Brakes

[AJB]

As said in the description, i know there have been a fair few posts recently about brakes and i believe i have read through the majority of them but still have one or two questions!

So far i have worked out that EBC Greenstuff brakes would probably be the best to get as they offer a slight performance upgrade, and as i have a 2001 1.0l GLS with ABS i need the Bendix style brakes Part No. DP21446.

For the first question i was wondering if anyone had a rough idea of how much it would cost to take it to a toyota dealer to fit and would they mind as im guessing the brake pads don't count as standard parts? I would attempt to do it myself as it really doesn't sound particuly difficult but the only jack a have is the one that comes with the car and it very nearly broke whilst it was holding up the car as i was putting a new wheel on so i don't really trust it!

The second question, would changing the brake fluid be worthwhile as it hasn't been changed since it was purchased and has so far driven about 35000 miles?

[Bos]

I don't know about Greenstuff brakes, but you should never just use a jack to support a car for anything more than changing a wheel !!!!!

To do any work on the hubs, brakes etc. you should always 'chock' the wheels at the opposite end of the vehicle where you are working. Ideally axle supports are best if you are working on any wheel parts, or at least place large concrete blocks ( laid flat ) , and protected on the top with a softer materal ( ie. wood ) to protect the underside of you car.

It is very dangerous to use only a jack !!!!!!

Saying that brake discs and pads are very easy to change, providing you make sure that you note where all the clips etc. go .

[Ross J]

Brake fluid should be replaced at every full service (20000 miles), so you should be approaching your second change. This will have been done if you have had proper Toyota servicing.

As Bos says never use a jack when working on the car (not even trolley jacks). Use the jack to raise the car, then support it on something solid. Axle stands are very cheap these days. Put two at the front to make it solid and remember to loosen the wheel nuts before jacking.

Replacing the pads shouldn't be too difficult yourself if you're confident and careful, look up how to on the web or get a Haynes manual. If you're not sure what you're doing get someone who does, it's quite important that they work properly.

A Toyota Dealer may charge £20 upwards (plus the cost of pads if they're getting them) to do the job and may decline to fit pads they don't think are recommended for the car.

[AJB]

Thanks for the very quick replys! Shows how little i know about anything to do with cars! Would like to think i can pick things up very fast though, so hopefully will change them myself. Im fairly sure i saw a guide on TOC a while back so will have a look for that in a bit.

The car was bought after it had done 20033 miles so i have no idea what happed for that service, i believe my dad sorted it all out.

Found axle stands on eBay for under £10 or found a couple new for around £20. Atleast if i had some i could attempt to do a few more things myself!

[Ross J]

Thanks for the very quick replys! Shows how little i know about anything to do with cars! Would like to think i can pick things up very fast though, so hopefully will change them myself. Im fairly sure i saw a guide on TOC a while back so will have a look for that in a bit.

The car was bought after it had done 20033 miles so i have no idea what happed for that service, i believe my dad sorted it all out.

Found axle stands on ebay for under £10 or found a couple new for around £20. Atleast if i had some i could attempt to do a few more things myself!

We all have to start somewhere and nothing better than doing it youself to learn about cars. Also, when changing pads, remember that if the old ones are worn quite a bit, you need to push the pistons back in. This will make the fluid in the reservoir under the bonnet rise. If the brake fluid has been topped up it can easily spill, so remember to wrap something around the fluid filler cap to prevent it getting on the paint as it's liable to strip it off. There shouldn't actually be a reason to top up brake fluid unless there's a leak. It should go down with brake wear, which is normal.

Good luck doing the jobs on the car

[Yaris SR Kid]

I recently fitted EBC brakes to my car and they are a very good upgrade, provide sharper and alot better braking and no silly brake dust to clean off alloys!

[Red Yaris 54]

Found axle stands on ebay for under £10 or found a couple new for around £20. Atleast if i had some i could attempt to do a few more things myself!

Your local Aldi are selling pairs of axle stands with a pair of wheel chocks at a very competetive price.

(much less than £20.......................£5.99 a set.....bargain)

[alfiejts]

And trolly jacks for just £9.99. They were only there last week, so most Aldi stores probably have stock left....

[sr2002]

We all have to start somewhere and nothing better than doing it youself to learn about cars. Also, when changing pads, remember that if the old ones are worn quite a bit, you need to push the pistons back in. This will make the fluid in the reservoir under the bonnet rise. If the brake fluid has been topped up it can easily spill, so remember to wrap something around the fluid filler cap to prevent it getting on the paint as it's liable to strip it off. There shouldn't actually be a reason to top up brake fluid unless there's a leak. It should go down with brake wear, which is normal.

Good luck doing the jobs on the car

also when changing your pads slightly undo the top of the res as sometimes the pressure can flip the seals in the master cylinder and cause you to loose the brake pedal.