2006-2016 Toyota RAV4 Brake Job Tools and Torque Specs

By Core Brake Parts Tech Team — Circleville, OH warehouse

A 2006-2016 Toyota RAV4 brake job needs ordinary hand tools: a jack and stands, a lug wrench, metric sockets for the caliper and bracket bolts, a piston retraction tool, a torque wrench and a bleeding kit. The torque wrench matters most, because the caliper slide bolts and the bracket bolts take very different values. For the third-generation RAV4 rear brakes, a published brake-maker install guide lists 88 Nm for the bracket bolts and 26.5 to 34 Nm for the caliper-to-bracket bolts; everything else should come from the factory service manual for your exact year.

Which RAV4 brakes you are working on

These years cover two generations. The 2006-2012 RAV4 (third generation, XA30) and the 2013-2016 RAV4 (fourth generation, XA40, sold through 2018) are covered here. Haynes groups them as the 2005-2013 generation with the 2.4, 2.5 and 3.5 gas engines, and the 2012-2019 generation with the 2.5 gas, 2.5 Hybrid and EV versions. That split matters when you shop: rotors, rear pads and hardware are generation-specific, while some front pads, such as the Hawk HPS 5.0 front brake pads for the 2006-2016 RAV4, are listed to fit the whole span.

On the third generation, the rear rotor is a drum-in-hat design. The parking brake is a small set of shoes working inside the hat of the rear rotor, adjusted with a star-wheel adjuster and set by a hand lever. That changes how you remove the rear rotor, covered below.

Tools for the job

• Floor jack and jack stands rated for the vehicle, plus wheel chocks.
• Lug wrench or impact socket for removal, and a torque wrench for installing the wheels. Never use an impact gun to tighten lug nuts.
• Metric socket set and combination wrenches for the caliper slide bolts and the caliper bracket bolts. Use six-point sockets on the bracket bolts; they are tight and easy to round off.
• Breaker bar for the bracket bolts.
• Two torque wrenches if you have them: a small one that reads accurately in the 6 to 40 Nm range and a larger one for bracket bolts and lug nuts. A single large click wrench is not accurate at the bottom of its scale.
• Piston retraction tool or large C-clamp to push the caliper piston back for the thicker new pads.
• Wire brush and brake cleaner to clean the hub face and the pad abutments.
• High-temperature brake grease for slide pins, pad contact points and parking brake shoe contact points.
• Long-nose pliers and a flat screwdriver for the rear parking brake springs and the adjuster on 2006-2012 models.
• Bleeding kit: a clear vinyl hose, a catch bottle and fresh brake fluid of the type printed on your reservoir cap.
• Wire or a caliper hanger so the caliper never hangs on its rubber hose.

Published torque values for the 2006-2012 rear brakes

Ferodo, a brake friction brand, publishes an install guide for the RAV4 III (2006-2012) rear brakes. Its numbers are below. Front caliper and bracket values were not available in any source we could verify, so torque the front fasteners to the figure in the Toyota repair manual for your year and drivetrain rather than a value from a forum.

The guide gives two different values for the caliper-to-bracket bolts in its pad and rotor sections. Treat that as a reason to confirm the figure in the factory manual for your VIN before you rely on either one. The same guide lists the rear rotor at 281 mm diameter and 12.0 mm thick new, with a 10.5 mm minimum thickness, and rear parking brake shoes of 170 mm diameter and 32 mm width. Those figures come from European-market data, so measure your own rotor and compare it to the minimum stamped on the rotor itself.

Rear pads and rotors on 2006-2012 models, step by step

Pads only. With the wheel off, remove the lower caliper bolt, swing the caliper up and lift the pads out of the bracket. Clean the abutments, fit the new pads with their clips, retract the piston, swing the caliper down and torque the bolt. Watch the reservoir while you push the piston back, because the fluid level rises.

