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Toyota Yaris Front Brake Pads Replacement Guide
How to change the front disc brake pads on a 3rd generation 2012 to 2016 Toyota Yaris with the part numbers.

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2015 Yaris Front Wheel
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Gently Pry Off Hub Cap
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Wheel Cover Removed
This automotive maintenance tutorial was specifically written to assist owners of the third generation (2012, 2013, 2014, 2015 & 2016) Toyota Yaris in changing the front disc brake pads and lubricating the caliper slider pins.

Owners of other Toyota, Lexus or Scion vehicles such as the Corolla, Matrix, Prius, Camry, RAV4, Sienna, Tacoma, Tundra, FJ Cruiser, Venza, Highlander, Avalon, Sequoia, Land Cruiser, IS 250, ES 350, GS 350, tC, xB, xD, iQ and FR-S may also find these DIY instructions to be helpful.

A few compatible replacement sets of new front brake pads with their part numbers area as follows: Wagner PD1184, Akebono ACT1184, KFE KFE1184-104, Bendix D1184, Monroe CX1184 and Brembo P83086N.

The tools and other items needed to complete this procedure include a plastic pry bar tool, a lug nut wrench, a floor jack, two jack stands, a 14mm socket with a 3/8" drive ratchet, a 17mm wrench, a "C" or "F" clamp and a tube of brake caliper grease.



 
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Slightly Loosen Lug Nuts
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Raise Front of Vehicle
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Spin Off Lug Nuts
The first few steps are to park the car on a level surface and turn off the ignition.

Engage the emergency / parking brake and chock both sides of the rear wheels to prevent the vehicle from moving.

Use a plastic pry bar tool to gently pull off the wheel cover or "hub cap".

Set the hub cap aside in a safe place.

Slightly loosen the four lug nuts about 1/4 to 1/2 turn in the counterclockwise direction with the tire iron.

Carefully raise the front of the car with the floor jack and securely support it with at least two jack stands.

I prefer to work on one side of the car at a time to keep three wheels on the ground for extra safety.

Spin off the four lug nuts and set them aside in a safe place.

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Four Lug Nuts Removed
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Rotor, Bracket & Caliper
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Front Brake Caliper
Remove the front wheel and set it aside in a safe place.

Once the front wheel is out of the way, you'll be able to see the rotor, the bracket, the caliper and the suspension.

The front caliper is held in place to the bracket by two bolts located on the back side of the caliper with the bolt heads facing in towards the engine bay.

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Loosen Upper Caliper Bolt
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Loosen Lower Caliper Bolt
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Spin Out Top Bolt
Loosen the upper caliper bolt by turning it clockwise (as seen from the outside of the car) with the 14mm socket and a 1/4" drive ratchet.

Then loosen the lower 14mm caliper bolt by turning it clockwise (as seen from the outside of the vehicle).

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Spin Out Bottom Bolt
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Pull Caliper Off Pads
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Rest Caliper On Suspension
Spin out the two caliper bolts and set them aside in a safe place.

Carefully pull the caliper off the old pads and out of the bracket.

Try to avoid stressing, kinking, bending or pulling the rubber brake fluid hose.

Rest the caliper on the suspension or suspend it from the spring with a bungee cord or some twine.

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Old Brake Pads Exposed
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Remove Old Brake Pads
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Wear Bar - Top Both Pads
Pull the old inner and outer brake pads out of the bracket.

Make a mental note of where the wear indicator or "squeal" bars are located on the old brake pads.

On this 2015 Yaris, the wear indicator bars were situated at the top of both the inner and outer brake pads.

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Replace Pad Abutment Clips
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Remove Lower Slider Pin
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Upper Caliper Slider Pin
If your new set of front brake pads included replacement brake hardware, remove the old pad abutment or "anti-rattle" clips out of the top and bottom of the bracket.

Apply some brake caliper grease to the new pad abutment clips where they will come in contact with the bracket or the new pads.

Push the new pad abutment clips in to the top and bottom of the bracket.

In order for the caliper to operate smoothly, the two caliper slider pins or "guide bolts" need to be well lubricated.

Pull the upper and lower caliper slider pins out of their rubber dust boots.

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Lubricate & Replace Pins
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Attach "F" Clamp To Piston
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Brake Fluid Reservoir
Apply a thin layer of synthetic brake parts lubricant grease to the slider pins before pushing them back in to place. Spin the caliper slider pins around in their rubber dust boots to help spread the grease.

In order for the caliper to fit over the thicker new brake pads, you'll need to compress back the caliper piston.

Attach the "C" or "F" clamp to the caliper and use the back of an old brake pad to evenly distribute the pressure across the piston.

Move to the right rear area of the engine bay (near the driver's seat) and locate the brake fluid reservoir.

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Pull Off Reservoir Cap
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Remove Rubber Strip
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Push In Two Release Tabs
Pull off the rubber reservoir cap and set it aside in a safe place.

(The reservoir cap will need to be twisted off in the counterclockwise direction on some Toyota models.)

Removing the reservoir cap will allow the brake fluid to more easily travel back through the brake lines when you compress the piston.

For better access to the brake fluid reservoir, pull off the rubber weather-stripping on the cowl and then push in the two release tabs before removing the plastic cover.



 

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Pull Off Access Cover
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Compress Caliper Piston
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Replace Brake Fluid Cap
Set the brake fluid reservoir access cover out of the way on top of the cowl and the wiper arm.

