Changing 2WD super Custom front brake discs: A guide

Hi all,

This must be a very common requirement but searches have revealed nothing.

I'm changing the front discs and pads on my 1996 Super Custom...
I can see I'm also going to have to take the front hub off, as it's in the way of the disc - doh!

So there are a few bolts i need to know the torque values for!

1 Caliper to hub
2 Caliper to pad carrier
3 Hub to disc
4 Hub nut

Does anyone have a manual, reference ir knowledge for these values?
Is there another Toyota that used the same front hubs as the Hiace 2WD ?

Thanks in advance!

Ok I have some preliminary data for this, and will update this post if it needs to be changed at any point.

Toyota 2WD Hiace 5 stud front rotor disc replacement.

Unlike the majority of cars the Hiace has the brake rotor fitted behind the hub flange. This means you have to take the hub off to change the brake discs/rotors. The 4Runner also has this arrangement - it's possibly the same brakes as used in the Hiace.

Tools:
1. Nut gun/impact wrench if available.
2. New 3.6mm x 40mm split pins
3. Soft faced hammer.
4. Big flat screwdriver
5. Wood chisel
6. Brake cleaner spray
7. Paper roll.

Preparation:
1. With the brake on loosen the 14mm rotor-disc to hub bolts. Or use a nut-gun later.
2. Remove the hub dust cover: Use a soft faced hammer and wood chisel to ease it away from the hub, little taps all around. Change to a large flat screwdriver when there's space but keep tapping with the hammer gently all the way around and it will ease off bit by bit and should remain unmarked. Never lever, grip or pull, just tap.

Removal:Turn the steering for good access
1. Remove the caliper. This is done with the little 14mm bolts next to the bellows. use a 17mm spanner to hold the sliders and undo the nuts. remove the caliper and rest it (on a paint pot etc) so the brake pipe is not stressed.
You'll see the pads mounted neatly and remain on the disc but take a note of the two shims, the shiny stainless ones fit on the outside and the ones with the slots fit next to the pads. Tabs face the other shim.
2. Remove the caliper carrier (torque plate) from the knuckle. A nut gun is useful here. .
3. Remove the split pin and lock washer. Unscrew the hub nut - it should be almost loose. Leave the big bearing washer there.
4. Carefully support and slide off the hub assy.
5. Remove the disc from the axle hub. Careful the front bearing doesn't fall out, it's only held in with grease now.

You'll now have in front of you the old disc+hub, and the new disc. Rest the discs on 2 bits of wood as the hub sticks out the back a bit. You need to transfer the hub to the new disk, but lots of crud collects behind it, so have a scraper handy and when you lift it out of the old one, scrape the crud off with your other hand. Have a paper roll handy. Don't let the front bearing fall out.

Make sure the surfaces are clean when fitting to the new disk, dirt = runout = brake pulsing. Spin it on the new disc to be sure no grit is trapped before you put the bolts in.

Reassembly:
1. Bolt the new rotor disc to the hub. Torque the bolts to 64 NM when possible.
2. Fit the axle hub/rotor assy. back on the van. Do the nut up softly until all play is gone, and then back off a little. Then take just the socket in your hand and do it back up - by hand. Fit the locking nut and new 3.6mm x 40mm split pin to neatly curl around the front.
3. Fill the space up with grease to protect the hub, grease the cap so it will slide in and then tap the hub dust cover back on. Plastic faced hammer is useful as is a big screwdriver to tap the lip on the side of the widest gap, just be patient and rotate the hub to get it on smoothly.
4. Shine a torch around the back and spin the disc to check for excess grease.

Use LM grease for packing. Remember the hub nut isn't super tight, in fact it's almost loose, so the only thing stopping it coming undone and your wheel+disc+hub falling off is the locking washer and split pin. After 'tightening' the hub nut check the hub has no play and is nice and smooth.
Never tighten the hub nut by force as you'll be crushing your front wheel bearings.. be gentle.

Brake reassembly (Always use new pads. Use Toyota pads for Toyota discs.)
1. De-grease the discs properly with brake cleaner. Thread a wheel nut to spin the hub by hand.
2. Check the sliders and bellows are perfect or replace.
3. Install the torque plate (caliper carrier) back onto the knuckle. Torque the bolts to 108 NM.
4. Fit any clip (Inside lower) to the back pad and then slot the pads in next to the disc.
5. Straighten, clean, tighten the tabs, lightly copper-ease and refit the shims
6. Making sure the brake reservoir does not overflow push the capiler back gently with a hand clamp. It won't go flush like most so be gentle.
7. Put a dot of Loctite 243 on the 14mm bolt ends and reinstall caliper over the disc+pad assy. Tighten to 34NM.
8 Jam a screwdriver in the disk vents and tighten the hub-disc bolts to 64NM if you didn't earlier.


Notes:
The hub has an inner ball race and an outer tapered roller. The taper means the 'play' is determined by the tightness of the hub nut, it you do it up too tight you'll lock the taper bearing, which will then melt and your wheel will seize.

