2004 4runner - seized brake calipers?

[ollie]

Hi all,

I have a 2004 V8 AWD limited 4runner with about 40,000 miles on it. I am doing the brakes on both sides the same inboard piston will not budge. All others move freely but it amazes me that I could have not one but two seized calipers! Both pads seemd to be worn equally.

Are there any tricks to getting the "lower" of the 2 inboard pistons to move? I'm mystified and had absolutely no caliper problems with my old '99 4runner.

Thanks in advance!

 

[TechWrench]

Hi all,

I have a 2004 V8 AWD limited 4runner with about 40,000 miles on it. I am doing the brakes on both sides the same inboard piston will not budge. All others move freely but it amazes me that I could have not one but two seized calipers! Both pads seemd to be worn equally.

Are there any tricks to getting the "lower" of the 2 inboard pistons to move? I'm mystified and had absolutely no caliper problems with my old '99 4runner.

Thanks in advance!

What method are you using to try to move the stubborn piston?

 

[ollie]

Re: Re: 2004 4runner - seized brake calipers?

What method are you using to try to move the stubborn piston?

I haven't gone so far as to actually remove the caliper from the brake line as it is very obviously seized and I'm not going to try and rebuild these myself. To actucally move the pistons I have a caliper spreader tool that I use on the 4 piston Stoptech calipers I have on my M3. Since that wouldn't move the stuck piston I then used more direct pressure on the one piston with a C clamp, no go. After searching through the boards it seems others have experienced the same issue but I am amazed there are seized pistons on both calipers with such low mileage and very limited use in the snow.

Wonder if calipers are covered under the powertrain warranty? EDIT: No way unless Toyota accepts this an an exception claim. I

 

[TechWrench]

Re: Re: Re: 2004 4runner - seized brake calipers?

I haven't gone so far as to actually remove the caliper from the brake line as it is very obviously seized and I'm not going to try and rebuild these myself. To actucally move the pistons I have a caliper spreader tool that I use on the 4 piston Stoptech calipers I have on my M3. Since that wouldn't move the stuck piston I then used more direct pressure on the one piston with a C clamp, no go. After searching through the boards it seems others have experienced the same issue but I am amazed there are seized pistons on both calipers with such low mileage and very limited use in the snow.

Wonder if calipers are covered under the powertrain warranty? EDIT: No way unless Toyota accepts this an an exception claim. I

I haven't had the 'pleasure' of doing my front calipers, yet. But from what you have tried, and from reports from others, I would suspect at the very least you will need to remove, and rebuild the calipers. Depending on the level of corrosion between those pistons and the caliper, you might find it easier to just replace the calipers.

 

[ollie]

Re: Re: Re: Re: 2004 4runner - seized brake calipers?

I haven't had the 'pleasure' of doing my front calipers, yet. But from what you have tried, and from reports from others, I would suspect at the very least you will need to remove, and rebuild the calipers. Depending on the level of corrosion between those pistons and the caliper, you might find it easier to just replace the calipers.

I spoke with the dealer and they knew right away that it was the inboard lower piston, apparently this is common. The downside is these are not covered under the powertrain warranty and further, are not in ready stock.

I find this very disappointing as this vehicle has not seen that much foul weather and no off road use. This is my wife's primary vehicle and I am very surprised that both calipers have seized pistons.

The dealer claims these are not rebuildable as well...plus she needs the truck back so I am just going to replace the calipers and write a letter to Toyota Canada stating my disappointment. This simple brake jobs is going to run me about $1,400 including calipers , rotors and pads. Not acceptable with less then 40,000 miles and still 15 % on the pads.

One note; the pins that the run through the pads were very seized. I had to hammer one out so if you are servicing your brakes I would take them apart and clean these up on a routine basis.

 

[TechWrench]

Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: 2004 4runner - seized brake calipers?

I spoke with the dealer and they knew right away that it was the inboard lower piston, apparently this is common. The downside is these are not covered under the powertrain warranty and further, are not in ready stock.

I find this very disappointing as this vehicle has not seen that much foul weather and no off road use. This is my wife's primary vehicle and I am very surprised that both calipers have seized pistons.

