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To replace the front brakes rotor at 2015 Prius c do I need a special tool??

Discussion in 'Prius c Care, Maintenance and Troubleshooting' started by CARSFAN4, Sep 26, 2023.

  1. Tombukt2

    Tombukt2 Senior Member

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    Those threaded holes may be have one and a half turns of a tap there's no meat there You can blow them out very easily That's why I use them just to put a little tension on the plate spray the Aerokroil In those holes while you have the bolts out then put the bolts back in add a little tension let it run down in between the business job the hub side to side a little bit as in trying to turn it. Had a little more tension a few more taps and usually by then it's starting to come off but yeah you can blow those holes out very quickly if you're not careful.
     
  2. Mendel Leisk

    Mendel Leisk EGR Fanatic

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    @CARSFAN4 (OP) is in Los Angeles, definitely not the salt-belt. Would be good if he could post some pics, see what the rotors look like. Checking them requires a micrometer, and a dial indicator with magnetic base, as long as we're talking tools. Both those items are fairly cheap, maybe $100 USD in total?

    Still, he is doing a tilting-at-windmills diagnosis.
     
  3. ChapmanF

    ChapmanF Senior Member

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    I haven't had issues with stripping the threaded holes, myself. Maybe more likely in some aftermarket rotor made of papier-mâché?

    But I'm cheating ... I tend to inspect my brakes every time I rotate the tires, so my rotors usually flop right off.
     
  4. Carolyn M Delvalle

    Carolyn M Delvalle New Member

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    Hi we have a 2014 Prius c and were having some braking issues like noise squeaking and when it rains and we come to a stop it will grip and come to an abrupt stop no matter how gently we press the pedal. We researched and everything we found said that these are regenerative brakes and will likely last the life of the car. Did you actually see wear on your brake pads, rotors or calipers? If so I would like to know because then we likely need our car put on a lift to check out the depth of wear. My son did hours of research regarding the brake pads because my instinct with cars is that the brakes always need to be done when buying a used car. Thank you for any information you can share on your experience.
    Sincerely Carolyn
     
  5. ChapmanF

    ChapmanF Senior Member

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    There's a yes part and a no part. Yes, the brakes can last a really really long time if everything stays good. On the other hand, there are little things that can happen (like the 'fitting kit' clips where the pad ears slide getting rusty, or slide pins getting sticky, or a nick or tear in one of the rubber boots there to keep salt water out so stuff doesn't rust), and those little things can cause the brakes to wear right out while you're not looking because you expect them to last really really long.

    In the warranty and maintenance guide there is a routine quick inspection of the brakes at pretty much every service, and a more thorough one every few years. I do my own inspecting, and many times the result is just "yup, ok" and put everything back with no need for any new parts, and every now and then I'll put it back together with just new fitting kits (< $20), or anything else that looked ready at the time.

    Keep up with the inspections and the little things, and you really can go in the ballpark of a couple hundred thousand miles without needing any bigger stuff for the brakes. But overlook the regular inspections, and big stuff can come up faster than you expect.

    (One reason I do my own inspecting is that if you have a shop do it, there's pretty much always an incentive for the shop to say "oh, looks like you need this 'n' this 'n' this.)
     
  6. Carolyn M Delvalle

    Carolyn M Delvalle New Member

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    I have a 2014 Toyota Prius C and everything that I have read about these brakes is the first thing to go bad is the caliper bolts which then cause a chain reaction to the pads then the rotor. I encourage you to check out your calipers and calipers bolts to be sure they are moving freely and not sticking. I have read quite of few reply's in this forum. I hope this helps. Have an awesome day on purpose.
     
  7. Tombukt2

    Tombukt2 Senior Member

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    Those holes are thin as all get out you barely got two threads in that thin material You start cranking on it to pop the rotor off and very often those holes just strip out and do nothing best to put a little tension on them lightly a shot of croil behind the hat let it sit a minute Go walk to the other side and do the other one by the time you get back you're ready to see a few dinks with your hammer and the stuff falls off on the floor and by the way most rotors today seem to be coming out of the Middle East like Pakistan and places like that not necessarily the PRC
     
  8. ChapmanF

    ChapmanF Senior Member

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    Reading a thread about the brakes, it often sounds as if the slide pins are the only parts anybody has ever heard of, so they take on some sort of cult importance.

    Honestly, every time I inspect my brakes I check the rubber boots on those pins for any damage, and I wiggle the pins in and out a bit to wake the grease back up, and as long as they move smoothly and greasily then, that's the most attention I ever pay them. I will take them out and regrease them if they ever need it, but so far that's been never.

    Meanwhile, every now and then I do replace the "fitting kit" (which consists of the springy clips that hold the 'ears' of the brake pads in the grooves of the caliper bracket). First the factory dry Teflon-like coating wears off, later on some rust can form, and then the pads can't slide easily in the clips. Whenever needed, a replacement set is quite cheap. Otherwise, I clean them up and back on they go until my next inspection.

    Of course, when inspecting the rubber boots around the slide pins for any nicks or cuts, the rubber boot around the piston itself should be inspected the same way.

    If any brake dragging is suspected (it's easy to check), it may be worth checking the piston return.

    In general, I recommend treating the calipers as collections of parts that all need to play well together, and checking them over with that in mind, rather than hyperfocusing on a few of the parts.
     
  9. Tombukt2

    Tombukt2 Senior Member

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    It took 9 years for the slide pins on the sienna van similar to the Prius and other Toyotas to finally get stiff enough that it raised an eyebrow at this point the grease is old caked starting to turn like soft plastic if you will All I had to do was flush that out with the necessary chemical run the brushes through the botes fit new rubbers. I like to use the green lawn mower kind of grease for outdoor equipment slide the mess back in and put the bolts in this is taking all the 55 minutes good for another 10 plus years I guess now you can push the caliper in and out of the slide pins with your pinky finger pretty much what I'm looking for. The last set of pads that came out of the Prius Or the same thickness inner and outer upon removal so everything seems to be spot-on