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Toyota Sienna Rear Brake Pads Replacement Guide
How to change the rear disc brake pads on a 3rd generation 2011 to 2016 Toyota Sienna minivan with pictures.

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2012 Sienna Rear Wheel
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Slightly Loosen 5 Lug Nuts
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Raise Rear of Minivan
This automotive maintenance tutorial was specifically written to assist owners of the third generation (2011, 2012, 2013, 2014 and probably also the revised 2015 & 2016 model years) Toyota Sienna minivan in changing the rear disc brake pads.

Owners of other Toyota vehicles with similar rear disc brake hardware such as the Tacoma, Tundra, FJ Cruiser, Hilux, Venza, Highlander, 4Runner, Sequoia, RAV4 and Land Cruiser, may also find these DIY instructions to be helpful.

A few compatible replacement rear brake pad sets with their part numbers are as follows: Wagner QC1391 or ZD1391, Akebono ACT1391, Raybestos PGD1391C, Monroe CX1391, ProAct ACT1391, Bosch BC1391 and Toyota 04466-0E010.

The tools needed to complete this procedure include a floor jack, two jack stands, a lug nut wrench, a 14mm socket with a 3/8" drive ratcheting wrench, a "C" or "F" clamp and a tube of brake parts lubricant grease.

 


 

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Spin Off 5 Lug Nuts
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5 Lug Nuts Removed
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Caliper, Bracket, Rotor
The first two steps are to park the minivan on a level surface and chock the front wheels to prevent it from moving.

Then slightly loosen the 5 lug nuts on the rear wheel by turning them counter clockwise with the lug nut wrench.

Raise the rear of the vehicle with the floor jack and securely support it with the two jack stands.

I prefer to work on one side of the car at a time for extra safety.

Spin off the 5 lug nuts and set them aside in a safe place.

Pull off the rear wheel to reveal the brake caliper, bracket, rotor and suspension.

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Rear Brake Caliper
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Loosen Lower Caliper Bolt
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Remove Lower 14mm Bolt
The rear brake caliper is held in place to the bracket by two 14mm bolts located on the rear face of the caliper.

Loosen the lower caliper bolt by turning it clockwise (as seen from the outside of the vehicle) with the 14mm socket and ratcheting wrench.

Spin out the bolt and set it outside in a safe place.

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Swing Caliper Upwards
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Pull Out Bolt / Slider Pin
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Rest Caliper On Suspension
You can either remove the upper 14mm caliper bolt or just lift the caliper upwards and pull out the upper caliper slider pin as shown in the pictures above.

Carefully rest the caliper on the suspension or suspend it from the spring with a bungee cord or some twine. Try to avoid kinking or stressing the rubber brake fluid line.

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Remove Old Outer Pad
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Wear Bars - Bottom Both Pads
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Replace Anti-Rattle Clips
Pull the old brake pads out of the bracket and make a mental note of how the wear indicator or "squeal" bars are situated.

On this 2012 Sienna, the wear bars were situated at the bottom of both the inner and outer pads.

I recommend buying the Wagner QC1391 "ThermoQuiet" rear brake pads since they have excellent reviews on Amazon. I also like how they have built in insulators so they don't require any shims, backing plates or disc brake quiet gel.

If your new set of rear brake pads included replacement brake hardware, pull the old metal pad abutment or "anti-rattle" clips out of the top and bottom of the bracket before installing the new ones.



 

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Remove & Lubricate Pin
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Attach "F" Clamp To Piston
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Twist Off Brake Fluid Cap
In order for the caliper to operate smoothly, the two caliper slider pins need to be well lubricated.

Pull the lower pin out of its rubber dust boot in the bracket and apply a thin layer of high temperature brake caliper grease.

Be sure to also lubricate the upper caliper pin. Re-insert the pin back in to its rubber dust boot.

In order for the caliper to fit over the thicker new brake pads, the piston will need to be compressed backwards.

Attach the "C" or "F" clamp to the caliper using the back of an old brake pad to evenly distribute the pressure.

Move to the engine bay, flip open the brake fluid reservoir access panel on the driver side cowl and twist off the cap in the counter clockwise direction.

