Rear brakes on the XV70 Camry are one of the friendlier jobs on the car. The caliper comes off with two 14 mm guide-pin bolts, the bracket with two 17 mm bolts, the lug nuts are 21 mm, and the piston pushes straight back with a simple spreader or C-clamp. Sizes are the same whether you have the 2.5 A25A-FKS, the 3.5 V6 or the hybrid; only rotor diameter and pad compound vary by trim.
The thing people get wrong is the parking brake. Camrys of this generation use a small set of parking-brake shoes inside the rotor hat rather than a motor pushing the caliper piston, so if you forget to release the parking brake, or the shoes have worn a ridge in the drum, the rotor simply will not slide off and folks start hammering. Release the brake first, and if the rotor still binds, back off the star adjuster through the access hole in the rotor face. Also budget for seized rotors: two M8 x 1.25 bolts in the rotor's service holes save a lot of swearing.
| Item | Type | |
|---|---|---|
| Floor jack 2 ton minimum, lift at pinch-weld/rear jack point Raises the rear of the car to remove the wheels. | Required | shop |
| Jack stands 2 ton pair Supports the car at the rear pinch welds while you work. | Required | shop |
| Wheel chocks Pair Blocks the front wheels since the parking brake must be released. | Safety | shop |
| Breaker bar 1/2 in drive, 18-24 in Loosens lug nuts before lifting the car. | Required | shop |
| Lug nut socket 21 mm, 1/2 in drive, thin-wall/protective All XV70 Camry lug nuts are 21 mm; thin wall protects alloy wheels. | Required | shop |
| Socket wrench 3/8 in drive ratchet Drives the caliper and bracket sockets. | Required | shop |
| Socket 14 mm 6-point, 3/8 in drive Removes the two rear caliper guide-pin (slide) bolts. | Required | shop |
| Combination wrench 17 mm Holds the guide pin from turning if the rubber boot spins with the bolt. | Recommended | shop |
| Socket 17 mm 6-point, 1/2 in drive Removes the two rear caliper mounting bracket bolts from the knuckle. | Required | shop |
| Caliper piston compressor Disc brake pad spreader or 6 in C-clamp Pushes the rear piston back into the caliper so the new thicker pads fit. | Required | shop |
| Bungee cord or wire hook Hangs the caliper from the spring so the brake hose is not stressed. | Required | shop |
| Flat-blade screwdriver Medium, long shaft Pries the pads loose and turns the parking-brake star adjuster through the rotor access hole if the shoes are dragging. | Required | shop |
| Rotor removal bolts Two M8 x 1.25, about 40 mm long Threaded into the rotor's two service holes to press a rust-seized rotor off the hub. | Recommended | shop |
| Dead blow or rubber mallet 2 lb Frees a stuck rotor from the hub without damaging it. | Recommended | shop |
| Wire brush Steel, hand size Cleans rust and scale off the hub face and caliper bracket pad abutments. | Required | shop |
| Torque wrench 1/2 in drive, 20-150 ft-lb Torques bracket bolts and the 21 mm lug nuts to 76 ft-lb. | Required | shop |
| Torque wrench 3/8 in drive, 10-80 ft-lb Accurately torques the smaller 14 mm guide-pin bolts. | Recommended | shop |
| Brake cleaner Chlorinated or non-chlorinated aerosol, 2 cans Removes the protective oil film from new rotors and cleans the hub. | Consumables | shop |
| Silicone caliper grease High-temp synthetic brake lube Lubricates guide pins, pad ear contact points and shim backs. | Consumables | shop |
| Anti-seize compound Nickel or copper based Thin film on the hub face only, so the next rotor comes off easily. | Consumables | shop |
| Rear brake pad set XV70 rear pads; includes shims and anti-rattle clips The wear item being replaced; buy the set matched to your trim's rotor size. | Parts | shop |
| Rear brake rotors Pair; commonly 281 mm solid (2.5 and hybrid) or 281-291 mm on V6/XSE Replaced with the pads; confirm diameter and thickness against the old rotor. | Parts | shop |
| Brake fluid Toyota FMVSS116 DOT 3 Top off the reservoir only if needed after the job; never mix types. | Consumables | shop |
| Nitrile gloves and safety glasses Brake dust and cleaner spray are irritants. | Safety | shop |
Fastener sizes are identical for the 2.5 A25A-FKS, 3.5 2GR-FKS and the hybrid: 21 mm lugs, 14 mm guide-pin bolts, 17 mm bracket bolts. What changes is the hardware itself — V6 and XSE/TRD cars generally run larger rear rotors and heavier pads than L/LE/SE and hybrid models, so measure your old rotor diameter and thickness before ordering. Hybrids use heavy regenerative braking, so rear rotors there often rust and pit before they wear out.
| Wheel lug nuts (21 mm) | 76 ft-lb (103 Nm) |
| Rear caliper guide-pin (slide) bolts, 14 mm head | verify in the service manual (approximately 20 ft-lb / 27 Nm class) |
| Rear caliper mounting bracket bolts, 17 mm head | verify in the service manual (approximately 59-65 ft-lb / 80-88 Nm class) |
| Brake hose banjo bolt (only if hose disturbed) | verify in the service manual |
The 21 mm lug nuts, 14 mm caliper guide-pin bolts and 17 mm bracket bolts and 76 ft-lb lug torque are solid across the XV70 generation including the hybrid; verify the caliper and bracket bolt torques and your rotor diameter in the factory service information, and confirm your trim's parking brake style (cable-operated drum-in-hat vs motor-on-caliper) before starting.
The two rear caliper guide-pin (slide) bolts take a 14 mm socket, and the two caliper mounting bracket bolts behind the knuckle take a 17 mm socket. Lug nuts are 21 mm.
Normally no. The Camry's rear parking brake acts on shoes inside the rotor hat, not on the caliper piston, so you just release the parking brake and push the piston back by hand. If you find an actuator motor bolted to the rear caliper, that car needs EPB maintenance mode via a scan tool first.
76 ft-lb (103 Nm) in a star pattern. Re-check them after about 50 miles, especially on aftermarket or refinished wheels.
Either it is rust-bonded to the hub or the internal parking brake shoes are catching a wear ridge in the drum. Thread two M8 x 1.25 bolts into the rotor's threaded service holes to press it off, and if that does not do it, back off the star adjuster through the access hole in the rotor face.