The dealer claims these are not rebuildable as well...plus she needs the truck back so I am just going to replace the calipers and write a letter to Toyota Canada stating my disappointment. This simple brake jobs is going to run me about $1,400 including calipers , rotors and pads. Not acceptable with less then 40,000 miles and still 15 % on the pads.

One note; the pins that the run through the pads were very seized. I had to hammer one out so if you are servicing your brakes I would take them apart and clean these up on a routine basis.

$1,400.00 is a HUGE chunk 'o change for a brake job. If you are mechanically inclined, you can get rebuilt calipers w/pads and rotors from Autozone for between $200.00 - $250.00 per side. No way would I pay $1,400.00 for a brake job, but fortunately, I could do the repair myself. Don't ya just love the dealership.............

 

[ollie]

Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: 2004 4runner - seized brake calipers?

$1,400.00 is a HUGE chunk 'o change for a brake job. If you are mechanically inclined, you can get rebuilt calipers w/pads and rotors from Autozone for between $200.00 - $250.00 per side. No way would I pay $1,400.00 for a brake job, but fortunately, I could do the repair myself. Don't ya just love the dealership.............

I should elaborate....$1,400 is for front calipers, front rotors, pads, rear rotors and pads. It is the caliper portion I take issue with.

The only reason I 'm going to have Toyota swap the calipers is I stand so I can stand a chance at a goodwill repair by Toyota Canada.

 

[TechWrench]

Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: 2004 4runner - seized brake calipers?

I should elaborate....$1,400 is for front calipers, front rotors, pads, rear rotors and pads. It is the caliper portion I take issue with.

The only reason I 'm going to have Toyota swap the calipers is I stand so I can stand a chance at a goodwill repair by Toyota Canada.

Even with the rear pads and rotors, $1,400.00, IMHO, is still too much.

For that price, are they going to give you a lifetime warranty on the work, parts & labor?

I wish you luck with Toyota on the goodwill request.

 

[ollie]

Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: 2004 4runner - seized brake calipers?

Even with the rear pads and rotors, $1,400.00, IMHO, is still too much.

For that price, are they going to give you a lifetime warranty on the work, parts & labor?

I wish you luck with Toyota on the goodwill request.

Thanks...the truck goes in on Friday so we'll see how it all shakes out. I don't have the luxury of waiting to fix this myself as it is the primary transportation for my family. Our other car is a BMW Z4 M Coupe which my wife refuses to drive, thankfully.

Honestly we had recently discussed buying a new X5 but I really like(d) the 4runner however I sure don't want to be throwing this sort of money at it on a regular basis. We have had other odd issues, most notably the check strap ripping itself right out of the door and the lovely sulphur stink that has morphed into an ammonia reek after the fix. Most are just annoyances but it sure does add up after a while.

 

[ollie]

Well Toyota Canada came thruogh and replaced both calipers under goodwill. That makes me feel a lot better overall and my out of pocket expense was only $98.00. Props to the dealer as well, he was the one who made this happen!

He figures the new caliper is an updated part which is supposed to have an extra seal on the inboard pistons. Fact of the matter is that you must pull the caliper pins and grease them up on a regular basis as well so they actually "float."

 

[yabedude]

Ollie,

I have the exact same issue today. Both inside lower pistons are seized. Personally, I think these are defective as it's too coincidental that both sides are like that and more than a few of us with the same problem.

I'm out of warranty so will get new ones and for sure, I'm changing fluid at least every 2 years from here on.

 

[vmanchanda]

Hi
Me too....I have a 2005 sr5 v8 and according to dealer the calipers have seized at 45k miles. Cost of replacement is $1k which is unacceptable. Is there something I can do to prevent this occurance? Pl advise
Thanks

 

[yabedude]

Hi
Me too....I have a 2005 sr5 v8 and according to dealer the calipers have seized at 45k miles. Cost of replacement is $1k which is unacceptable. Is there something I can do to prevent this occurance? Pl advise
Thanks

From what I read, it's a Toyota "feature" that's been around for years dating back to the first dual pistoned caliper. Flush the system and check the piston (more than?) every 2nd year mght help, but it's the design of the caliper that seems to be the flaw. Not sure if an aftermarket one would be any better though.

 

[Tempsho]

Whats the easiest way to tell if your caliper is siezed or not? Do I literally have to take the caliper off the rotor and try moving the piston in and out or will it not come off the rotor at all because of it being siezed. I also have a 2004 with 40,000 miles on it. It also has a slight vibration when I brake lightly, so it might be warped rotors as well.

