1997 4runner front brake problem...

[hollywood9779]

Hi everyone, my 4runner needs to repair something every year the same month! last year ujoin, this time started with noice coming from front driver side, i took the wheel off and spin the rotor and found that the noice coming from one of the brake pad: the inner side pad, and more interesting is this pad almost worn out but the outer pad is still good, almost new.
Right now i can still drive and brake good, does anyone know what causes the uneven ware? i,m going to do it myself, should i replace the caliper or break fluid or brake lines? i dont find any leak around the caliper. Any suggeation? and thanks for your time.

[RobXS]

It could be the calipers or it could be the bolts corroded that allow the caliper to 'float'. I would replace both obviously along witht he pads. It isn't a big job and not very expensive. You can get rebuilt calipers at any parts store. The bolts you will have to get a the dealership. I think I paid $5 each and you will need 4 (2 per side). You will probably also want to flush your brake fluid while you are at it unless you have done so recently. Just be careful not to let the master cylinder go dry.

[hollywood9779]

Thanks RobXS for quick reply,
I hammered one of the bolt(looks more like a pin, to hold the pad in place, is the what you refer to?) out this morning(the other bolt is too stubborn to come off, i quit), anyway, after i put it back and test drive, the noice is totally gone and the truck is much lighter to drive , but i still need to do the job before snow come, i checked/phoned lot of places and came up caliper out of stock, no luck. Some suggest me to take them off first let them rebuild and give it back to me the next day, but still cost as a rebuild caliper, $100 + tax each. I went to Toyota dealer and bought caliper repair kit(lot of rubber rings and 8 metal rings) for $60 and going to do it this weekend, can anyone post me a diagram?

[RobXS]

Pin, is what I meant. You should have a spring clip holding it in that runs to the other pin. The pins allow the pads to float. My brain isn't working correctly this morning.

I would go with a rebuilt caliper as opposed to trying to rebuild my own, espeically if yours have been neglected. The reason being is that there are tolerances that need to be measured and you have to check closely for pitting and you may have to hone the calipers and possilbly go with larger pistons. If you buy rebuilt ones you don't have to deal with that. The actuall rebuild isn't difficult. You need to remove the pistons. You can do that using compressed air. If the pistons are stuck then you have a bit more of a challenge. You could try Rockauto.com or some of the online places. Rockauto sells a loaded (with pads) caliper for around $80 that includes the pins and the clips. That is a pretty good deal.

Whatever you decide to do, make sure you coat it very well with anti-sieze or else you will be in the same situation after winter.