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At 38000 miles and due to the road that I drive my front brakes are about shot. So it's time to do the first brake job on my FJ...
Front brake job
Parts required:
Front brake pads
Front brake rotors (either new or turned)
Tools required :
17mm socket and 1/2 breaker bar or rachet
12mm socket and 2/3 rachet
needle nose pliers
2 medium C clamps
18" piece of Romex
Procedure:
Jack up one side and remove the tire.
Locate and remove the 12 mm bolt holding the brake line/sensor wire braket to the steering knuckle upper arm.
Do not pull the bracket off, you'll bend the hard brake line to the caliper. The bracket will come loose when you unbolt the caliper.
Bend the Romex into an S shape and hang it from the coil spring so it is handy.
Locate and remove the top and bottom 17mm bolts holding the caliper assembly. The bolts are pretty tight so a breaker bar comes in handy here.
When you have the last bolt almost out, support the caliper with one hand so it doesn't drop and bend the hard brake line.
Once the caliper is free of the steering knuckle arm, carefully remove the brake line bracket from its guide hole and hang the Caliper assembly from the Romex hook you made. You might have to adjust the hook since there isn't much slack in the rubber brake lines.
Using your C clamps compress the Caliper pistons with the old pads in place. Put one clamp in place close to the center of the 2 pistons and apply a little pressure so the clamp stays in place. Then mount the other clamp on the opposite set of pistons and slowly compress them all the way home. Now compress the first set all the way home. It doesn't take much pressure to compress them so don't overdo it..
Remove both C clamps.
Have a look at the caliper assembly.
The pads are held in place by 2 pins and a spring (to keep them separated off the rotor) which wraps around the bottom pin. Pay attention to the orientation of the spring on the pin. Pull the ends of the spring out of the holes in the pad backing plates.
The pins are each kept in place by a retainer spring clip. Rotate the pins until the loop of the spring clip is facing you and remove the clips with the needle nose pliers, by simply pulling them out.
Remove the pins. Pay attention to the backing plates that are mounted between the caliper pistons and the brake pads. You'll want to put them back in the same order them come out. Also there are inner and outer pads, pay attention to the pads, one has a wear indicator that will contact the rotor when the pad wears enough. Take note of the placement of this pad and the orientation of the wear indicator, it's easy to get it wrong as there is a right and left side.
[Here is where you could clean the calipers, mask off the wheel well and paint your calipers (if you are so inclined)]
Clean the backing plates and stack them on the new pads.
Reassmble the pads and pins into the caliper. Don't forget the spring on the bottom pin. Reinsert the spring ends into the holes on the pad backing plates.
Reinstall the retainer clips on the pins and rotate the pins so the clips are facing away from you, into the caliper.
Pull off the old Rotor. Thoroughly clean the replacement rotor and mount it. (you did get a set of rotors, didn't you?).
Slip the caliper over the rotor edge and into place. Line up the mounting holes and start the 17mm bolts. Before tightening these down, put the brake line/sensor wire bracket back into its mounting spot and start the 12mm bolt. Tighten all 3 bolts down.
Remove your Romex hook.
Remount your tire.
Lower this side.
Repeat on the other side.
Lather, rinse, repeat.....
Once it's all done. Start your truck and slowly pump the brake peddle until it comes up. It should take about 5 to 10 pumps.
Now go to your parts store and have them turn the old rotors. When you pick them up, buy a new set of pads and put everything on the shelf for next time.
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