Toyota Tacoma Brake Pad Change - Very Easy

I change the brake pads on my 2008 Toyota Tacoma. Quick and easy.
Link to pads: amzn.to/3eyvYPJ
I may be compensated if purchases are made. Depends on a bunch of factors.

[@user-fc2ks1yw7f]

I am a 65 year old woman in Montana. I just changed my break pads using Jim’s video. So awsome! Thank you.

[@stettan1754]

Omg...I can't believe it's that easy to change a break pad! I've been wasting money at the mechanics. Thanks for the video.

[@ericmckean8067]

I just changed my brake pads in less than an hour after watching this video, thanks! BTW: the little metal tab on the one pad is the squeaker.. it makes noise when your brakes are getting thin.

[@puapake]

You didn't even need to take the calliper off, good design toyota. Thanks for the vid

[@olhesty2196]

thanks for the video. Robbed the stealership of $250. Got some pads from NAPA for $63. Only reused the original cotter pins, I liked them better than the NAPA pins. I got this done in one hour. Lugs are are torqued to 85 ft/ lbs FYI everyone.

[@99sflores]

I watched 2 videos before yours and you simplified it and explained everything so much easier than they did, thanks brotha.

[@soyeldiego4878]

Looks like my son and I will be doing this work on his Tacoma this weekend. It’ll be “Training Day” for the youngster... 🤓

[@58gennaro]

This has to be one of the best brake videos I've seen. Of course I'm partial because of how easy the jobs going to be. Great lighting and no camera shake.

[@ajhands1876]

Thank you, this made it super simple. Probably the easiest brake job I have ever done!

[@jimmydavis9005]

Just as easy as your video demonstrated. Thank you. My kit even had the lubricant. As someone already said, the metal tab at 4:30 will rub on your rotor and make a squeaking noise letting you know your pads are dangerously thin. Any thinner and you will have metal on metal which will ruin your rotors.

[@jascam1]

Good video, straightforward and to the point. I would clean up those caliper guide pins before reinstall. The metal strip on the old pads is called a wear sensor.

[@maxwellcrazycat9204]

I bought a new pin kit. $6.00 for both calipers.

[@davidhinds191]

Out of all the videos I've watched here's was the only one that I could take to the truck and help me put the brake pads on thank you

[@gonzo4996]

Thank you SO MUCH for this video!! I just finished replacing the pads on my ‘08! Breezed through it with no problem!!

[@curtaltschul1152]

That little metal tab on the inner pad is there to scrape against the rotor if the pads are getting too warn. That tab will make a noise (screeching or squeaking) if the pads get too worn. This video is very well done. I did my pads and new rotors today and the video is exactly identical to my 2005. Good camera work.

[@danielmurphy3202]

Just what I needed. Thanks a million!

[@ChadHaatvedt]

Your video was helpful. It gave me the confidence to attack this project. Everything was spot on, except my '05 Tacoma hasn't had these done before. I had a heck of a time getting the pins out as there was a lot of rust. It was also quite hard to compress the inner pistons. But I prevailed and i have good brakes now. Thanks a million.

[@JimWellman]

Glad I could help. A frame of reference and the extra bit of confidence is all that's needed most of the time.

[@dm-wp1dz]

I just replaced the pads on my 09 and getting the pins out was very hard too (Salty roads in NY). Took 2 hammers, a punch tool and filing down the end of the pin when it mushroomed against the housing to get the 4th one out. Then I had to grind the rust off with a grinding wheel brush. Next use the drill press to redrill the hole for the cotter pin that got compressed by the hammering. The old pads didn't just fall out like his either. But it feels good to do it myself and luckily I have access to a tool shop at work.

[@bf8882]

The tab thing is the squealer, it rubs rotor when pads are close to worn out and make a high pitch squeal telling you its time for pads.

[@rweakley]

+1 I was gonna reply, but figured someone had already gotten to it.

[@sloebone7399]

It’s a bit disconcerting that he doesn’t know what that thingy is for.

[@JCESAR831]

Are the new pads now a day come without the squealer? Or they carry one all the time ?

