Tools you need for front brakes on a 2014-2019 Toyota Corolla

The E170 Corolla has about the most beginner-friendly front brake setup Toyota sells: a single-piston floating caliper on a 275 mm vented rotor, two 14 mm slide bolts, two 17 mm bracket bolts and no rotor retaining screw to snap off. If you have done brakes on any modern Toyota, this will feel familiar, and a first-timer can finish both sides in an afternoon with hand tools.

The one thing people get wrong is skipping the slide pins. Corollas in salt states commonly seize a pin in its bore, which makes one pad wear twice as fast as the other and cooks the new rotor. Pull both pins, clean them, re-grease with silicone brake grease, and replace any torn boots while you are in there. The second most common mistake is not drawing fluid out of the reservoir before compressing the pistons, which pushes old fluid up and over the top.

Complete tool and parts list

Torque specs

How the job goes

1. Park on level ground, chock the rear wheels, leave the parking brake off if you plan to spin the hub, and crack the front lug nuts loose while the wheels are on the ground.
2. Open the brake fluid reservoir and draw out about a third of the fluid with a baster so it does not overflow when the pistons are pushed back.
3. Jack up the front, set jack stands under the pinch welds or subframe, and remove both front wheels.
4. Remove the lower 14 mm caliper slide bolt, pivot the caliper up off the pads, then remove the upper bolt and hang the caliper from the strut spring with a bungee. Never let it hang by the hose.
5. Lift the old pads and the anti-rattle clips out of the bracket, noting the shim orientation on the back of the pads.
6. Remove the two 17 mm caliper bracket bolts with a breaker bar and lift the bracket off.
7. Pull the rotor off. If it is rust-welded, tap the hat with a dead blow hammer or thread two M8x1.25 bolts evenly into the rotor's threaded jacking holes to push it off.
8. Wire brush the hub face clean so the new rotor sits flat, and check for rust build-up around the wheel studs.
9. Wipe the new rotor down with brake cleaner to remove the shipping oil, then fit it to the hub. A spare lug nut holds it in place while you work.
10. Clean the bracket abutment surfaces, fit new stainless abutment clips, and apply a thin film of silicone brake grease to the clip pad contact points.
11. Pull each slide pin out of its boot, wipe it, re-grease with silicone caliper grease and reinsert. Check the rubber boots for tears.
12. Bolt the bracket back on and torque both 17 mm bolts to 79 ft-lb (107 Nm).
13. Compress the caliper piston fully with a C-clamp against an old pad, watching the reservoir level.
14. Install the new pads with their shims, swing the caliper down over them and torque both 14 mm slide bolts to 25 ft-lb (34 Nm).
15. Repeat on the other side, refit the wheels and snug the lug nuts, lower the car, then torque the lugs to 76 ft-lb (103 Nm) in a star pattern.
16. Pump the brake pedal until it is firm before moving the car, top up the reservoir to MAX, and bed the pads with 8-10 moderate stops from about 40 mph without coming to a complete halt.

Watch out

The 14 mm slide bolts, 17 mm bracket bolts and 21 mm lug nuts are consistent across the 2014-2019 E170 Corolla, but verify the torque figures against the Toyota service manual for your exact model year and trim.

Other jobs on the 2014-2019 Toyota Corolla

Front Brake Pads and Rotors on other vehicles