What are the best brake linings for my Camry? Are there any things I should watch out for in changing them?
The Toyota OEM linings are very good and I recommend them for most uses – I use them exclusively. They are quiet, have good life, and don’t trash the rotor/drum. Ceramic linings have been recommended to me, but I haven’t tried them. Cheap asbestos linings generally sound like Cooter’s Hell when you are stopping and should be used only if you and anyone riding in your car are deaf. You should refinish the rotors if there are any grooves worn in the rotors or if there is any side-to-side wobble (runout). Drums always have to be refinished. Also, be careful not to inhale brake dust from the old pads. Don’t blow the dust with your lungs or compressed air to clean the brake parts. Clean the old backing plate, rotor, caliper, etc. with a spray brake cleaner. Use a drip pan to catch the run-off. Always use new springs for the drum brakes. Use high temperature brake grease on all pivot points in drum braking systems. Don’t get any liquid on the brake linings or they will be garbage. Don’t even
