05 4runner brake job?

Chances are, you'll be fine. If you get stuck, techinfo.toyota.com is $10 for all you can eat in 24 hours.

The 4Runner was a full redesign in '04 (the Tacoma in '05), so there could be some differences from the '02.

I heard Toy trucks get the better Akebono brake pads, with the markings AK xxx-xxx FF. Do let us know which batch you get. I of course just get the aftermarket ceramics so I know it's Akebono each time.

Toyota uses two types of calipers, I'm not sure which one your 4Runner has. The more common type uses 2 bolts on the inboard side of the caliper that you remove and lift the caliper off of the torque plate. The other type has

2 pins held in place with cotter pins. Remove the cotter pins, pull the other 2 pins out (they pass through the pads), slide out the old pads, compress the pistons, slide in the new pads, replace the 2 pins with new cotter pins, and you're done. The second type is easy in theory but the pins can become difficult to remove due to corrosion. I would give the pins a very thin coating of anti-seize so they are easier to remove the next time.

Mine was was what you describe as the 2 bolts on the inside torque plate type setup. It also has 2 pins with cotter type pins on the ends that pass through each pad to hold them in place. I pasted this from my reply to someone at

It's a great discussion group and I have gotten alot of help from the guys there. Also 4x4wire. com is another great source of info:

"I agree with McNar's response. As a matter of fact, I used his info to do mine and he was pretty much right on the money. My 05 had 51k and my mechanic told me I needed new front pads. Rotors were fine. Remove the lug nuts with a (22 mm?) 6 point socket. I've found that using a breaker bar with a 1/2" drive socket works well and keeps the torque nice and direct, for easy removal. I've done brakes on other vehicles and this one was quite easy. I removed the cap from master cyl to allow expansion. To detach the caliper from the wheel hub, you will need a good 6 point (17mm?) socket on a breaker bar. Getting these loose was the most challenging part, as this was the first time for breaks. I think the manual recommends 90 foot pounds torque! On my other vehicle (95 explorer) the brake line is ridgid except for the last 6 inches flexible. This makes it a bit easier to brakes, as I just hang the caliper up out of the way with a coat hanger, when removing the pads from it. On the

4runner the brake lines are ridgid, then flexible, then a small ridgid piece attachs to the caliper. This makes it necessary to remove the line from the caliper to replace the pads, otherwise it would kink. Line came off easily (10 mm I think) and I pushed a small rubber plug into it to stop it from dripping while I removed the pads from the caliper.

There are 2 slide pins that pass through shoes and they have small wire clip thing that goes thru a small hole in the end of the pins. This prevents the pin from sliding out. The clip looks like a twisted paperclip. Also note the anti-squeel clip (flat butterfly shaped piece of flat steel) that goes between the two shoes. It "wraps" around the lower slide pin and will be released when slide pin is removed. Slide pins were a little bit dirty, so I was nice to have a 3/8" drift to drive them out. I used some light emmory cloth to clean them up. Remove the 2 anti squeel shims per each pad as they can be reused on the new pads. Be sure to use break quiet "greese" goop. I got a bottle at Advance Auto with enough to do many jobs. It's a light red color and squeezes out like wood glue from the bottle. It will set up in 10 min enough to reassemble. I think it firms up even more with time/heat from the shoes. The rotors came off without effort, to I chipped off any loose rust/scale and put antiseeze around the mating surface before replacing it. Explorer discs always rust froze to the hub, so I tend to be paranoid about this. Clean the rotor with brake cleaner.

Be sure the break line hole is pointed away from any painted surfaces or other areas you don't want coated with break fluid, before you compress the pads/pistons. Just taping the pins free with the drift caused it to squirt out fluid. My old pads had about 3/8" material left and the new ones have about 1/2" material. I checked it with the caliper, but can't remember exact measurements. Reassembly is the reverse of removal. Be sure to use slide greese on the slide bolts. It's of course easier to rebolt the caliper to the axle hub before reattaching the breakline. Don't forget to remove any plug from the line if you used one. After attaching it, open the bleeder screw and have assistant pump pedal until you purge out all the air (same 10mm wrench). Tighten it down and have them pump pedal to set the shoes. Good Luck.....piece of cake! Ted

Mine was was what you describe as the 2 bolts on the inside torque plate type setup. It also has 2 pins with cotter type pins on the ends that pass through each pad to hold them in place. I pasted this from my reply to someone at

It's a great discussion group and I have gotten alot of help from the guys there. Also 4x4wire. com is another great source of info:

"I agree with McNar's response. As a matter of fact, I used his info to do mine and he was pretty much right on the money. My 05 had 51k and my mechanic told me I needed new front pads. Rotors were fine. Remove the lug nuts with a (22 mm?) 6 point socket. I've found that using a breaker bar with a 1/2" drive socket works well and keeps the torque nice and direct, for easy removal. I've done brakes on other vehicles and this one was quite easy. I removed the cap from master cyl to allow expansion. To detach the caliper from the wheel hub, you will need a good 6 point (17mm?) socket on a breaker bar. Getting these loose was the most challenging part, as this was the first time for breaks. I think the manual recommends 90 foot pounds torque! On my other vehicle (95 explorer) the brake line is ridgid except for the last 6 inches flexible. This makes it a bit easier to brakes, as I just hang the caliper up out of the way with a coat hanger, when removing the pads from it. On the

4runner the brake lines are ridgid, then flexible, then a small ridgid piece attachs to the caliper. This makes it necessary to remove the line from the caliper to replace the pads, otherwise it would kink. Line came off easily (10 mm I think) and I pushed a small rubber plug into it to stop it from dripping while I removed the pads from the caliper.

There are 2 slide pins that pass through shoes and they have small wire clip thing that goes thru a small hole in the end of the pins. This prevents the pin from sliding out. The clip looks like a twisted paperclip. Also note the anti-squeel clip (flat butterfly shaped piece of flat steel) that goes between the two shoes. It "wraps" around the lower slide pin and will be released when slide pin is removed. Slide pins were a little bit dirty, so I was nice to have a 3/8" drift to drive them out. I used some light emmory cloth to clean them up. Remove the 2 anti squeel shims per each pad as they can be reused on the new pads. Be sure to use break quiet "greese" goop. I got a bottle at Advance Auto with enough to do many jobs. It's a light red color and squeezes out like wood glue from the bottle. It will set up in 10 min enough to reassemble. I think it firms up even more with time/heat from the shoes. The rotors came off without effort, to I chipped off any loose rust/scale and put antiseeze around the mating surface before replacing it. Explorer discs always rust froze to the hub, so I tend to be paranoid about this. Clean the rotor with brake cleaner.

Be sure the break line hole is pointed away from any painted surfaces or other areas you don't want coated with break fluid, before you compress the pads/pistons. Just taping the pins free with the drift caused it to squirt out fluid. My old pads had about 3/8" material left and the new ones have about 1/2" material. I checked it with the caliper, but can't remember exact measurements. Reassembly is the reverse of removal. Be sure to use slide greese on the slide bolts. It's of course easier to rebolt the caliper to the axle hub before reattaching the breakline. Don't forget to remove any plug from the line if you used one. After attaching it, open the bleeder screw and have assistant pump pedal until you purge out all the air (same 10mm wrench). Tighten it down and have them pump pedal to set the shoes. Good Luck.....piece of cake! Ted

************ OK, it sounds like you have the second type of brake (not "break") setup I described. Next time, if you do not need to replace the rotors, don't bother removing the caliper from the torque plate. Just remove the 2 pins that pass through the brake pads and slide the pads out. This way, you do not have to bleed the brake lines.