How to Remove the Brake Rotor in a 2007 Camry

In a direct response to Hondas popular Accord model, Toyota released a mid-size vehicle of its own, the Camry. The initial Camry beat out the Accord in the areas that mattered most to buyers: overall length, legroom and horsepower. The 2007 model year brought about an intense redesign for the Camry. Toyota eliminated the smooth-looking Camry in favor of a more stylish and aggressive-looking body. The 2007 Camry came standard with front and rear disc brakes to minimize stopping distances. Replacing the rotors on the 2007 Camry is a straightforward process that requires only basic tools.

Instructions

Front Rotors

1

Loosen the front lug nuts, but do not remove them, with a ratchet and socket. Raise the front of the Camry with a floor jack and slide jack stands under the vehicles subframe. Lower the Toyota onto the jack stands. Remove the lug nuts and pull the wheels from the Camry.

2

Hold the upper caliper guide pin steady with a combination wrench and loosen the caliper bolt with a ratchet and socket. Repeat this step on the lower caliper bolt and guide pin. Pull the caliper upward and off the caliper bracket. Hang the caliper from a nearby suspension component with a bungee cord.

3

Slide the brake pads out of the caliper bracket and pull the pad slippers the thin, metal shims above and below the brake pads off the bracket. Remove the two caliper bracket bolts with a ratchet and socket, and pull the caliper bracket off the front hub.

4

Grab the rotor and pull it off the front hub. Set a new rotor onto the front hub.

5

Set the caliper bracket back on the front hub and hand-thread its retaining bolts. Tighten the caliper bracket bolts to 79 foot-pounds with a torque wrench and socket. Press new pad slippers included with new brake pads into the brake pad guides on the caliper bracket; the slippers are formed, so they only fit one way.

6

Apply a thin coat of disc brake grease onto the rear of the new brake pads and slide the pads into their guides in the caliper bracket.

7

Slide a drain pan under the brake caliper.

8

Set a box wrench on the bleeder valve on the rear of the caliper. Place the old inner brake pad in the caliper, so it contacts the caliper piston. Position an 8-inch C-clamp over the brake caliper, so its fixed part touches the rear of the caliper and its screw part touches the old inner brake pad.

9

Turn the bleeder valve a quarter turn counterclockwise and immediately start tightening the C-clamp. Continue tightening the clamp until the piston retracts completely into the caliper. Immediately close the bleeder valve by turning it clockwise. Remove the C-clamp, old brake pad and box wrench.

10

Set the caliper on the caliper bracket and hand-tighten its retaining bolts. Hold the caliper guide pins with a combination wrench, and tighten the caliper bolts to 25 foot-pounds with a torque wrench and socket.

11

Install the front wheels on the Camrys front hubs and hand-tighten the lug nuts. Raise the Camry off the jack stands with a floor jack and remove the jack stands. Lower the Toyota to the ground and tighten the lug nuts, in a crisscross pattern, to 76 foot-pounds with a torque wrench and socket.

12

Press and release the brake pedal until it feels firm. Check the brake fluid level in the master cylinder, and add new DOT 3 brake fluid to bring the level to the Max line, if needed.

Rear Rotors

13

Loosen the rear lug nuts with a ratchet and socket do not remove the lug nuts. Raise the rear of the Camry with a floor jack, and slide jack stands under the rear suspension. Lower the Camry on to the jack stands. Remove the rear lug nuts and pull the rear wheels off the hub.

14

Follow Steps 2 and 3 in the section titled Front Rotors to remove the caliper, brake pads and caliper bracket.

15

Pull the rubber plug parking brake shoe adjuster plug from the rotor backing plate. Insert a flat-head screwdriver into the hole where the plug was until the blade of the screwdriver contacts the star-shaped wheel the parking brake shoe adjuster wheel. Rotate the wheel up with the flat-head screwdriver until the rotor pulls off with ease.

16

Set a new rotor on the rear hub and hand-tighten two lug nuts onto the wheel studs to hold the rotor in place. Spin the rotor clockwise as you turn the parking brake shoe adjuster wheel downward until the rotor stops turning. Turn the parking brake shoe adjuster wheel upward until the rotor starts spinning freely again. Press the parking brake shoe adjuster plug back into the hole on the rotor backing plate. Remove the two lug nuts.

17

Follow Steps 5 through 10 in the section titled Front Rotors to reinstall the caliper bracket and brake pads, compress the caliper piston and install the caliper, tightening the caliper bracket bolts to 46 foot-pounds and the caliper to 20 foot-pounds.

18

Set the rear wheels back on the Camrys rear hubs and hand-tighten the lug nuts. Raise the vehicle off the jack stands and remove the jack stands. Lower the vehicle to the ground. Tighten the lug nuts, in a crisscross pattern, to 76 foot-pounds with a torque wrench and socket.

19

Push and release the brake pedal repeatedly until it feels hard. Check the fluid level in the brake master cylinder, and add new DOT 3 brake fluid until the level reaches the Max line, if needed.