Deciding what brake pad to buy?

Toyota brake pads are best.

What noise is the car making?

 

Heh ... this is one of those interesting threads where the real issues seem to be (in order from least to most important) ...

1. What you titled the thread about

2. The recent wheel bearing replacement

3. The getting louder and louder noise that you sort of barely remembered to mention at the end of the post.

Yes, that is a very curious noise. Is it only when the car is moving? (Hard to be sure from the recording.) Can you hear the noise when spinning the tires by hand with the wheels jacked up?

-Chap

 

Be very careful doing any brake work on a Prius, you can't bleed the brakes without Techstream software, and the brakes can come on whenever the computers feel like. I do not recommend DIY brake work.

 

New pads may not solve the problem noise. I had this problem on a Rav 4, had to replace the rotors also to get rid of noise. I could hear sound better at lower speeds and also seemed worst when applying brakes. I agree with JimboPalmer, DIY, good luck with the brakes.

 

A couple of suggestions:

1. Disconnect 12 volt negative cable before starting. Otherwise the car may decide to pressurize the brakes during your work, could push a piston out of caliper if the caliper's off the rotor. If you've got the 12 volt connected and open the driver's door, this is pretty much guaranteed to happen.

2. When everything's reassembled, and prior to reconnecting the 12 volt negative cable, depress the brake pedal multiple times, firm up the pedal. This is just good practice, and prevents the car detecting excess pedal travel, displaying a trouble code.

 

I read that horror story where someone walks up to car with key in pocket and pop out piston, think the guy said it cost him $1600. I think if one follows these precaution they will probably do ok. I've done a lot of brakes and would have probably been this guy if not for researching. These little wind up cars are not like the old stuff I use to work on.

 

1. If you are concerned about the noise produced by the brakes, then you are going in the wrong direction by thinking about removing the anti squeal shims. Rather, buy the missing parts from your Toyota dealer.
2. It was not a good idea to use engine oil as a replacement lubricant. It would have been better to use nothing. When you disassemble the brakes again, use brake parts cleaner on all surfaces where the oil had been applied.

 

When you buy the shim kit at the dealer, it will come with a little packet of gray grease, intended for the shims of course, but also suitable for (sparing!) use on the pad tabs.

It is not the same as the pink grease for the rubber caliper seals and boots ... that comes with the rebuild kit.

-Chap

 

Don't forget to lubricate the slide pins while you have the caliper off the rotor. It also has a special lubricant.

JeffD

 

Well, do the other side wheel bearing, it's going to go soon
Next time you want to replace pads, and need to... turn the rotors or replace them, you can't put new shoes on a worn rotor, or the new shoes will be old shoes in 100 miles.