Brake Bleeding Required for Front Pad Replacement?

[mkchad0]

I read the posted guide for the brake replacement. However, it did not discuss the need for bleeding the brakes afterwards.

Basically, I have two questions:

1) When is bleeding the brakes necessary?

2) What makes bleeding the brakes necessary in the particular instances stated in an answer to question 1 above?

I'm getting close to having my front brake pads replaced, and I've pondered doing the job myself. Brake bleeding is the only real part of the job that would convince me to just have someone else more experienced complete the work (I'd rather not die from not correctly bleeding my brakes).

[Steve]

I have changed my pads before but it was a non toyota

Firstly I removed the cap on the brake fluid resevoir under the hood.

Then with the wheel off i un-bolted the bottom bolts on the caliper and loosened the top one slightly and then swivelled the caliper upwards.. unclipped the brake pads and removed brake pads.

Then with a bar i forced the brake cylider back in (watch the fluid rises out of the resevoir... best ensure you have cloth under the resevoir)

popped some special caliper grease in between the brake pad and shim.. popped back onto caliper.

after i reassemble the bads and caliper is bolted back in place I gently start pumping the brakes (bleeding) keeping my eye on the resivour making sure it does not run dry.. keep topping up until brakes feel firm again.

Check again after driving about a few miles.

Also never brake hard with new pads... they need to bed in for a week.

I am not a mechanic... So Do not hold me responsible if my advice above go wrong. This was on an old nissan.. never tried it since.

[fidgits]

you only need to bleed the brakes if there is air in the system, this is usually apparant by a spongyness in the brake pedal...

[stevelaw]

You can change your frnot pads yourself without any problems. I just did it to my '02 Camry, like any other car I've ever had. But one thing to consider: you need to take the filler cap off and gently place it back down on the master cylinder because once you put the new pads on and start pumping the brake pedal, it will displace the brake fluid higher up into the master cylinder and it may overflow (wrap a shop towel around it after loosening the cap). So even though merely throwing new pads on is unlikely to cause air to enter the system, why not carefully siphon some of that dirty fluid out and put in some fresh brake fluid while you're doing the pads?

STEVE

[lexus]

dont do it at the dealer very costly