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Compress Caliper Piston
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Replace Reservoir Cap
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Install New Brake Pads
Very slowly turn the "F" clamp handle to compress the piston while repeatedly checking the level in the brake fluid reservoir to prevent it from overflowing. Try to avoid pinching or otherwise damaging the rubber dust boot surrounding the caliper piston.

Be sure to clean up any spilled brake fluid immediately since it can easily damage painted surfaces.

Replace the brake fluid reservoir cap as soon as possible since brake fluid is hygroscopic (readily absorbs moisture from the air).

If your Sienna previously exhibited shuddering, pulsating, or vibrations from the rear end while braking, you may need to have the rotors "turned" (resurfaced) or it may be less expensive to just replace them with new rotors. If this is the first rear brake job on your minivan and the rotors appear to be in excellent condition, you should be able to just replace the pads with great results.

To remove the existing rotors and install new ones, remove the two bolts on the rear of the caliper bracket that attach it to the steering knuckle. Then loosen the old rotor with a rubber mallet, pull it off, and slide the new one in its place. Be sure to properly tighten the two bracket bolts with a torque wrench.

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Push Pads Against Rotor
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Re-Insert Upper Slider Pin
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Spin In Lower Caliper Bolt
Apply a thin layer of brake parts lubricant grease to any surface where there is metal to metal contact such as the outer lip of the caliper piston and the pad abutment clips. Do not apply grease to the friction surface of the new pads.

Install the new pads in to the bracket with the wear bars situated at the bottom of both pads.

Push the pads flush against the rotor.

Re-insert the upper caliper slider pin and rotate the caliper down over the new pads.

If the caliper won't fit over the new pads, you may need to compress the piston back a bit further.

Re-insert the lower caliper bolt and spin it in by hand a few turns to prevent it from becoming cross threaded.

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Tighten Lower 14mm Bolt
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Torque Bolts To 25 Ft-Lbs
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Replace Wheel & Lug Nuts
Tighten the two caliper bolts by turning them counter clockwise with the 14mm socket and ratcheting wrench to just past hand tight or about 25 ft-lbs of torque.

Double check that both caliper bolts are tight before moving on to the next steps.

If your brake pedal has been feeling soft or "spongy", the brake fluid may be contaminated with water or the brake lines may contain air bubbles.

It would be best to bleed the brake lines at this time in order to flush out the old fluid and replace it with fresh DOT3 brake fluid. For more on this topic, check out my Brake Line Fluid Bleeding With An Assistant DIY Guide or alternatively the Brake Line Fluid Bleeding With A Power Bleeder Guide.

The brake fluid bleeder valve is located underneath a rubber cap on the back side of the caliper just below the upper caliper bolt.

Replace the rear wheel and spin on the five lug nuts by hand in the clockwise direction to prevent them from becoming cross threaded.

Slightly tighten the lug nuts in a criss cross or "star" pattern with the lug nut wrench.

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Slightly Tighten Lug Nuts
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Lower Minivan Off Stands
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Torque Lug Nuts To 76 ft-lbs
Lower the vehicle from the jack stands using the floor jack until the rear wheel holds enough weight to keep it from spinning.

Continue progressively tightening the lug nuts in a criss cross or star pattern to about 1/8 to 1/4 turn past hand tight or about 76 to 80 ft-lbs of torque. It would be best to use a torque wrench or an impact wrench with an 80 ft lbs torque stick to properly tighten the lug nuts.

Sit in the driver's seat and firmly pump the brake pedal a few times to restore the brake line pressure.

Check the brake fluid reservoir and verify that the level is correct. If it is low, add some new DOT 3 fluid.

Take the minivan for a short and cautious test drive with the windows down so you can hear any strange noises when you step on the brake pedal which may indicate a problem.

To break in your new pads, just drive normally for the first few hundred miles while trying to avoid any hard or "panic" stops which may glaze over the new pads and cause them to be noisy and/or not perform as well.

It's also a good idea to regularly check your driveway for drops of brake fluid which may indicate a leak, check the brake fluid level in the reservoir, and also verify that the lug nuts are still tight.

For more, please check out my other Toyota Sienna Repair & Maintenance Guides.
 

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