How do you replace the front brake rotors and the brake pads on a 1997 Toyota Tercel?

Answer

Chock the wheels. Loosen lug nuts slightly on wheel being changed. Jack up one side of car. Place on jack stand. Remove road wheel. On engine side of brake caliper are two 19mm bolts. Remove two bolts and slide caliper off rotor. Hang from spring with a coat hanger to prevent weight being put on the brake fluid line. Rotor now pulls off the hub. To replace the brake pads first review (and diagram if necessary) the clip arrangement. You do not have to remove any clips to get the pads out, but they might fall out in which case re-installing them correctly is important. Simply push pads out with fingers from the outside of the caliper. The pad on the pressure side of the caliper has a clip on the protusion part of the pad which will come out with the pad; be sure to re-install it on the new pad. Installation of new pads is done by sliding the pad up into the back of the caliper and pushing one end into its slot making sure the clip in the slot is compressed to put tension against the pad toward the curved end of the pad. Put on the rotor and one lug nut to hold the rotor tight against the hub. Slide the caliper over the rotor. If it will not slide on, take a c-clamp and compress the pad toward the rear of the car to its deepest position. You can then slide the caliper over the rotor. Re-install the two 19mm bolts and torque down. With wheels chocked, emergency brake off and the car in neutral rotate the rotor by hand to ensure it rotates freely. Put on the road wheel. Lower the car and test.