Celica Forums General Discussion Engine and Performance brake service question

How long does it take to change brake pads? (a conservative figure for a first timer) Do i have to get my rotors resurfaced? (i only have 30k mi on them) and lastly any tips on the procedure?

It takes about, let me think, 5 minutes to change out the brake pads, but a total of a 2 hours max to jack the car up, remove the wheels, disconnect the caliper, take off the old pads, read some printed out instructions, etc... for a GT.
Your old rotors shouldn't need to be resurfaced if you don't ride the brakes into the ground, you don't race where you are braking rather frequently, you don't hear any sort of weird noise from the rotors, or most important that you don't feel any sort of pulsating/vibration or anything.
30,000 miles and they should be good to go. Any shop on the corner can check your rotors for pennies and determine the life expectancy on them or if they need to be turned.
Just remember that if you replace the old brake pads with a more aggressive compound that those pads might wear out your stock rotors more quickly.
When I replaced my pads and rotors I also purchased new shims from the dealer at $30 for the front and back or just the front, I can't recall. That included the whole package: new shim grease and all the shims all around for everything. The old ones are reusable to an extent, but get some new grease for the shims any ways, if you don't go the new route.

okay that answered all my questions and then some. thanks bro.

I hope it did because it confused me and it was a bit basic and brief.
I'm sure someone else here will tell you what size bolt and wrench for everything and an impact gun might be good for those real bad bolts on the caliper or to spray WD-40 or Liquid Wrench kind of stuff the night before, etc..

no confusion, i know, kinda what i'm looking at but i just need to know a few things. I'm pretty mechanically inclined, just never done a brake job is all, but thanks again.