Brakes on '03 Corolla

One of the chain auto stores has online tutorials---look up auto zone or advance auto parts. Changing pads is one of the simplest home auto maintenance tasks there is. If you've done it before you shouldn't have any trouble on a Corolla.

Autozone probably will not have instructions for a newer Toyota online. The biggest difference between the Escort and your Corolla is that some Fords hold the calipers in place with a pin that you have to knock out and back in, while Toyotas use bolts to hold the caliper in place.

Use Toyota OEM brake parts to avoid noise and get a balance between pad and rotor life. Aftermarket pads are sometimes hard to fit and either make noise, cause premature rotor wear, or create more brake dust than OEM pads. While you're shopping, go to an auto parts store and get a can of brake cleaner, the smallest can you can find of Permatex aerosol anti-squeal spray, and Permatex high temperature anti-seize compound or high temp wheel bearing and disc brake grease (make sure the instructions say that it is safe to use on brakes). I prefer the anti-seize because it doesn't collect as much dirt as the grease does. If you do not have a toothbrush shaped wire brush, pick one up.

Make sure you use jack stands to support the car and chock the rear wheels! Never work under a car supported only by a jack!!!

Chock the rear wheels, set the parking brake, and put the car in park (in

1st or reverse for a manual transmission).

Jack up the car and place it on jack stands, making sure to check to make sure it is secure.

Remove both front wheels.

Turn the steering wheel towards the side you are going to work on first. Work on 1 side at a time in case you need to refer to the other to figure out how things go back together.

Remove the 2 bolts (either 12 or 14 mm) that hold the caliper in place and raise the caliper off of the torque plate and rotor. Do not hang the caliper from the brake line hose and don't twist or kink the hose.

Compress the piston in the caliper with a C-clamp or special tool designed for that purpose. I use a C-clamp. If the clamp doesn't have enough travel, place one of the old pads across the piston and then try clamping. The piston should be all the way back into the caliper. Make sure the rubber boot around the piston isn't kinked or warped and is nice and even and accordioned nicely around the circumference of the piston.

There are 2 small rubber boots and a metal sleeve where the caliper bolts/slides pass through. Move the sleeve in and out to the limit of the boots. The sleeves should move freely with only a little effort. If they don't move freely, carefully peel the rubber boots away from the sleeves and remove the sleeves and boots. Clean the inside and outside of the sleeves, apply some anti seize or high temp wheel bearing/disc brake grease on the outside of the sleeves, and put them back into the caliper. Do this for the upper and lower sleeves.

Use a coat hanger to hang the caliper from the strut spring or balance the caliper on top of the rotor.

The bolts also serve as caliper slides. Wipe the bolts clean and set aside. If they are corroded, use very fine sandpaper to clean them up.

Remove the old pads from the torque plate (the bracket that holds the pads), paying attention to where the springs and clips are and the order of the shims on the back of the pads. I think the one with slots goes against the pad and the solid shim goes on top.

Compare the new pads to the old ones, and if they match, spray the backs of the new pads with the anti-squeal stuff until they are painted. While you're at it, clean up the old shims from the back of the pads and spray them as well and let dry to a sticky consistency or drier. You can also use the stuff that comes with the pads or a tube of the caulk-like anti-squeal compound, but that stuff is messy - use sparingly. I prefer the spray stuff, a small can is enough to do dozens of brake jobs, and it is a lot neater.

Use the wire brush to clean off the areas of the torque plate where the notches in the pads ride (a wire brush on a Dremel tool also works well) and also where the anti-rattle springs sit.

Check the rotor for grooves, discoloration (blue is not good), or rust on the surface where the pads ride. You should check to make sure they are true, but if you don't have pulsation when the brakes are applied, they are probably good enough. If you are wondering if a groove is too deep or not, I don't recommend trying to turn or machine the rotors because they usually warp after about 6 months so if the rotors are bad, replace them. To replace the rotors, remove the 2 bolts on the back of the torque plate, lift the torque plate off, and pull the rotor off. Spray new rotors with brake cleaner to get any anti-corrosion coating or oil off. Use the brake cleaner if you get grease, fingerprints, or anti-seize on the rotor.

Replace the anti-rattle springs in the torque plate.

Place the anti-squeal shims on the back of the pads. 2 of the pads may have wear indicator springs on the back. If they do, use 1 pad without the wear indicator and 1 pad with the wear indicator on each side.

Place the pad with the wear indicator spring on the inside of the rotor and the pad without the wear indicator on the outside.

Replace the caliper.

Coat the caliper bolts/slides with anti-seize or high temp wheel bearing/disc brake grease, taking care not to get any on the threads.

Replace the bolts on the caliper and move on to the other side and repeat the process.

Replace the wheels and lower the vehicle to the ground.

Start the engine and before you put it in gear, pump the brake pedal a few times so the pedal comes back up.

Road test, and you're good to go!

If you have drum brakes in the rear, now would be a good time to adjust them.