The brake rotors on your Toyota are made of thick metal plating. When the rotors warp, you will feel the brake pedal pulsating when you press on it. You can replace the rotors with new ones or you can have the warped rotors "turned true" at a machine shop. A mechanic places the rotor on a lathe and flattens the face of the rotor. This eliminates the warping in the rotor.
Instructions
- 1
Loosen the lug nuts on your front wheels. Place a jack stand under the frame behind the driver's side front wheel, jack up the Toyota, place a jack stand under the frame and lower the Toyota onto the jack stand.
2Remove the lug nuts and pull the wheel off the vehicle.
3Loosen the two bolts that secure the brake caliper onto the rotor using a socket and ratchet. The caliper is a metal housing that rests on top of the rotor. There is a slot on the top of it used to pass cooling air to the rotor. Pull the caliper off the rotor. Place a wire tie through the slot on the top of the caliper and tie it to one of the coils on the coil over shock. This prevents the caliper from hanging on the rubber brake line it connects to.
4Pry the cap off the center hub using a screwdriver.
5Remove the jam nut that secures the rotor to the hub using a socket and ratchet.
6Pull the rotor off the wheel hub.
7Repeat Steps 1 through 6 on the passenger side of the vehicle.
8Take the rotors to a qualified machine shop and ask a specialist to remove the warp.
9Place the rotor back onto the wheel hub of the driver's side and secure it using the jam nut, socket and ratchet.
10Remove the old brake pads from the caliper and place the new brake pads into the caliper.
11Hold the brake pads inside the caliper while you slide the caliper back over the rotor.
12Secure the caliper to the vehicle using the two bolts, socket and ratchet.
13Place the wheel back onto the Toyota and secure it using the lug nuts and tire iron.
14Jack up the Toyota, remove the jack stand and lower it to the ground. Double-check the lug nuts for tightness using the tire iron.
15Repeat Steps 9 through 14 on the passenger side.