[@BrianEhrler]

Great video. That tab on the inside break pad is the piece of metal that causes the brakes to squeal when they are worn out.

[@timcovington7514]

Great video! I was able to replace my brake pads with no problems. Thanks for posting.

[@hotajax]

Great job. Thanks for not show the brain dead step of removing the wheels first. I like how you did this.

[@adamtippett1826]

My 2012 Tacoma was set up with the tab on the outside , I put new one tab on inside like the in the video , I figure the owner before Me had it done so wasn't sure if it was right or wrong , Video was spot on Thanks for easy way to replace breaks

[@russellzito7502]

Nice video ! You had the best video on this out of the 5- 6 that I viewed. The little bend tang on the inside , I call a squealer. It's that squeak screech sound ya hear when the pads get worn .

[@dm-wp1dz]

Thanks for the video. It's a lot simpler than I thought. My '09 has 94,000 miles and inspection said the front pads were getting really low but passable. Got new pads for $22 and going to do this tonight. Tacomaworld suggests the rotor is good for another 50-60k but we'll see. To think that before youtube I might have spent $80-100+ to have this done at a garage. Next video I gotta find is how to check and lube all the undercarriage parts. I've hit the driftshaft with some lithium grease a few times but haven't gotten into the transfer case stuff yet. Replaced both air filters back around 50k too.

[@villenuv27]

Thanks for the video. Just changed mine out and it was super easy. The pins were rusted in there pretty bad, but they came out with some WD40 and a nail punch! Thanks again for posting!

[@marcusosuna687]

Hey thanks a bunch, Jim! Just replaced my breaks and it worked exactly the same. There was virtually no difference between the 2008 & 2006. Completed the whole process in an hour. Great video, man. You're officially the coolest person on KZbin.

[@dogsr]

Great camera work! The shims on the back of the pads help stop vibration transfer between pad and piston which can cause noise. The wire spring is to keep the pads in contact with the pistons after the pedal is released rather than remaining against the rotor or somewhere in between. Caliper lube on the pins also helps this desired action. Now I'll know what I'm doing on my Taco, thanks!!

[@jaimemartinez9586]

Great video! Changed brake pads on my 07 tacoma! Thanks so much!

[@adymlincoln882]

Excellent video! I had just done my '05 Rav4 and expected the Tacoma to be similar. Tacoma will be even easier, you don't even remove the caliper at all. Some tips: - The tab is universal on disc pads...it's made of a soft metal like brass or copper and it's designed to scrap against the rotor and cause a squeal...telling you it's time to change the brakes. - When prying the pistons back, it you intend on reusing the rotors you need to be extra careful not to scratch or score the rotor surface.

[@JimWellman]

Here's an update...November 2015...These brakes are still going strong after this video was filmed.

[@stephenmaurer7008]

How many miles do you have on this set of pads??

[@JimWellman]

These pads had about 60k or 70k miles on them when I sold it.

[@ileonardR35mk5Supra]

your video helps alot bro thank you

[@maxwellcrazycat9204]

Every mechanic I've ever known has at some point forgotten to pump up the brakes before driving off. Including myself. It's a thing that you never forget. So unlikely to repeat it.

[@randydewson2921]

Thank you for this video. I watched another video before I found yours, that wanted me to take off the brake line. Really? You ain't got to do all that. Thank you very much. This literally look took like 10 minutes per wheel, as matter of fact it took longer to get the wheel off and back on than it did to change the pads

[@JimWellman]

Right on. Glad I could help.

[@zelosyoung]

Very well done!!!! Reminded me not to loosen nuts and just remove the pins

[@maxplank4083]

Excellent video and camera work. You made it extremely easy for the layman to understand. Thank You.

[@Kieran_Donahue23]

The little tab on the Inside bottom pad is a warning for when your pads get too low. That’s where that squeaking or whining noise would come from.

[@boat6868]

Thanks for sharing this well done video. You must live in the south...amazing how your brakes have not rust.

[@JimWellman]

Definitely no salt on our roads. Glad I could help.

