Order of the brake pad shims?

Discussion in 'Gen 3 Prius Main Forum' started by anon_prius, May 8, 2025 at 6:47 PM.

  1. anon_prius

    anon_prius Junior Member

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    Does anyone have a clear image or description of the order of the brake pad shims?

    The pads i replaced in the back had three shims each in a slightly different order while my front pads only had two shims, one of which fits poorly on the new pad, the manual I found isn't super clear, so now I'm supremely confused. (n)
     

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  2. Tombukt2

    Tombukt2 Senior Member

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    I don't know if I can find a picture of that quick usually the shims lay on top of each other and if you look at the little tabs that bend over the edge of the pads to hold the shims you can see how they look correct when they're put on the back of the pad two three it doesn't matter and I actually am not sure that if you mix them up it will cause you any strife look at the tabs that bend over the edge of the pads see when you drop the shims on as long as none of those tabs double up and lay on top of each other you should be okay do you see what I'm talking about?
     
  3. anon_prius

    anon_prius Junior Member

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    Some of the tabs on them do overlap, nearly perfectly, they look nearly like the same shim. I don't really trust whoever installed them last so I will keep searching for the factory order!
     
  4. Tombukt2

    Tombukt2 Senior Member

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    Maybe look on your other front caliper and you'll find two of the other ones and then you put one of those with one on the other one and so on if you walk to your auto parts store and have them pull their set of Ray bastos pads off the shelf the ones with the burgundy logo you will pull the pads out of the box and the shims will be sitting right there and you can see exactly how they fit left and right the factories are very similar when they're laid on top of each other you'll know they're right well maybe you won't but I'm betting you will maybe the dude put two of the same shim on the right side of the car and two of the other same shims on the left side it's easy to do I guess you can also take the shims off and spray the back of the pad with the red stuff make sure the stainless steel clips are in the tabs for the ears of the pads to drop into boom done that's how this was done all the way up until somewhere in the 2000s I used to throw the shims away for my Celica and Supra and use the spray religiously for like 34 years never had a brake problem and all those years not even uneven pad wear