DIY Toyota Corolla Brake Repair

The most basic form of brake repair on your Toyota Corolla is replacing the brake pads, which needs to be done every 60,000 miles at the most. Other parts of the brake may need repair at times, though. If the caliper is cracked or damaged, or if the disc is worn down, they must be replaced.

Preparation

It' a good idea to siphon out at least 2/3 of the brake fluid from the master cylinder reservoir, as the repair work can force fluid into the cylinder and make it overflow. Use a syringe bottle or turkey baster that has never been used for anything else and don't use it for anything else afterward. Raise the car's front end and support it on jack stands, then remove both wheels; it helps to loosen the lug nuts before raising the car. Before you remove the caliper, compress its piston into the bore with a C-lamp--this is where the risk of fluid overflow comes.
Wash off the entire brake assembly with brake cleaner, using a drip pan to catch the residue. Brake dust contains asbestos, so never use compressed air.

Brake Pads

You must always change brake pads on both wheels together. The pads are stored within the calipers. The caliper is mounted onto the brake disc with two bolts. Remove them with a socket wrench and lift off the caliper to find the brake pads in the caliper mounting bracket. If you're not removing the caliper, hang it from the strut spring with a strong wire; never hang it by the brake hose.
Remove the shims for each brake pad followed by the pad itself; start with the outer brake pad. If one is equipped, remove the wear indicator from the inner brake pad using a screwdriver and place it on the new inner pad. Install the new pads and shims, starting with the inner one, and make sure the pads' ears properly engage with the pad support plates.

Remove and clean the upper and lower slide pins, then apply a high-temperature brake grease to the pins before reinstalling them. Place the caliper back on the bracket and tighten the bolts to 25 foot pounds. Re-connect the wheels and lower the car once you've changed the brakes on both sides. Set the brakes by pumping the brake pedal until it feels firm.

Brake Calipers

If you must replace a brake caliper, disconnect the brake hose by removing its banjo bolt, then plug the hose with a small piece of rubber hose to keep the fluid from escaping. Disconnect the caliper from the disc as described in the previous section. Installation is the reverse of removal. Like brake pads, you should always replace calipers in pairs.

Disconnecting the caliper from the hose lets air into the brake system; you must bleed the system from each caliper. Make sure the master cylinder reservoir is filled, then connect a clear tube to the caliper's bleeder valve, submerging the tube's other end in a container of fluid. Have another person press on the pedal as you open the valve, and look for air bubbles in the container. Keep pressing the pedal as you open and close the valve until all is purged, then close off the valve and top off the reservoir.

Brake Discs

The disc must be repaired by a professional machine shop if there are any deep scratches or score marks. If, however, the disc's thickness is less than the minimum requirement (the minimum is marked on the disc), it must be replaced.
To remove a disc for repair or replacement, remove the wheels and calipers as described above; you don't need to disconnect the caliper from it hose. Remove the caliper mounting bracket by removing its bolts, then remove the lug nuts holding the disc in place and slide it off the hub. Installation is the reverse of removal.