[@ArthurDoesThings8960]

To compress the pistons, without having to wedge your flat-head screw driver, I would suggest a C-Clamp. A lot easier as well!! Of course, if you don't have one, 2 flat-heads will do fine as shown on the video. Thanks for the video!

[@Raevenswood]

Arthur G Yup! C Clamp and you don't risk screwing up the rotors.

[@Raevenswood]

@@frankcampbell4144 they don’t push back until you apply the brake and cause hydraulic pressure in the line again so you don’t need to hold anything in place. When you back the pistons off with the clamp all you are doing is forcing fluid out of the calipers and up into the reservoir. So, once you back the pistons out just pull the pads and replace them then put the whole thing back together. After you have it back together and the wheel back on and are ready to drive pump the brakes and it will pressurized the caliper again.

[@Raevenswood]

@@frankcampbell4144 No. you put one side of the clamp on the outside of the caliper and then get a purchase on the back side of the pad on that side of the rotor and cinch the clamp down then it pushes the pad and piston away from the rotor. Then you repeat on the other side. It’s not going to push back out because the pads aren’t linked and once you remove the first pad there is a ton of room left over so the second pad pushes out easier.

[@brianc6739]

I almost drove thru my garage. I guess I should’ve watched the entire video first😂thanks for the video tho!

[@ericmckean8067]

🤣

[@rickhendershot6490]

I am glad you posted this video. I couldn't figure where to start and I have changed pads many times. The 2008 design was so different than my older Toyota. The hardest part was getting the wheels off I guess they were rusted on from all the river water on the road I go thru. Once I got the wheels off it was so simple and only took about 15 minutes per wheel. I hope the back pads are the same design. Thanks again for posting this video.

[@raymonddillon7370]

Great video sir, nice clear video and good narration. Its always good to lubricate the pins before you reinstall them .

[@aknagcameltoe1]

good video but there are a couple of things I want to note for people 1st would be if you are going to do a brake job without replacing the rotors ( I don't recomend it ) certainly do not Pry with a screwdriver against the rotor. undo the caliper bolts on the back of the caliper (2 bolts ) Pull caliper off the rotor and turn in the pistons in with a c-clamp using the old pads to turn against .. brake jobs are almost all the same so watch a few videos on brakes . 2nd the little "tab" on the pad is the squeal tab when your brakes are "Gone" they squeal thats the tab hitting the rotor Metal on metal. for Rick H the back brakes on a tacoma are not disk brakes they are Drum with brake shoes ... there are several rear brake shoe videos on youtube they are all done the same as well basically one rule of thimb is do ONE side at a time so you can look at the other side for reference there are a few springs in there and you need to remember where they go that why the other side with tire off and drum off you can look and reference ...

[@XJonAye]

NEbuilder MA how exactly would you put a c clamp.on a quad piston caliper?

[@aknagcameltoe1]

use the old pads to compress each side in the case of quad use two C-clamps

[@XJonAye]

NEbuilder MA ok I suppose if you used a tiny c clamp. I have been turning wrenches for years and the quad piston set up can be quite annoying, especially those raining pins, because up here in the rust belt those pins don't just slide out

[@longdang5175]

Thanks Jim Wellman ,make me easy to understand, good job Jim.

[@Jtank54]

Replaced the brakes on my 08' yesterday using this video. Very helpful. Thank you!!!

[@gregflores8959]

Thanks for sharing your excellent how-to video!

[@MrRedskins0021]

best video I have seen on brakes. Now i think i'm ready to do mine.

[@aborst01]

Great video straight to the point! Thanks. Also these are the same breaks on my 2018 Tacoma

[@chappiec6736]

I watched a few videos, this made things the easiest by far. All the others had me removing the calipers. I like the slide out slide in method much better.

[@Shylocke420]

Unscrewing brake fluid cap seems to help thanks for vid

[@sixstringbayonet8808]

That spring is there because of Toyota caring about their customers. It's there for redundancy. They were caring and wanted us to be able to change our pads without removing the calipers, and the whole reason that spring is there, is because Toyota was worried about total brake system failure. That spring is there to make sure that if both guide rods break in half, there's a spring there holding at least one half of the brake pad in place, allowing you to slow the taco.

