Bleeding/Flushing Brakes

[Pranav]

Hey! I'm new here!

It's time to bleed/flush the brakes in my mom's '98 4runner, and my father and I decided we should do it ourselves since I've done it twice on my Accord already.

First of all, (I'm sure this is in the owners manual), what DOT fluid does the '98 4runner require? I'm thinking of using DOT3/4 Valvoline Synpower since that is what I use in my daily driven/weekend autocrossed Accord, for which I usually bleed the brakes every 6 months.

This will be the first time we've actually done our own maintenance on the 4runner, so I just want to know how different the bleeding/flushing process is for the 4runner:

1. Put car on 4 jackstands and take all 4 wheels off
2. Take off rubber caps from bleeder screws
3. Put X size tubing on bleeder screws (3/8"? 1/4"?)
4. Starting from left front wheel, pump brake pedal+hold firm, then turn bleeder screw 180* for a split second.
5. Repeat step 4 until fluid color matches new fluid, and there are no air bubbles
6. Repeat 4-5 with the right front, then the right rear, then the left rear.

So, what size tubing do you normally use for the bleeder screws? Do I have the bleeding sequence/order correct? Finally, should I just stick with the "Toyota" fluid, or should I move to Valvoline Synpower?

The '98 just hit 80k miles last month and has had it's brakes bled sometime long ago. I'm pretty sure it has new front brake pads, and the rear drums were adjusted+cleaned at 75k miles...

 

[Pranav]

BTW, I've never actually taken the wheels off this car and taken a close look at what's behind there. How much torque do you guys like to put on the lug nuts? 80ft-lbs?

 

[mikes4runner]

I was taught to bleed the brake farthest from the booster first.

Right rear then left rear then front right then front left.

most likley to late for this but my .02

 

[Pranav]

nope, not late at all We're going to do it this weekend...

Anyways, it looks like it's not going to be any different than what I normally do with my Accord.

Finally, I'm a sucker for torque wrenches. What torque spec do you guys like to use on the lug nuts?

 

[biglatka]

BTW, I've never actually taken the wheels off this car and taken a close look at what's behind there. How much torque do you guys like to put on the lug nuts? 80ft-lbs?

You're close....manual says 76 ft-lbs.

 

[srpage]

Why are you taking the wheels off?

You can bleed the brakes with the wheels on.

 

[Pranav]

Why are you taking the wheels off?

You can bleed the brakes with the wheels on.

um, isnt the bleeder screw somewhere on the brake caliper, which is behind the wheel? I've never actually taken a look behind the wheels on a 4runner

 

[mikes4runner]

um, isnt the bleeder screw somewhere on the brake caliper, which is behind the wheel? I've never actually taken a look behind the wheels on a 4runner

Holy moses smell the roses

Take the wheel(s) off.

 

[Pranav]

Holy moses smell the roses

Take the wheel(s) off.

I will this weekend. My mom drives the 4runner to and from work every weekday, while I also work 40+hrs/week so I don't have much time+energy to take it off during the week. This saturday I will have the time set aside for flushing the brakes, when I will take the wheels off for the first time We haven't done any of our own maintenance on this car ever, so I just wanted to make sure there wasn't anything "special" about bleeding the brakes on a 4runner that I normally wouldnt see...