Toyota truck calipers

[Taz's Master]

What am I doing wrong? Changing the pads on my 2002 Tundra, the caliper design has the pads running on pins. My 1995 Tacoma had a similar design. In changing the pads on my Tacoma, I couldn't remove the pins and ruined a caliper. I was able to remove 3 of the 4 pins on my Tundra, but had to drill and cut the 4th pin. I cannot get a pin for it today. The Toyota dealer doesn't keep the pins in stock, the independent parts dealer, NAPA, and Advance Auto Parts don't have them. A new caliper doesn't come with them.

Pads are a wear item, so obviously there is a trick to removing the pins, what am I doing wrong?

[VincentVega]

Strange.

3. REMOVE CLIP, 2 PINS AND ANTI-RATTLE SPRING
4. REMOVE 2 PADS AND 4 ANTI-SQUEAL SHIMS NOTICE: The anti-rattle spring and clip can be used again provided that they have sufficient rebound, no deformation, cracks or wear, and have had all rust, dirt and foreign particles cleaned off.
5. CHECK DISC THICKNESS AND RUNOUT

I have never done these brakes, but with this style I usually use the appropriate sized punch on the back to get them moving. Dont ham fist them, no reason why they should just slide out. If they are really stubborn, try wiggling the pads a little, or spray some PB on the pin. If all else fails be gentle with some heat or hit the punch with a bigger hammer.

[sammyg2]

I did the brakes on my 2001 tundra a couple times and the pins came out easily. I just tapped them out from the back side with an appropriate sized pin punch.
Are the pins rusted, mushroomed, or what?
I'm trying to envision why they wouldn't come out.

[stevepaa]

Post a pic to help us help you.

[Taz's Master]

Sammy they are/were rusted.

The pin that gave me trouble wouldn't budge. Having had trouble before, I was not intentionally ham-fisted. PB Blaster and a punch worked for the 3 prior pins. The last pin was tight enough that it bent when trying to loosen it up by hitting the other end. Needing to use a drill and sawzall to change the pads was a drag, but the dealer not stocking a part like that (and knowing exactly what the issue was) really was not how I wanted to start today.

My technique and toolset may not be up to Toyota Tech standards, but this is the type of issue I'd expect from my Dodge.

[fastfredracing]

I have run into this a couple of times , sometimes they tap right out, but I have had a couple of them that were seriously frozen in . mushroomed the heck out of them and had to cut, burn drill etc to get them out. Dealer never has them in stock here either. Pia, 2 day simple brake job.

[sammyg2]

OK, I'm starting to get the picture now.
When you described the rust I thought wow. Mine were never rusted which probably explains why they tapped out easily. Then I looked and saw you are in the great state of Colorado. That might explain it.

Here we don't have the same rust issues that some of you folks have to deal with so we are sometimes slow to realize what a PITA it can be.

When you put the pins in, you need to coat them with some sort of high temperature anti-sieze that will help with the removal down the road. Toyota prolly has a product but if it were me I'd soak them in phillips milk of magnesia for a few minutes and let them hang dry, then pop them in. they should come out easily after that.

[Taz's Master]

Sammy, milk of magnesia? I did hit parts of the pins with anti-sieze, wondering about the high temp environment (and figuring that doing nothing wasn't the best course). And just FYI, my location refers to a county in Pennsylvania (currently the wrong one, I no longer live in Lycoming County, now it should read Tioga County, Pennsylvania), but certainly this environment will take its toll on those parts. That said, it is the very same environment in which this truck was marketed and sold, and as a customer it is not unreasonable to expect winter roads be factored in to the equation when designing a full-sized four wheel drive truck.

And I do agree that they should pop right out, but that sentiment is what caused my initial dissapointment.

[mattdavis11]

I had 1 pin on an 03 Tundra that was a pain in the arse the other day, but it came out eventually. Polished it up (surface rust) and it slid right back in.

[stevepaa]

have you tried a butane torch and then some penetrating oil?

[Taz's Master]

I used penetrating oil, a drift and various hammers, then a drill and a sawzall. What really got to me was how the pin had to be ordered. In speaking to mechanics, this isn't a particularly unique event, it happens fairly often, and Toyota doesn't stock them. Is their whole inventory filters, fluids, pads and wiper blades? The pins weren't included in the calipers that I looked at (hoping to get them to sell me one of them and order a replacement).

Actually I'm really just venting, I like the truck. But next time, if there are no pins in stock, I'll order 4 and pick them up with the brake pads, and return the ones I don't use.

[Jims5543]

Your forgetting Murphy's Law.

Buy 2 pins, put them in your garage and you will never have another problem with them again.

Maybe put a light film of anti-seize on them next time.

[berettafan]

yikes, need to do this on my '06 dcab soon as well.

what pads did you go with?

[Taz's Master]

I went with Wagner (Thermo Quiet or something). The pins I got were AC Delco and on one end are slotted for a screwdriver. I think that's a good idea, I would think that with an impact driver, the twisting and driving might give you a better chance of breaking the pins free.

Regardless with an '06 I bet you'll have no problems. I would check and see if any dealers/parts stores have pins in stock, and if so, that's who I'd buy the pads from.

[Jims5543]

Originally Posted by berettafan

yikes, need to do this on my '06 dcab soon as well.

what pads did you go with?

I have 2 Tacoma's one has 70K miles the other 50K, both have had brake jobs done by me and I did not have these issues. I would imagine there is not a huge difference between the tacoma and tundra.


I would put a very small dab of anti seize on when they are apart. I am going to next time. The 70K truck needs rotors pads again because the guy that drives it does not know how to drive. This is the 3rd set of rotors for this truck.

I rode with him and now understand why. He is a VERY late braker, like so late you almost scream out "BRAKES!!". Then he stands on the brakes after he stops. The truck is a manual and its flat in Florida.

[Pazuzu]

I absolutely cannot believe that a Toy truck would have pins breaking after 7 years. I had a 20 year old truck, that was LIBERALLY rusted (M10 bolts would break on the frame regularly), and I had zero issues with the caliper pins. There's something seriously wrong if you have pins breaking like that.

[Taz's Master]

Gentlemen, I am merely relaying my experience from 2 Toyota Trucks. 1 a 1995 Tacoma 4X4, and the other a 2002 Tundra 4X4 both extended cabs. They are the only Toyotas I have ever owned, both trucks experienced the same issue with the pins refusing to budge from the front calipers. When mentioned to prefessional mechanics, it was acknowledged that my experience is far from unique. The first time I changed the pads on my Tacoma I didn't know what I was getting myself into. Since then I've been cautious and careful, and additional care and preperation hasn't eliminated the issue. There are certainly people who are far better at this stuff than I am, but I'm not completely inept, and changing brake pads is pretty basic stuff.

[Eric 951]

Just did the front pads last weekend on the LR--one pin would not budge--a little PB and I grabbed the end with a vise-grip--but I didn't pull it out, I just wiggled the pin clockwise and counterclockwise in the holes--this 'broke" it free from the caliper, then I tapped it out from the back side. Just a little trick.