[@mustng9646]

great video and detailed nicely. i was looking for a tutorial for my 07 fj cruiser and couldn't find one. searched tacoma and your video came up. Identical set up as long as you have a 6 lug. The tacoma video before had a five lug.

[@WCFLA]

Thank you for the video. It was a huge help!

[@tubnquagchannel1338]

Good job! Good explanation how to replace new brakes.

[@campdavidsonfunctionaltrai8583]

Your video was the best of 3. Good job!

[@JimWellman]

I appreciate it and glad I could help.

[@johnathenriggs3926]

That tab is called a brake indicator. It lets you know when your brakes are getting low.

[@chonghwang8028]

I never knew that I could replace the pads without removing the calipers. I always removed them and it was so tight I get discouraged to replace the pads until too late. A few weeks after squeaking noise the rotors had gotten scratched deeply b/c metal to metal. Anyway I just put new pads hoping it’s okay and I found nothing is wrong. Repair shop would scare you but it was okay with my 2003 Tacoma.

[@davidgarber1846]

This video is incredibly helpful!! Thanks Jim!!!

[@JimWellman]

Happy to help

[@trek4488]

Great video, good details at the right time of each step. Also lighting is so important and this video has the right amount in the right area. Good job

[@BOB-wo2nb]

I always reinstall the shims with brake grease they prevent the backside of the pad from vibrating against the piston and squealing. Also the little metal spur that sticks out of the inner pad is a wear indicator it'll make noise when the pad gets thin enough.

[@mrlolamason]

Great video! Helped out immensely.

[@550080]

Thanks bro for taking the time to make this video. It helped me

[@gooeytarballs]

I liked this video. Good Camera angles and explanations. I've used the screw driver approach over my fifty+ years on Toyotas and Chevys and Hyundai without harming the heavy steel rotors a bit - heck, it takes a lathe with hardened steel or carbide cutters to smooth them out! The little tab is the squealer - he did have some pad left after all! I've taken the calipers off to do this job on a Toyota, but it is not necessary IMHO ;)

[@Raevenswood]

Thanks for the vid +4 or 5 on the use of a c clamp for pushing the plungers in. Still your video was helpful because I need to do my 09 and I haven't done my own brakes since I owned 2nd and 3rd gen pickups. Glad to see it's still super simple and straight forward.

[@Wanderer24999]

Thank you sir that was a perfect tutorial

[@alanfranklin4700]

The little clip on the innner front brake pad at the bottom facing towards the rotor is the indicator which will make the screeching sound, when you apply your brakes, reminding you its time to change your brakes. If your brakes are really worn out, then sometimes after releasing the brake pedal, you will still hear the screeching sound. This indicates it's time to change your brakes ASAP or you will also be replacing the rotors, due to the possiblility of grooves being cut into them.

[@henryostman5740]

This set me up for trouble. I've done brakes many times and these looked really easy, don't have to take the calipers off at all, pads just slide in. Well those pins he just pulled out with his fingers were so badly rusted that I had to hammer them out, not tap, tap, tap, but bam, bam, bam with a heavy hammer and it's a bit of a trick doing this on the back side. not only were then rusted and crusted but they were bent, get some grease on them when you install. I straightened them out and cleaned with a wire brush and sandpaper but whoever designed this must live in the Sahara desert, they should be made out of stainless or heavily plated to resist rusting, I used a lot of liquid wrench as well in this process and it took me several hours to finish it. You might note that his were a little rusty and he didn't even try to clean them or use some brake grease, he'll have fun next time unless he lives in the Sahara.

[@waltconti4807]

the tab on inner brake pad is a squealer, noise maker, so as to allow you to know you need to change the pads.

[@HouseDrone1]

Your video is great answered many Q:s I had. Like I want to reuse my rotors and I see you did this too, Normally I replace them but my bucks are moth wings on S.S. and I see a few other things too like prying on the rotor I see that did'nt hurt them. Thanks,

[@peterhoag2158]

I'd recommend putting anti-seize or the like on the pins before install. Especially salt areas. They have a tendency to corrode and restrict pad movement and create uneven wear on the pads.

