How to Install Rear Brake Rotors on a Toyota Land Cruiser

In this day and age, saving money just makes sense to a lot of people. Keeping your Toyota Land Cruiser on the road is expensive enough, and now you need rear brake rotors. The estimate given to you from the local repair station or dealership was pretty pricey. There is a particular challenge involved replacing the rear brake rotors, but it's certainly doable for anyone with some tools and technical know-how. Give yourself a little time and try replacing them yourself

Instructions

Park the Land Cruiser on a flat, level paved or concrete surface. Release the hood latch.

Place a wheel chock in front of one of the front tires. Open the hood and suck out half of the brake fluid from the master cylinder reservoir using the turkey baster. Discard the fluid appropriately. Replace the cap securely to the master cylinder.

Break the lug nuts loose on the rear tires. Do not loosen them too much and do not remove them.

Lift one side of the rear end of the Land Cruiser by the lower control arm using the floor jack. Place a jack stand under the rear axle on that side. Repeat for the other side to elevate the rear axle.

Remove the lug nuts and wheel of the left rear tire.

Remove the caliper bolts using a ratchet and a socket. Pry the caliper off using the flathead screwdriver and squeeze the piston of the caliper in with the C-clamp. Hang the caliper to the rear frame using a bungee cord to support it.

Gently pry the rear brake pads from the caliper anchor using the flathead screwdriver. Remember how the pads were installed so you can replace them in the same manner.

Remove the caliper anchor bolts using the ratchet and a socket.

Remove the rotor. The most challenging part of this job is to separate the rotor from the rear parking brake shoes underneath without damaging them. If the rotor is rusted stubbornly to the hub, strike it with the hammer on the fins until loosened. If it is moving on the hub, but still clings to the hub, chances are the parking brake shoes are hung up on the inside of the rotor. Equal parts of tenacity and ingenuity using the pry bar, flathead screwdriver and the hammer will pay dividends, but it may take time. Worse case scenario is breaking some of the rear parking brake shoe hardware and having to take another run to the parts store.

Spray both sides of the new rotor using brake cleaner. Wipe it dry with a shop rag.

Install the new rotor. It should fit tightly over the parking brake shoes, but you should not have to force it on and incur damage to the shoes. If you have to, there's an adjuster arm for the shoes that could be taken in using the screwdriver on the star-wheel. Turn it inward a few clicks at a time and try the rotor again until it fits on snugly.

Replace the caliper anchor and bolts. Replace the pads. Replace the caliper and caliper bolts. Replace the wheel and lug nuts. Tighten the lug nuts as tight as you can with the ratchet and a socket with the wheel elevated.

Repeat the procedure for the right side.

Remove the jack stands and lower the Land Cruiser to the ground and torque the lug nuts in an alternate fashion to 100 foot-pounds using the adjustable torque wrench.

Pump the foot brake pedal several times until it feels normal. This will restore hydraulic pressure back to the compressed caliper pistons.

Check and adjust the brake fluid level in the master cylinder. Add only new DOT-approved brake fluid for your Toyota Land Cruiser.

Remove the wheel chock and test drive.