Thread: Rear brakes

I had the '07 Azera state inspected the other day and my mechanic said the rear brakes should be replaced maybe in the spring. I had the left rear caliper hang up when I painted them because paint got onto the sliders and that pad must have been dragging for a while. Is the pad replacement a straight forward deal since I want to do it myself ? I think I'll replace the rear rotors also since they seem to be really rusty. I replaced all the rotors on my Camry with rotors (Centric) that have a special coating and after 2 winters they look good.

Originally Posted by Andamo

Is the pad replacement a straight forward deal since I want to do it myself ?

Yes; just clean all the hardware well & lube all sliding surfaces. The rears (crappy organic linings from the factory AFAIK) were the first pads to need replacement on our '07 Azera and have needed replacement twice, vs. the fronts (ceramic linings) being on their 5th set of pads. Parking (drum) brakes will probably get their first adjustment this week.

My dealer also told me the same thing regarding rear brakes on my 07 azera. Does anyone know what the thickness of the pad should be before requiring replacement? My azera only has 22000 miles. Thanks, Rich

The pad on the passenger side is at 5/32'' and the driver side is 3/32'' and that's good enough for our PA state inspection.

I'm going to go with the Centric brand of rotors and pads. I put them on my Camry and they have a special coating that keeps the rust from starting between the rotors and other non-braking surfaces. I've had them on the Camry for 2 of our Pennsylvania winters (salt, sand, anti-skid materials) and they're holding up very well. I've found the pads and rotors on e-Bay and will just get them from there since they're much more expensive at the auto parts stores.

Well oem pads are generally pretty decent, if you want some other pads that do well but dust a lot are hawk HP+ pads and Hawk HPS pads are a hit or a miss as well