[@thetechdigit9858]

Nice and clear video better than any other I have seen.. thanks

[@meengeen66]

This is a great video. Thanks for the high quality of the vid and the info. I think you forgot to tell the people they need to bend the ends of the cotter pins when they put the new ones in. Keep those excellent videos coming friend.

[@FidelNV]

Thanks for the video! I just did my brakes and super easy after watching this.

[@brytide]

to this day great video man

[@peteypoobear]

The small tab is the wear indicator, it'll squeal when your pads get low.

[@DirtyJobsGuy1]

That was a great video! Easy and to the point! Thank you!!

[@HueyBorkum]

Excellent video. I'm going to go ahead and try my hand after seeing this, thanks!

[@miller496]

Really cool video buddy. Thanks so very much. Very well done. Much appreciated!!

[@JimWellman]

Hope it helps.

[@truckinforever985]

Excellent video

[@Eger118877]

Man, my calipers were so rusted and the pins were so seized because I live in the snow and salt covered roads of Pennsylvania. I had to replace both calipers. I tried penetrating fluid, ATF & Acetone, even heating the contact points with a torch. I tried using an air hammer too. Could I have got them eventually? Maybe, but how many hours do you waste trying to remove stuck caliper slide pins before you spend $61 on a new caliper?

[@user-xu5ks3fp9k]

I think the little tab on the inboard pad is a warning squeak unit to tell you the breaks are liw

[@jeffgads]

This is the best cover👍thanks bro

[@ratcamaro]

The tab is a wear indicator. It scrapes the rotor to let you know when the brake pads are getting low.

[@christianm.espinoza473]

Thanks for keeping it stupid simple brother, God bless

[@Lola19762010]

Very good video, gonna try this out when I get home today. Thanks bunches wish me luck. :)

[@tonyh8su]

That DOES look pretty easy. I have an '09, gonna change my pads soon too. Thanks for the video!

[@hotajax]

It is easy. I do both wheels in under an hour. takes longer to move the jacks and tools to the other side of the truck.

[@naderhermiz7069]

I want to something very important, my son changed rotors and pads after finishing and the tires back in place it didn't rotate freely which effect engine performance and brakes overheat. After looking thoroughly into the problem we found that original calipers comes with shims installed on the pistons in addition to the shims on new brake pads which leaves no clearance between calipers and pads and that's lead to continuous pressure by pads on the rotors. Once we took out the original shims on pistons and keeps the one on the new pads the wheels are free again and working as supposed to do.

[@eightintime]

that was really helpful, thanks for taking the time.

[@toddfather1971]

Crack open the fluid reservoir. Lubricate the brass pins. The "tabs" are brake wear indicators. They drag and squeak on the rotor when the brake pads are worn as a warning to change the pads. CLEAN everything before you put the new pads in.

[@reboureyn139]

that little metal tab is the noise maker. once your pads get down to 1-3mm it'll start rubbing on the rotor to tell you to change your pads. I know because i've bent mine back twice now! i just ordered new pads and rotors so i don't damage anything. don't ignore the noise maker!

[@orivera1964]

great video ,hope my 2010 tacoma has the same brake setup.

[@Navitas2003]

Little tab is a Squealer. It's to indicate when you should start considering replacing your brake pads

[@nastysoda9212]

Thank you!

[@jimboinsa]

Excellent!

[@ChristopherT1]

Thanks for the great video. Front brakes and rotors done! #mancard!

[@georgequinn5762]

Cool thanks , doing mine tomorrow ❤

[@webfox1]

Great video. Wonderful explanation. Thank you for saving me a trip to the shop!

[@donttrip775]

Great video bro

[@Mfam777]

Hell yea man thank you!

[@02markcal]

Thank you for uploading this video!

[@johnmaldonado3909]

Great video. Thank you

[@MrCowboy777]

Perfect video. Thanks

[@frankroublick2646]

Excellent video, my dude. Thank you.