How to Change Brake Pads on a 1995 Toyota Corolla

The 1995 Toyota Corolla featured front disc brakes and offered rear disc brakes (though rear drum brakes were more common). There was a difference in procedure to replace front and rear brake pads on the imported compact vehicle. Because the front brakes accounted for up to 75 percent of the vehicle's braking power, the front pads were usually replaced more often than the rear brakes. This tutorial explains how to change brakes on Corollas equipped with rear disc brakes.

Instructions

1

Use the brake fluid siphon to extract half of the brake fluid from the master cylinder located on the driver's side firewall of the engine compartment. Replace the cover after discarding the old fluid.

2

Loosen the lug nuts on the wheels behind which you're replacing brake pads, using a lug nut wrench.

3

Lift the axle of the Corolla one side at a time with the vehicle jack and place a jack stand under the front lateral frame rail. Lower the car onto the jack stand, then repeat the process on the other side of the car so the front or rear end is supported on jack stands.

4

Finish removing the lug nuts and remove the wheels.

5

Remove both the upper and lower caliper mounting pins with a metric hand wrench.

6

Remove the caliper from the caliper bracket and pad assembly and suspend the caliper to the chassis with a hanger or thin wire to keep the brake line from getting damaged

7

Use the C-clamp to compress the front caliper piston until it is fully seated. For the rear caliper piston compression, use the caliper reset tool and turn the caliper piston clockwise until it is fully seated.

8

Disconnect the wire pad clips with a pair of pliers (front pads only) and remove the pads from the caliper bracket.

9

Apply the dual shims (if applicable) to the backing plates of the brake pads. Place a small amount of the brake lubricant supplied inside the brake replacement pads set box to the tabs of the brake pads and place them in the bracket.

10

Reassemble the wire clips to the pads, replace the caliper and align the caliper mounting bolts. Tighten the bolts to 25 foot-pounds with a torque wrench and socket.

11

Repeat the process on the other side. Lower the Corolla once the brake pads, tires and lug nuts have been reinstalled on both sides. Tighten the lug nuts to 80 foot-pounds in a crisscross pattern with the torque wrench and socket.

12

Pump the foot brake pedal (after making sure the master cylinder cover is secure) until the brake pedal feels firm and seats the replacement pads against the rotors.

13

Check (and adjust if necessary) the brake fluid level in the master cylinder, adding only new brake fluid before test-driving the Corolla.