hi there. i am a total newbie at "do-it-yourself" car repair, but i would like to change my front brakes myself. are there any good resources available that would help me? i bought the camry used and there was no manual. does the manual have all the information i need to change brakes?
any help would be appreciated!
joel
snipped-for-privacy@yahoo.com
The manual has no repair info at all. Get the Haynes manual at the least and some experienced help too.
Get a Haynes or Chilton manual for about $12 - it covers maintenance and basics. Look on ebay for an owners manual - about $6. Buy only Toyota brake pads (often on sale) -- all others will squeal and drive you crazy.
Getting a mechanics to do it for you is highly recommanded in your case since you have never done it before. You see brake is probably the most important safety device in your car, if you messed it up, you can say bye bye to this cruel world.
Ya gotta learn sometime. $76/hour at a dealer is getting out rageous. If you can change oil and plugs then disc brake bads are perhaps the easiest next maintenance --- IF you follow the book and know your limits. Read the cautions in the book. Securely jack vehicle up - blocking rear wheels and using a jack stand and a floor jack. If rotors are scored get new quality ones or have old ones turned (usually not worth the effort since thin ones warp quickly - but once is ok) If you feel pulsation when braking before - old rotor(s) are warped - replace. Don't get oil/grease on new pads or rotor. Lightly grease (with proper grease) the pad riding pins. Don't blow brake dust around with an air compressor to clean - use proper brake cleaning spray or toothbrush and Simple Green. Use the sound compond on back of pads. Check brake reservoir when doen to see if it has sufficient fluid. Bleed/change brake fluid every few years. I would not recommend rear drum shoes to novice -- fortunately they last well over 100k. Reming drum and cleaning out the brake dust is good novice task though.
Looks like your getting some good advice here but I have to go against this one...
My mechanic used this on mine only one time... I went to a very dusty area with lots of dirt roads and the sound deadener got coated in dirt and started making lots of noise. I removed the pads cleaned the backs and got it quiet again. Make sure if there are any shims on the pads that you dont leave them out on reassembly. Also a lot of cheap rotors are being made in India. Avoid these at all costs, they will warp in a few months. Use only Toyota rotors and pads. The pads have been changed in composition at least 3 times since 97 to make them quieter. First generation were so bad with so much metal in them that I had to remove mine and actually dig out a chunk of metal in the pad to quiet them down. They now use much smaller pieces of metal in them.
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