How to Replace the Brakes on a 2005 Toyota Sienna

Replace the brakes on the 2005 Toyota Sienna at the first sign of significant wear or damage. The brake pads should be replaced every 50,000 miles. During regular brake pad maintenance, check the rotors for scoring and warping. Slightly scored rotors can be professionally resurfaced, while deep scoring or warping requires immediate rotor replacement. Failure to replace damaged rotors will result in accelerated brake pad wear and may lead to brake failure.

Difficulty:

Moderate

Instructions

things you'll need:

• Poultry baster
• Lug wrench
• Jack
• Jack stands
• 13 mm wrench
• Flat screwdriver
• 15 mm wrench
• Hammer (if necessary)
• Brake cleaner
• Wire brush
• Rotors
• Brake pads
• Brake grease
• C-clamp
• Funnel
• Brake fluid

1. • 1

     Park the Sienna on a flat surface and turn the engine off. Place the vehicle in "park" and apply the parking brake. Pull the hood release lever located under the dashboard on the driver's side of the vehicle. Move to the front of the van.

   • 2

     Lift the hood and remove the master cylinder cap. The cap is located on the right side of the Sienna's engine, near the rear of the engine compartment.

   • 3

     Remove half of the brake fluid from the reservoir with the poultry baster. Place the cap loosely on top of the container to aid in depressing the caliper pistons (in future steps), and to keep debris from the brake fluid reservoir.

   • 4

     Place the lug wrench over one of the lug nuts on a front wheel. Turn the nut one full turn to loosen it--do not remove the lug nut. Loosen all of the lug nuts on the wheel and the wheel on the opposite side of the vehicle.

   • 5

     Place the jack under the frame and lift the front of the vehicle off the ground. Place jack stands under the axles and lower the Sienna onto the stands with the jack.

   • 6

     Remove the lug nuts and take the front wheels off.

   • 7

     Remove the two caliper slide pins on the back side of each brake's caliper using a 13 mm wrench.

   • 8

     Lift the caliper from the caliper bridge and rest it on top of the steering arm.

   • 9

     Pry the brake pads from the slots of the caliper bridge with a flat screwdriver.

   • 10

     Remove the two bolts on the back side of each wheel hub's caliper bridge with a 15 mm wrench. Lift the bridge away from the rotor and set it aside.

   • 11

     Grab the rotor on either side and pull it from the wheel bolts. Use a hammer to strike the center section of the disc (known as the "top-hat section") for any rotor stuck to the steering knuckle by rust.

   • 12

     Spray brake parts cleaner on the area behind where the rotor sits and clean it with a wire brush.

   • 13

     Clean the new rotors (one on each side of the vehicle) with brake cleaner and a cloth towel.

   • 14

     Place the new rotors onto the wheel bolts with the top-hat section facing outward.

   • 15

     Place the C-clamp over the caliper piston and the back side of the caliper. Squeeze the pistons into the side of the caliper to allow for the thicker brake pads and rotor. Remove the clamp once the piston is fully opened.

   • 16

     Apply brake grease to the area of the caliper from where the piston extends.

   • 17

     Replace the caliper bridge over the new rotor and screw in the caliper bridge bolts with the 15 mm wrench.

   • 18

     Insert the new brake pads into the slots of the caliper bridge.

   • 19

     Place the caliper over the new brake pads and caliper bridge. Screw in the caliper pins with the 13 mm wrench.

   • 20

     Replace the wheels onto the wheel bolts and screw on the lug nuts by hand.

   • 21

     Lift the Sienna with the jack and remove the jack stands. Lower the front tires to the ground and tighten the lug nuts with the lug wrench.

   • 22

     Move to the rear wheels and loosen the lug nuts on them.

   • 23

     Lift the back-end of the Toyota and remove the rear wheels.

   • 24

     Repeat the process for replacing the rear brakes with the exception of step 8. Remove the caliper from the rear caliper bridge and suspend it above the brake assembly with a bungee cord or wire coat hanger--do not allow the caliper to hang by the brake line.

   • 25

     Return to the engine compartment once all of the brakes have been replaced. Remove the master cylinder cap and use a funnel to add brake fluid until the reservoir is full. Replace the cap and close the Toyota's hood.

Tips & Warnings

• Toyota recommends that you use DOT-3 brake fluid to fill the master cylinder.