Removing the Brake Rotors From a 1998 V-6 Camry

The 1998 Toyota Camry was equipped with a 2.2-liter in-line four-cylinder engine in the base model, with front disc brakes and rear drum brakes. A 3.0-liter V-6 engine was optional in the 1998 Camry, as well as four-wheel disc brakes. Replacing the brake rotors is essential to maintaining the integrity of the entire brake system, whether the vehicle has two-wheel or four-wheel disc brakes. The rear rotor replacement instructions only apply if you are working on a vehicle with four-wheel disc brakes.

Instructions

Front Rotor Replacement Instructions

1

Loosen the front wheel lug nuts with a tire iron. Raise the front of the Camry with a jack. Place jack stands beneath the front frame rails, on both sides of the engine. Lower the car onto the jack stands. Remove the lug nuts from the front wheels completely, then remove the front wheels from the Camry.

2

Spray the bleeder screws on the caliper with rust-penetrating spray, and let the spray set for at least 10 minutes. Remove the caliper bolts from the rear of the caliper with a ratchet and socket. Remove the caliper from the brake assembly, using a small pry bar, if needed. Hang the caliper from the front strut coil spring, using a metal clothes hanger. Do not let the caliper hang from the rubber hose on the rear of the caliper.

3

Remove the old brake pads from the caliper bracket by hand. Remove the caliper bracket mounting bolts with a ratchet and socket. Remove the caliper bracket from the brake assembly by hand. Remove the brake rotor from the wheel hub by hand.

4

Install the new brake rotor onto the hub, and install a single lug nut onto a stud against the face of the rotor by hand. Install the caliper bracket onto the steering knuckle, and tighten the mounting bolts to 73 foot-pounds with a 1/2-inch-drive torque wrench and socket. Spray the entire brake rotor and the caliper bracket with brake cleaner to remove the factory rust-preventing oil. Failure to remove all of the oil from the rotor will ruin your brake pads and possibly the new rotor. You should use about half of the aerosol brake spray per rotor.

5

Hold one of the old brake pads against the caliper piston, on the inside of the front caliper. Attach a set of large, locking pliers against the brake pad and the rear of the caliper. Open the bleeder screw on the caliper with an open-end wrench. Compress the caliper piston completely into the caliper housing by tightening the locking pliers slowly. Hold the locking pliers on the brake assembly with one hand while tightening the bleeder screw with your free hand.

6

Place a thin film of caliper grease on the contact points of the caliper bracket. Install the new brake pads onto the caliper bracket. Place a thin film of caliper grease onto the backing plates on the inboard and outboard brake pads. Install the compressed caliper onto the brake assembly, and tighten the mounting bolts to 34 foot-pounds with a torque wrench and socket. Remove the single lug nut from the wheel stud.

7

Repeat steps 2 through 6 to complete the rotor and brake pad replacement on the other side of the Camry. Reinstall the front wheels on the car, and tighten the lug nuts snugly with a tire iron. Raise the front of the Camry off the jack stands, remove the stands from beneath the car, lower the Camry to the ground and tighten the lug nuts in a star pattern. Set the lug nuts to 76 foot-pounds with a torque wrench and wheel-nut socket.

8

Sit in the driver's seat of the Camry. Depress the brake approximately two-thirds of the way to the floor. Release the brake pedal and let it return to its resting position. Repeat this step three to five times, or until the brake pedal becomes stiff and hard to depress. If the pedal does not stiffen after the second pump, stop pumping the brake pedal and bleed the front brake calipers.

Rear Rotor Replacement

9

Loosen the rear wheel lug nuts with a tire iron. Raise the rear of the Camry, and place jack stands beneath both ends of the rear axle crossmember. Set the jack stands about four to six inches inward from the rear wheels to access the rear of the brake assembly. Lower the Camry onto the jack stands. Remove the rear wheel lug nuts and remove the rear wheels from the car.

10

Spray the rear caliper bleeder screw with rust-penetrating spray and let the spray set for at least 10 minutes. Remove the caliper bolts with a ratchet and socket. Remove the rear caliper, using a small pry bar, if needed. Hang the caliper from the rear coil spring with a metal clothes hanger. Do not let the caliper hang by the rubber hose on the rear of the caliper.

11

Remove the old brake pads from the caliper bracket by hand. Remove the caliper bracket bolts from the steering knuckle with a ratchet and socket. Remove the caliper bracket and then the rear brake rotor by hand. If the rotor is stuck, use a flat-head screwdriver to remove the small rubber grommet from the brake backing plate. Adjust the parking brake adjuster wheel upward to loosen the brake from the inside of the rotor. Tap the rotor forward and rearward from the sides with a rubber mallet. Remove the rotor.

12

Spray the parking brake parts with aerosol brake cleaner to remove excess brake dust from the brake shoe. Inspect the brake shoe for thickness. If the parking brake shoe is less than 1/16 inches thick, the parking brake shoe needs to be replaced.

13

Install the new brake rotor onto the rear hub assembly and spin a single lug nut against the face of the rotor. Install the rear caliper bracket and tighten the bolts to 73 foot-pounds with a 1/2-inch-drive torque wrench and socket. Spray the entire brake assembly with brake cleaner to remove the factory installed rust-prevention oil. Place a thin film of caliper grease onto the brake pad contact points of the bracket once the brake cleaner evaporates.

14

Place an old brake pad against the caliper piston on the inside of the caliper housing. Install large, locking pliers around the old brake pad and the rear of the caliper. Open the brake bleeder screw with an open-end wrench. Compress the caliper piston completely by tightening the locking pliers slowly. Hold the locking pliers tight with one hand and tighten the bleeder screw with your free hand.

15

Install new brake pads onto the caliper bracket and place a thin film of caliper grease on the backing plates of the inboard and outboard pad. Install the brake caliper onto the brake assembly. Tighten the caliper bolts to 34 foot-pounds of torque with a torque wrench and socket. Remove the single lug nut from the face of the rotor.

16

Repeat steps 2 through 8 to complete the rotor and brake pad replacement on the second side of the Camry. Install the rear wheels back onto the car and tighten the lug nuts snug with a tire iron. Raise the rear of the Camry off the jack stands, then remove the stands from beneath the car. Lower the Camry to the ground and tighten the lug nuts in a star pattern. Set the lug nuts to 76 foot-pounds with a torque wrench and wheel nut socket.

17

Sit in the driver's seat of the Camry. Depress the brake approximately two-thirds of the way to the floor. Release the brake pedal and let it return to its resting position. Repeat this step three to five times or until the brake pedal becomes stiff and hard to depress. If the pedal does not stiffen after the second pump, stop pumping the brake pedal and bleed the rear brake calipers.