1992ES300

I am hearing squeking from the brakes, whenever I push lightly.
I am not sure if it the front or rear, and I do not know if it is the pads or rotors.
Can someone tell me the minimal sizes for the front and rear pads, as well as the front and rear rotors?
I am going to have a look this weekend, and I want to know what needs to be changed, and where.

Also, this is my first brake job that I am doing on my 1992 ES300. I have changed the rotors on my 90 Mercury Cougar. Is there anything of note that I should be aware of before or while I am checking the brakes? I do not have a repair manual, as I am pretty confident in my skills, but I am not sure how much more complex these brakes will be as compared to my old Cougar...

Thanks,
Brian

meZoom!

There's a little peep hole looking slot thing in the caliper that you can use to see the thickness of the remaining brake pad. you have to remove the wheel though. on oem toyota pads, you'll start to hear the brakes squealing when there's a little under 3mm of pad left. you should also check if the pad/rotor is wearing evenly. ideally, you'd have more than 3mm of pad left...but since you're already hearing squealing, i guess you are going to have to change them.
i don't know anything about a cougar so i couldn't say what would be different. keep in mind though, that all of the materials for this job can be had from a toyota dealer.

LexDiamond

Only a Lexus Dealer has the tools to properly bleed the brakes.

You can do it yourself, but the dealer does it better and supply your own pads its around $165

///MDex

Not necessarily. Bleeding the brakes, or any brake job, is not overly technical. It comes down to, do you have the time and resources (jack and stands or ramps), and tools to do the job yourself. And since he's done the job before, it should be no big deal.

I've done my brakes once with some help, and again just last weekend again. One person can pump the pedal while another bleeds the fluid at the caliper.

LexDiamond

I've been told my by Lexus Dealers, mechanics and my friend who is a 6 year bodyman, only dealers have the proper tool to bleed the brakes. That's what I've been told.

Nevertheless. My mother had ABS and a no name shop do her brakes with OEM LEXUS PADS the dealer does a better job and its one of the ONLY jobs I'll PAY the dealer to do. They back it up too.

Brandon@TR

Not sure why you couldn't do this yourself, though I haven't had to change the pads yet I do plan on doing it myself. The rotors will most likely be a bear to get the bolt off, mine was very tight and its only a year old, just use a longer wrench handle and you should be fine. You will might have to use a vise to squeeze the brake in to get it to fit around the new rotor, don't forget to take the cap off the fluid reservoir I know someone who did... Hmm trying to think if there was anything else, you can most likely set the caliper on the lower control arm... I think that's about it, good luck!

Toysrme

I did my '93 ES rears a month or so ago, I just bought new pads for the fronts Thrusday for this comming weekend to change them. Sure turns out easy enough for me... Changing brakes/rotors is one of the easyest things you can do. I wouldn't suggest keeping warped rotors, or reusing shaved rotors.

I don't know where you get only they can bleed the brakes... When I changed my rears there wasn't a drop of original fluid left. I changed every last drop of whatever the crap with stuff they had floating in it was from the dealer, to some clean fluid with a slightly sarker shade of color.

Bleeding is simple and the same on everything. Change the pads/rotors. Take a jar filled with brake fluid, takes a piece of hose and stick it on the nipple, palce the nipple in the jar and have someone pump a few times very slowly holding the pedal. Then pump slowly a few more times, then back to slowly and holding it. On the last slow pump you close off the nipple.

Now, what makes you have to be a Lexus dealer to do that? Unless they run into problems, that's what ever mechanic and dealer is going to do.

Dosen't take a degree to change brakes LoL! Might take some thinking to change drums, but not anything extremely hard...

**********

Simple fact is that if your rotors are not warped, feel free to change the pads yourself and save atleast $100 over having ANYONE do it for you.

And stay away form the drilled ones. Those things do nothing but wear out pads quicker while not providing a single oz. of added stopping power on modern brakes. The holes were to keep gasses given off by old pads from building up. No modern brake pad needs them, or benefits from them.

Slotted = fine
Drilled = a problem solved years ago that only survives because people think it "looks & sounds cool"