB use a caliper and rotor design. The brake system works by pushing hydraulic fluid through metal tubing, called "brake tubing" or "brake line," and actuating a piston inside the caliper mechanism. The caliper piston forces a brake lining, called a "brake pad," against the surface of a rotor, which is a disc that rotates with the drive wheels. When the brake lining wears down to about 1/8 inch thick, the brakes need to be replaced. Once you have the brake system apart, you'll need to know how to install brakes on the Scion---the installation requires a special process.

Instructions

1

Remove the old brake rotor by sliding it off the hub if you have left it on the hub. It's a good idea to change the brake rotor with the pads so that the pads can bed into the new rotor without creating excessive wear on the pads.

2

Slide the new rotor on the hub.

3

Place the face of one of the old brake linings on the front of the brake caliper piston.

4

Place the c-clamp over the caliper and the brake lining.

5

Tighten the handle on the c-clamp to compress the brake lining against the piston. This, in turn, will force the piston back into the brake caliper. You need to perform this step carefully to ensure the piston boot does not tear or twist. It and the piston should fold straight back into the caliper housing.

6

Remove the c-clamp and old brake lining.

7

Orient the new brake lining so that the curved edge of the lining sits on the inside of the caliper.

8

Slide the new brake lining into the caliper. The lining will fit rather snug into the caliper. This is normal. There are two retaining clips on the top and bottom of the caliper that correspond to the tabs on the top and bottom of the new brake lining. The tabs on the lining fit into the retaining tabs and locks on the caliper.

9

Slide the caliper assembly over the brake rotor.

10

Place a small bead of thread locker on the caliper mounting bolts and thread the bolts onto the caliper mounting bracket.

11

Tighten the bolts until they are tight, then, turn the bolts an additional 1/4 turn.