[Busbd]

Doing brakes on 5th gen and VW golf.
Really surprised to see the VW, which weighs 3000 pounds, has substantially larger and beefier brake pads compared to 4runner. As may be obvious, VW brakes are much stronger. Just sharing the observation.
Getting rotors off 4runner required many smacks with BFH.
VW is top pad in photo.

[manofsteele2003]

Well that's the rear brake pad off the 4runner and probably the front off the VW, so I'm not really sure there's a comparison there

[CutthroatSlam]

Also, looks like the VW uses a single piston caliper, whereas the 4R uses a 4 piston caliper in the front which affords far greater clamping force. I’ve got plenty of experience with vehicles that had weak brakes; the 4R is not one of them.

Looked it up and I was right:

[Busbd]

Ah, I believe you are correct. Thanks!

[honda250xtitan]

use the threaded holes to thread a bolt in and itll push the rotor off without having to smack it.

[Humble Leader]

Originally Posted by CutthroatSlam

I’ve got plenty of experience with vehicles that had weak brakes; the 4R is not one of them.

agree. never had an issue with braking, but I also don't tow 4000+lbs. if you're towing heavy a trailer brake is almost required in any vehicle as a matter of safety and that's not a 4runner fault

[CutthroatSlam]

Originally Posted by Humble Leader

agree. never had an issue with braking, but I also don't tow 4000+lbs. if you're towing heavy a trailer brake is almost required in any vehicle as a matter of safety and that's not a 4runner fault

This is correct. I occasionally tow a Clackacraft drift boat with the 4Runner, but most all of my towing is done with a K2500 Suburban diesel which I added a brake controller. Clackacraft trailer has no brakes as the boat weighs 450 lbs. Saltwater boats (Blackman 20 and Conch 27) have brakes. Conch 27 has electric over hydraulic brake actuator which I highly recommend. 4Runner doesn’t even sniff towing the saltwater boats.

[Bmnorm2]

Originally Posted by Busbd

Doing brakes on 5th gen and VW golf.
Really surprised to see the VW, which weighs 3000 pounds, has substantially larger and beefier brake pads compared to 4runner. As may be obvious, VW brakes are much stronger. Just sharing the observation.
Getting rotors off 4runner required many smacks with BFH.
VW is top pad in photo.

Your understanding of braking "power" is flawed. Frictional force is not dependent on Surface Area, just the coefficient of friction and normal force. Assuming the same pad and rotor material and temperature (CoF), the normal force (Brake Fluid Pressure x Piston Area) generated by the caliper is what gives you more or less friction force.

That friction force is then rotationally acting as a torque on the wheel. Using the same assumptions above and adding the assumptions ofthe same distance from pad to wheel center and same wheel inertia then again the braking power is down to the caliper.

If we add time and therefore heat into the equation, then the size of the pad starts to matter.

[Busbd]

Per the above suggestion to use the threaded holes. Thanks for the suggestion. My limited does not have those threaded bolts, just unthreaded holes used to adjust the parking brakes. Wish I’d had the option to use the threaded holes.

[fkheath]

Originally Posted by Busbd

Per the above suggestion to use the threaded holes. Thanks for the suggestion. My limited does not have those threaded bolts, just unthreaded holes used to adjust the parking brakes. Wish I’d had the option to use the threaded holes.

Did you look in the right place? The threaded holes are on the outside of the center dome part of the disk. They are relatively small, about 8mm. I have never seen a disk without them.