Avoiding 'warped' discs:
Pads are more important than discs for preventing brake judder.
Discs never actually warp, they are huge lumps of cast iron, but killing them is easy - get the disc nice and hot (from a motorway stop), come to a halt and keep your foot firmly on the brake. The brake pad then reacts with the hot iron and infuses to create an invisible area of iron carbide - called 'cememtite'.
This hard spot will then stand out and cause brake pulsing like a warp, and can only be eradicated by skimming or - better - a new disc. In traffic it's not an issue but when you pull off a fast road allow a cool down time and don't rest it on the brakes.
For an auto this is the time to use neutral or park (when you've actually stopped - never coast an automatic as it's oil pump will be running too slowly). At a rest stop the key is to get the van stopped and get off the brakes when you can to stop the carbide factory.

All correct up to the last line what is the correct preload on the bearing and exact procedure it is important

JT69 wrote:

All correct up to the last line what is the correct preload on the bearing and exact procedure it is important  

Thanks! Can you confirm that the torque figures are correct?

I haven't worked out how to do the preload yet, so I just made sure the hub nut was in _exactly_ the same position after I changed the disc as it was before. On both sides this worked out about 45 degrees more than hand tight, but I'll have to wait until I see manual to confirm.

My 'keep it the same' method makes them feel like they did before but of course any new bearing would throw that out.

Had a service on a Hiace camper whilst touring Australia the guy was an expert and did a brill job and stressed how important pre-load was think he said torque to ? then spin bearing then back of certain degrees essential for new bearings having been run in sorry cannot recall figures he quoted.

JT69 wrote:

Had a service on a Hiace camper whilst touring Australia the guy was an expert and did a brill job and stressed how important pre-load was think he said torque to ? then spin bearing then back of certain degrees essential for new bearings having been run in sorry cannot recall figures he quoted.    

It gets a lot of discussion but no torquing!

http://www.pirate4x4.com/forum/toyota-truck-4runner/302205-wheel-bearing-preload.html
http://www.toyotanation.com/forum/80-89-95-toyota-pickup-hilux/413135-2wd-front-wheel-bearings.html

It appears that it just needs to be zero play at zero force IMO, if you are holding a 30mm socket hand tight and checking it's on properly, and turning smoothly it's probably done.

If too tight the bearing will fail
If too loose you'll have play which will affect the brakes and tracking slightly.

I'm assuming mine were done correctly in Japan, the hubs were unmarked and the split pin and grease were extremely neat and both sides were the same tension, both nuts once freed of the split pin could be undone by hand so the correct value is pretty loose.

Totally agree with a good bearing run in a few miles zero pre load and zero play hand tight with no resistance makes sense thanks GPW

I replaced discs and pads on my 92 last November, I've city and guild in motor vehicle technology and the years when younger spent in garage allowed me replace it all myself, its all pretty straight forward just done up tighter as bigger, the tapered bearings are done up to just hand tight then knocked back a touch, tapered need movement to work properly, it is always a feeling when doing tapered bearings up if that makes sense

my 1991 2wd Super Custom Hiace is in need of brake pads. does anyone know if any related model Toyota vehicles are using the same pads as the Hiace to make it simpler and perhaps cheaper to purchase the parts. I am in B.C. Canada

Hi GPW .. did you find the correct front brake discs for your 96 hiace ??
Mine needs to.be done on my 2wd 95 model.

Bump bump.. 🤗

Chiefster1976 wrote:

Hi GPW  .. did you find the correct front brake discs for your 96 hiace ??
Mine needs to.be done on my 2wd 95 model.

Hi,

Yes, I actually just ordered them from Burrows Toyota - via this link:
http://www.burrowstoyotaparts.co.uk/hiace-1994-1996-front-brake-discs-43512-26120-pair-i4457.html

They get quite a load on the automatic so I wanted original discs and pads and they didn't cost that much really.

The link is now dead but you can buy them here:
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Genuine-Toyota-Hiace-1994-1996-Front-Brake-Discs-Pair/360469226822

Or cheaper pattern parts, just type 43512 26120 into the eBay search.
That was the part number for my 3.0 TD 1996 van anyway

GOOD write up GPW. Just done brake discs/rotors and pads combo and was a doddle to do.
 Got mine here and fit perfectly.
https://m.ebay.com.au/itm/FOR-TOYOTA-Hiace-KZH100-KZH110-KZH120-285mm-08-93-07-04-FRONT-Disc-Rotors-amp-Pads-/273154392247?txnId=1975441510017

The centre hub nut was on relatively tight but not hand tight. Was a bit more than seated. Easy to tighten in reverse order and the you can tell how tight to go for the position of the split pin to go through the castle nut. (Seated plus about split pin thickness more will do it.  Suggest using exact same thickness split pin as I tried a slightly smaller one and will make the little tin castle nut cover to wobble a bit and the castle nut may loosen so use exact same split pin width.
 Cleaned out all the old grease inside the hub and repacked.

It's good practice to buy a cheap bearing repacking machine to repack the bearing properly ..
 

The link above are good quality and fit perfectly. Cheap

New pads and rotors went smoothly peddle was very hard without engine running. Start engine and peddle goes all the way to the floor. Did something happen to the master when I pushed the calliper back in with a g cramp? When vacuum bleeding i get lots of air coming through but conventional 2 man bleeding gets no air but problem persists. What next..

May have misunderstood, 94 super custom, once I expose the existing rotor, remove caliper, I remove front facing bolts and pry the hub from the existing rotor??
No press required?

Cheers