On changing the brake pads in my 2010.

Seems like a tradeoff -- rust away rotors in 100K of driving or wear the rotors away in 100K. But in the latter case the rotors stay shiny.

 

"Seems like a tradeoff"

Except for the fact that that rust buildup is really trivial: I bought a 2010 with 61,000 miles on it, replaced all the pads and lubed the sliding pins (all due diligence for a 'new' vehicle...) and measured all the rotors. They were ALL still at factory spec in thickness.

 

There's a phenomena, where the rust beyond the pad-contact zone on the rotor starts encroaching, reducing the width of the shiny zone. I've never noticed it personally. Maybe a lack of caliper pin lube, coupled with copious winter salt, exacerbates it?

 

My trivial rust buildup, ~100K miles. Pads are still about 4mm thick and uniform edge to edge. Not a big deal. I don't mind replacing pads and rotors. Yes, I should have caught this sooner. This is just the first time I have personally rotated tires in quite a while (thanks, COVID). Usage of this vehicle has diminished from about 10K miles per year when it was new, to about 5K now. I will use genuine Toyota parts since I don't want to have different pad compositions between front and rear. Rear brakes/rotors were done about 2 years ago with genuine parts. All sourced from Olathe, if I'm allowed to say that.

 

Also (FWIW): NAPA sells an 'ultra premium' rotor that is coated with a polymer. The pads remove the polymer where they meet the rotors upon first application, so ostensibly the rotors don't rust as seen here (and on mine). I bought a pair, but did not install them, as the rotors were still in spec. They are about 40USD each for the front rotors. Bonus note: when I was deciding whether to buy the car, I took it with the blessing of the seller to a local Salt Lake (big, fancy) Toyota dealer to have it run thru one of their '72 point' inspections. Came back with a good score, EXCEPT they said the REAR rotors were out of spec (pretty much impossible with that mileage...) and that the CV boots were torn, and front axles needed to be replaced (boots were intact and perfect...).

 

Happened to me with my Gen 1, got pretty bad, ate up the edges of the pads:



Have not noticed it on my Gen 3, so far.

During the years I owned my Gen 1, I was doing a lot of bicycle commuting, with the Gen 1 sitting in the driveway for days at a time.

In the years I have owned my Gen 3, I've been commuting by car much more regularly. And the rotors have stayed pretty shiny.

I am a little bit apprehensive of how they are going to look post-COVID.

I've been trying to remember to at least go around the block every week or so.

As always, the brakes get noisy after a night of rain.

In ordinary circumstances, if I just shift to neutral while stopping, I can make them silent again by the third stop sign leaving the neighborhood.

After a COVID no-driving week, if it's been rainy, it takes quite a longer distance to quiet them down again.

 

It's like the first time you decide to fix that light switch in the hallway that has bugged you for years. The first time you do it, you say to yourself, "I'll just make sure not to touch the wires together"..............only to find that your hand makes a perfect conduit!!!.............soooo, next time you decide to fix another switch, you go to the circuit breaker and just shut off the power source to that circuit. It's just safer. LoL

 

I'm preparing to replace brake pads on my new (to me) 2011 Prius II (90K miles). I've watched @NutzAboutBolts excellent youtube videos on front brakes, rear brakes, and caliper sliding pin lubrication (as well as 1A's videos on front and rear brakes). I'm planning to have my rotors cut an auto parts store rather than replace the rotors. I have a question that I haven't seen addressed on the forum, and which was asked but not answered in the youtube comments: would it be unwise to do front and rear brakes but do the brake pumping procedure just once after, instead of doing one axel, pumping, the other, and pumping? Thanks!

 

You can replace all the pads and rotors, or cut them, or is your brakes are smooth, leave the rotors alone.
Then bleed them. Always easier to do them all at once.

 

Thanks for the reply, @ASRDogman! So you're saying that after replacing brakes on both axles, I could go ahead and bleed brakes rather than use the brake pumping procedure in @NutzAboutBolts's brake replacement videos? Watching @NutzAboutBolts brake bleeding procedure, I see that the first step is to go into invalid mode. Without the techstream, I see that I would have to apply the ebrake. Earlier in this thread, @Mendel Leisk mentioned that he would want to do some brake pumping and and a little drive before using the ebrake. So, do you think it's a problem to apply the ebrake before any brake pumping? Or were you saying I should do the brakes on both axles, do the pumping procedure once for both axles, and then bleed?

Thanks!

 

With the rear brakes only you want to be sure the new pads are well seated before using emergency brake, to safeguard against the piston rotating. It needs to be firmly locked, piston against pad, to prevent this. If piston does manage to rotate you will get massive drag and beveled pad wear.

And with either front or rear you want pads well seated (via pumping pedal), before reconnecting 12 volt, to avoid car detecting excessive pedal travel, possibly throwing a code.

 

You have to pump the brake pedal to bleed the brakes.
Using NutzAboutBolts video is fine.
I ALWAYS make sure I pump the pedal until I get a firm pedal. It should only take a few
pumps with new pads.
Only ONCE did I forget to pump the brakes before driving the car. I was backing out, pressed the pedal to stop,
and nothing happened. I knew as soon as I pressed the pedal I had forgotten to do that!!!
I was pumping hard and fast with my right foot and pressing the parking brake with my left. I was lucky, I didn't hit
the other car in the bay. That was back in 1988?????

Do not use the parking brake on your Prius until you have pumped up the brakes, when you replace the
rear pads.
Before you start the car, press the pedal several time until it feel firm. Then hold, start the car, release
the pedal, press easily, release, press.... 3 or 4 times. Then IDLE the car forward and backwards a few
feet to make sure the brakes are stopping the car.
Then bleed the old fluid out and the new in!