 

[yabedude]

Tempsho ... I'm not an expert in this, but you might be able to squat down and watch your calipers/pads and note if both pistons are moving out/in as someone else pumps the brakes slowly. Both pistons/both sides need to move -- even a mm or 2. If they don't, then it may be seized. If you take the disc out, then you don't want to pump the brakes as the functioning pistons will probably get popped out and you have another problem. At that point you can try to spin the piston taking care not to damage the rubber it's encased in. If they don't spin, then it's also prob seized.

 

[simple]

Aw snap. I'm at 45k, and I'm planning on doing the brakes in another 5k or so... I haven't checked if my calipers are siezed, but is it dangerous to be driving around with siezed calipers if they are?

Also are the rear brakes drums?

 

[yabedude]

Aw snap. I'm at 45k, and I'm planning on doing the brakes in another 5k or so... I haven't checked if my calipers are siezed, but is it dangerous to be driving around with siezed calipers if they are?

That would depend on your driving habits. You'll have 3 out of 4 pistons in each caliper and you may not notice anything. I offroad a bit and prefer to not take any chances.

Also are the rear brakes drums?

I doubt it.

 

[TechWrench]

Whats the easiest way to tell if your caliper is siezed or not? Do I literally have to take the caliper off the rotor and try moving the piston in and out or will it not come off the rotor at all because of it being siezed. I also have a 2004 with 40,000 miles on it. It also has a slight vibration when I brake lightly, so it might be warped rotors as well.

Though not a certainty, from what I have read, and experienced, the inboard lower piston is usually the first one to seize up on the four piston front calipers on the 4Runners. If this happens, it usually results in abnormal wear on the inside brake pads as compared to the outer ones. You should be able to separate the outer pad enough to remove it first, then the inner pad can be removed. You should then be able to unbolt the caliper from the frame and twist it up enough to be able to try to press the pistons back into the bores using a C-clamp. I use two C-clamps, one to press and hold the two outer pistons in place using the old brake pad, then leaving that C-clamp in place, I then use the second one to press the inner pistons in. If you can't get the seized piston to retract, you will have to rebuild the caliper, or replace it.

 

[jharris2]

Also are the rear brakes drums?

No. Disc brakes all around.

 

[Kmvreter]

Did some maintenance on the w/e.
Planned to do the front brakes since I was removing the winter wheels. I have read many threads on here about front brake issues so I was monitoring my wear twice a year. Nice and even on all pads up until last fall. I ran into rusted pins in the fall so those were still freed up from my earlier work.

Took the passenger side apart first. Removed wheel, used 2 nuts to hold rotor in place, removed 2 clips, removed 2 pins. Pressed outside pad back easily using channel lock pliers on the corners (where the holes for the pins are.) Removed pad & shim. Cleaned undamaged shim. Reapplied brake grease to shim and new pad and reinstalled. Moved to inner pad and had a hard time pressing back the lower piston using the channel lock on the pad. Top piston moved easily. Added a cedar shim block to hold the gap open. Bottom piston finally gave in with some persuasion. Removed pad & shim. Noticed damaged (bent) shim and slight uneven pad wear. This piston must have just started to freeze. Cleaned and reused the shim (will replace shortly with a new one) with new pad. Reinstalled everything in reverse order, making sure to lube pins.

Now the bad news on the driver's side. The inner lower piston was frozen solid. Removed all the hardware. There was uneven inner wear and a damaged shim. Removed the caliper bolts, hose retainer and caliper off the rotor but left the brake hose intact. I couldn't move the piston with a C-clamp. Put everything back the way I found it and am hunting for parts.

Priced out a new caliper. C$570.00 + tax at the stealership (they definitely deserve the name on this one.) The rebuild seal kit is C$78 (all seals, boots and O-rings to do both fronts) and the piston is C$28 each. I'm going to buy a rebuilt caliper for C$148 (after core charge) from NAPA. I'll take the frozen one off and see if I can free it up on the bench. If that works I'll get the seals and pistons for a future rebuild (remember that the passenger side was just starting to freeze.) If it doesn't free up I'll use the NAPA part and call it a day.

Keep you posted (probably with a thread with pics.)