Rotors. Remove the two caliper bolts and hang the caliper, then remove the two bracket bolts and the bracket. Mark the rotor and hub so it can go back in the same position if you are reusing it. Release the parking brake, pull the rubber cap from the adjustment hole in the rotor and turn the star-wheel adjuster until the rotor spins freely, then pull it off. If the shoes have grooved the hat, the rotor will not come off until you back the adjuster off further. Clean rust off the hub face before fitting the new rotor, since rust under the hat causes runout and pedal pulsation.

Parking brake shoes. If the shoes are worn or oil-soaked, replace them now. Long-nose pliers handle the tension springs; grease the backing plate contact points and the adjuster threads with high-temperature grease. After the rotor is back on, adjust the shoes by expanding them until the rotor locks, then backing off until it turns freely without drag. Ferodo's guide sets lever travel at 6 to 8 clicks, then has you confirm the brake warning light comes on at the first click.

Front pads and rotors

The front job is the same on both generations: unbolt the caliper and its bracket, slide off the old rotor, clean the hub face, fit the new rotor, then refit the bracket and caliper with new pads. Haynes rates it easy, about an hour and a half, and says to replace rotors in pairs and pump the brake pedal before you drive. Replace pads and rotors together when the rotors are below minimum thickness, scored or causing a pulsation. A matched set such as the Brembo OE front kit with ceramic pads and coated vented rotors for the 2006-2008 RAV4 or the Brembo Xtra drilled rotor kit for the 2006-2008 RAV4 takes the guesswork out of matching parts. For other years, browse brake pads and brake rotors by vehicle, and add a brake hardware kit if the abutment clips are rusted or loose.

Bleeding, bedding and common mistakes

If you opened a hose or a union bolt, bleed the system. The Ferodo guide lists the order as left front, right front, left rear, right rear, and recommends a road test that includes at least one ABS stop afterward. Brake fluid absorbs moisture, so use a sealed container of the fluid type on your reservoir cap and keep it off paint.

• Torquing slide bolts like bracket bolts. The values are far apart. Over-tightened slide bolts strip threads in the bracket.
• Hanging the caliper by its hose. It damages the hose internally.
• Skipping the hub cleaning. Rust on the hub face causes runout and a pulsing pedal within a few thousand miles.
• Leaving the rear parking brake shoes out of adjustment. Too tight and they drag and overheat the rear rotor; too loose and the lever pulls up too far.
• Ignoring open recalls. Certain 2016 RAV4s built between October 30, 2015 and February 3, 2016 were recalled under NHTSA 16V-198 because some brake actuators had a pump with a damaged O-ring, which could stop the ABS, traction and stability systems from controlling brake pressure properly. Check your VIN with a Toyota dealer before a brake job on a 2016.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the caliper bracket bolt torque on a 2006-2012 RAV4 rear?

Ferodo's install guide for the RAV4 III lists 88 Nm for the two rear caliper bracket bolts. Confirm the front values and your exact year in the Toyota repair manual.

Why will my rear rotor not come off?

On 2006-2012 models the parking brake shoes sit inside the rotor hat. Release the parking brake and turn the star-wheel adjuster through the hole in the rotor until the rotor spins freely, then it will slide off.

Do I need to bleed the brakes after changing pads?

Not if you never opened the hydraulic system. Pushing the piston back only returns fluid to the reservoir. If you disconnect a hose or union bolt, bleed in the order left front, right front, left rear, right rear.

Should I replace rotors with the pads?

Replace them when they are under the minimum thickness stamped on the rotor, scored, or causing pulsation. Always replace rotors in pairs on the same axle.

How long does a RAV4 brake job take?

Haynes estimates about an hour and a half for front rotors and pads. Rear rotors on 2006-2012 models take longer because of the drum-in-hat parking brake.

Sources

1. Ferodo installation guide, Toyota RAV4 III rear brakes - rear bracket and caliper torque values, parking brake procedure and adjustment, rotor and shoe dimensions, bleeding order
2. Haynes repair guide, change front brake discs and pads, Toyota RAV4 - generation and engine coverage, front procedure, time estimate, rotors in pairs
3. NHTSA Part 573 Safety Recall Report 16V-198 - 2016 RAV4 brake actuator recall, production dates and defect