1. This site uses cookies. By continuing to use this site, you are agreeing to our use of cookies. Learn More.

Any Toyota techs here?

Discussion in 'General' started by notbostrom, Sep 5, 2012.

  1. notbostrom

    notbostrom DaveK broke the interwebs

    Wife has a 2011 Rav4, 28k miles brakes have started making a horrible noise, doesn't sound like traditional metal on metal and the pads have a 1/4 inch left. The noise sounds more like nails on a chalk board than anything. Only at low speeds and light braking... usually the last 20 or 30 feet of rolling to a stop. The local Dealer has a reputation for avoiding warr work and always come back with the unable to duplicate BS.

    This sound familiar to anyone?
     
  2. TakeItApart

    TakeItApart Oops!

    Check both inboard and outboard pads. I've seen a few rav4's with sticky slider pins, which causes uneven brake pad wear. Its usually the left front outboard pad, but it could be any of them. If that's all fine, I'd suspect contamination of the pad material, whether it be a small piece of metal, or some other debris.

    Edit: I've also seen the warning squealers be a little bent and indicate that you need new pads a little too early.
     
    Last edited: Sep 5, 2012
  3. notbostrom

    notbostrom DaveK broke the interwebs

    yep pulled the wheels and all pads are even wear. could the wear indicators be scraping?
     
  4. TakeItApart

    TakeItApart Oops!

    Yep. If you look on the inboard pads, they should be near the top. If you're comfortable with how much brake pad is remaining, just take a small screwdriver and pry the squealer away from the rotor. Test drive and see if it goes away.
     
  5. notbostrom

    notbostrom DaveK broke the interwebs

    so what is the minimum service thickness for pads? ie what is the point at which the factory calls for replacement. smallest pad was at 4mm and the shop told her the noise was cause the brakes were shot and needed to be replaced. Granted 4mm is close to being due but having to replace them early due to a defect pisses me off with no consideration from Toyota. This was our first and LAST Toyota. They treat there customers like shit
     
  6. notbostrom

    notbostrom DaveK broke the interwebs

  7. notbostrom

    notbostrom DaveK broke the interwebs

  8. TakeItApart

    TakeItApart Oops!

    We techs, usually recommend replacement at 3/32". The PA state minimum on bonded pads is 2/32". If your pads are at 4mm, that's pretty close to 3/32". They are new at 12-14/32"

    What's wrong with the pad in the picture? They bevel the leading and trailing edges of the pads like that from the factory.
     
  9. notbostrom

    notbostrom DaveK broke the interwebs

    only 1 pad had that beveling and it was extreme 2 mm on tips and 3.5mm middle, all the other pads were flat.. the beveling was chunky as well, like someone took a chisel to it
     
  10. TakeItApart

    TakeItApart Oops!

    Are you saying that only one pad, out of the four, had the area, circled in red, beveled? Did you pull all four? I could see two pads, one on either side of the vehicle having that shape, but only one? I'd have to see a profile shot to understand what you mean when you say it's chunky.

    The area circled in blue will sometimes get all chewed up from rust at the inner part of the rotor. The area circled in green appear to be a few cracks. nothing I would worry about on pads that are as thin as yours, (they need replaced anyway), but I'd definitely replace them if they had the cracks like that with a few thousand miles on them.
     

    Attached Files:

  11. turner38

    turner38 Well-Known Member

    Honestly, IMO there is really no need to be pissed off at Toyota. The brakes are worn out and have been overheated (big suprise since you live in the Mountains) they aren't warrentied against wear. The scallops are normal, that is the way they come from the factory.

    Go buy yourself a set of Wagner Thermo quite pads, spend the 15 minutes it takes to change them and call it a day.

    JMO
     
  12. BC

    BC Well-Known Member

    28k on a set of factory pads on a little yota seems lame, regardless of the terrain.
     
  13. turner38

    turner38 Well-Known Member

    Not really, We had customers that we were regularly replacing the pads every 10K miles. The terrain can have a severe impact on brake wear, if they lived in Floridu they very well could have gone 60k miles on them but they line in the N Ga mountains and their pads are worn out after 28K miles.
     
  14. 418

    418 Expert #59

    :stupid:
     
  15. ToKwik

    ToKwik Well-Known Member

    Any chance they are aftermarket pads?

    I worked as a Tech for a few years and found that Toyota metallurgy is pretty specific with their brakes. I couldn't count how many sets of aftermarket pads made noise on stock rotors. I always thought the pad material was far too hard vs the stock material. Replaced with OEM and the noises went away.

    That was quite a few years ago, so things may have changed since then.
     
  16. novice201

    novice201 "I'm a robot chicken!"

    I think calling those pads worn out is aggressive, but opinions vary. If the OP is saying only one pad out of four has the bevel, that is odd. I'm assuming you took all four pads out?

    28k, harder use, they could be overheated and hardened. Generally dealers don't warranty brake wear past 10k or so. By your tone it certainly sounds like you've already decided how you feel about the dealer from the get go. Anyway.

    We used to stock thermoquiet till they started squeaking like a sonofabitch 15k in. Advanced auto's wherever gold seem ok so far. Or whatever.

    The bevel is normal,btw.
    [​IMG]
     
  17. Pompey

    Pompey Well-Known Member


    2/32" is that how it's written??
     
  18. notbostrom

    notbostrom DaveK broke the interwebs

    28k miles in 18 months = 99% hwy miles

    i understand brakes are not warr. never expected them to. The car went in for a grinding noise. They couldn't find it, nor could they find it 9k miles ago when the pads were thicker.




    Again i'm not talking about run of the mill noisy brakes... i'm talking about a gawd awful grinding sound... literally sounds like there are NO pads in the car and it's metal to metal
     
    Last edited: Sep 6, 2012
  19. notbostrom

    notbostrom DaveK broke the interwebs

  20. novice201

    novice201 "I'm a robot chicken!"

    Can you get a picture of the rotors? Sometimes you'll get some rust creeping up the face from the backside. How do the rears look, assuming disc all four?

    I wouldn't sell those pads, but mention they'll be due soon. The dealer would probably sell them. As far as I've seen, there is no spec for brake pad wear. I'm sure the dealer has one to wave at the customers. Unlike tires for example, not a whole lot of performance variation between new or worn, aside from some glazing. More surface friction issues rather than pad wear as they get older.
     

Share This Page