Slowly turn the "F" clamp handle in the clockwise direction to push back the caliper piston.

Repeatedly check the fluid in the reservoir to prevent it from over flowing. Clean up any spilled brake fluid immediately since it can easily damage painted surfaces.

Continue compressing the caliper piston until it is just about flush with the rubber dust boot.

Try to avoid pinching or damaging the rubber dust boot that surrounds the caliper piston.

Replace the brake fluid cap as soon as possible since brake fluid is hygroscopic (absorbs moisture from the air).

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Install New Outer Pad
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Wear Bars - Top Both Pads
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Push Pads Against Rotor

Apply a thin layer of synthetic brake caliper grease to any area where there is metal to metal contact such as the outer lip of the caliper piston. Do not apply brake parts lubricant to the friction surface of the new pads or to the face of the rotor.

Thoroughly clean off the brake rotor, caliper bracket, brake caliper assembly and the lug nut studs with brake parts cleaner spray. Do not use compressed air or blow with your mouth to clean off the brake parts since breathing in brake dust can be harmful to your health. Brake dust can be carcinogenic (cancer causing) if inhaled.

 If your Yaris previously exhibited shuddering, pulsating, or vibrations in the front end during braking, you may need to have your rotors "turned" (resurfaced) or just replace them with new rotors. If this is the car's first front brake job and the rotors appear to be in good condition, you should be able to simply change the pads with great results.

To remove the existing rotors and install new ones, remove the two 17mm bolts on the rear of the caliper bracket that attach it to the steering knuckle. Then loosen the old rotor with a rubber mallet, pull it off, and slide the new one in its place.

Install the new inner and outer brake pads in to the bracket with the wear indicator bars situated at the top of both pads.

Push the pads together until they are flush against the rotor.

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Re-Install Lower Pin
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Lower Caliper Over Pads
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Spin In Bottom Bolt
If you haven't already, push the caliper slider pins back in to place.

Carefully lower the caliper over the new pads and in to the bracket.

Line up the bolt holes in the caliper with their corresponding holes in the slider pins within the bracket.

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Spin In Top Caliper Bolt
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Tighten Counterclockwise
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17mm Wrench - Hold Pin
Spin in the two caliper bolts a few turns by hand in the counterclockwise direction to prevent them from becoming cross threaded.

Tighten the two caliper bolts by turning them counterclockwise (as seen from the outside of the car) with the 14mm socket and a 3/8" drive ratchet to just past hand tight or about 25 lb-ft of torque.

If the caliper slider pins turn as you are trying to tighten the caliper bolts, hold them in place with a 17mm wrench.

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Torque To 25 lb-ft
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Rubber Valve Cap
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Brake Fluid Bleeder Valve
Double check that the two caliper bolts are tight before moving on to the next steps.

If your brake pedal previously felt soft or spongy, the brake fluid may be contaminated with water or the brake lines may contain some air bubbles.

It would be best to bleed the brake lines at this time in order to flush out the old fluid and replace it with fresh DOT 3 brake fluid. For more on this topic, check out my Brake Line Fluid Bleeding With An Assistant DIY Guide or alternatively my Brake Line Fluid Bleeding With A Power Bleeder Guide.

The brake fluid bleeder valve is located underneath a rubber cap on the back side of the caliper near the upper caliper bolt.

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Replace Front Wheel
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Spin On Four Lug Nuts
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Slightly Tighten Clockwise
Push the front wheel back in to place.

Spin on the four lug nuts in the clockwise direction by hand to prevent them from becoming cross threaded.

Slightly tighten the four lug nuts in a "criss-cross" or "star" pattern with the tire iron.

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Lower Car From Stands
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Torque To 76 lb-ft
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Line Up Cover & Valve
Carefully lower the car from the jack stands by using the floor jack.

Continue tightening the four lug nuts in the clockwise direction to about 1/3 to 1/2 turn past hand tight or about 76 lb-ft of torque.

It would be best to use a torque wrench or an electric impact wrench with a torque stick to properly tighten the lug nuts.

Line up the cut out section on the plastic wheel cover with the tire's air valve.

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Firmly Tap On Hub Cap
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Check Brake Fluid Level
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Replace Access Panel
Firmly push the wheel cover back in to place.

Check the brake fluid level and pour in some fresh DOT 3 fluid if necessary.

Replace the brake fluid reservoir cap.

Push the reservoir access cover back in to place.

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Replace Rubber Strip
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Re-Attach End To Peg
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Access Cover Replaced
Push the plastic friction fasteners on the underside of the rubber strip back in to place over the cowl.

Slip the hole at the end of the rubber strip over the plastic peg on the cowl.

Sit in the driver's seat of the car and firmly press the brake pedal a few times to restore the brake line pressure.

To break in your new front brake pads, just drive normally for the first several hundred miles while trying to avoid any hard or "panic" stops which may glaze over the new pads and cause them to be noisy or not perform as well.

It's also a good idea to regularly check your driveway for fresh drops of brake fluid which may indicate a leak, check the brake fluid level in the reservoir, and also verify that the lug nuts are still tight.

Be sure to record the brake pad change in your car's service records.

For more, check out all of my 2012-2016 Toyota Yaris DIY Repair & Maintenance Guides.
 

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