I need brakes. Today they just started squeeking bad. Do you recommend taking it to the dealer, or would it be cheaper at a place like midas?

 

Moved to M&CC

 

Squeaking does not necessarilly indicate bad brakes... many of todays brakes squeal and squeek straight out of the box. Take a look at them and see how much wear they have left. Also, how many miles are you approaching?

 

What ^ said - My guess is if your brakes are going it is just the front pads in which case it should be a fairly quick and cheap install.

I would defiantly not go to a dealership... I have to believe you have a friend or family member who could help you out doing it yourself. All you have to do is find a parts shop that will turn your disks and sell you a good set of brake pads (preferably ceramic and I prefer Bendix brand).

 

Buy the factory pads and do it yourself if you don't have a good relationship with a local dealer or shop. The factory pads cost the same or less than most other good pads and are of outstanding quality. Yes, you can buy cheaper brakes, but they will not perform as well and will likely be noisy. This isn't propoganda, it's personal experience talking. In 5 years in our parts department, I have seen every major brand of pad on the market installed and have consistantly been impressed with the Toyota parts. You won't regret it.

-Alex

 

Hey bro', if you need any help with brakes, let me know, i am in Maryland....they are pretty cake to do!!

 

someone installed trd brake pads, but i don't know what ever happened to that. Maybe that person will update us here on what the pads are like.

 

Whenever you install new pads and/or rotors, be sure to do a bed in procedure to ensure optimal performance. We have done a lot of testing and have found that every car on the road should do this procedure to maximize braking performace, reduce squealing and ensure consistent performance over the lifetime of the parts. Literally EVERY car should do this. If you have 5000 miles on your existing setup you should still go out and do it. You will find that the system will work much better after this has been done. You are also less likely to end up with uneven pad deposition which is the number one cause for the misdiagnosed "warped rotors".

Bed in procedure: http://www.stoptech.com/tech_info/wp_bedinstock.shtml

Warped rotor myth: http://www.stoptech.com/tech_info/wp...rakedisk.shtml