2015 TEP brakes really suck

Jesus people, let's get this straight, ok?


ALL 5TH GEN BRAKES ARE EXACTLY THE SAME. EVERY ONE EVER BUILT HAS EXACTLY THE SAME PADS, ROTORS, ETC.

EVERY ONE. SAME.


I'm out now.

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Edit: OP after reading your last post it sounds like you are hitting the brake too fast. Try going down the street and hitting the brakes with a slower steady pressure. Now do the same only tap them really quick like a panic stop. You will feel a huge difference.


I'm sorry to say your wrong here. Why no try this real world scenario.

Drive down the local two lane street with cars parked on both sides of it. Have someone placed in an unknown spot and have the toss a beach ball into the road. Now try to apply slow steady pressure.

That is real world and that is what we are talking about here. Real world not Engineering on Paper world. Trust me the OP could drive circles around you and 99% of the guys on this board on the street or track. I will give you that you are most likely better off road.

Go back and answer the question are there better pads or not and if you don't know you of all people should be able to understand the concept of the OP questions.

To make it easier pretend he's your boss and answer the ?
 
the brakes have no initial grab, low coe pads maybe? then it transitions to panic stop mode and no i am not tailgating or speeding or driving like an idiot as some of you seem to think, i drive this fairly calmly as its my child transport also, not that i don't drove spirited when he's in the evo either. For a 4 piston system it has horrible feel, no initial grab and its absolutly vague.
trust me i know brakes, think 170-180 in a mazda kudzu or gt3 porsche into turn one at daytona...you need them to make that turn at that speed. I'm sure most of you have never done that or even that speed...

as for the nosedive thats a suspension issue and related to the rake that the truck came so gloriously with...

all i asked was brake pad upgrades, not a dissertation on my supposed lack of driving skills

rant over

If you have the money then you should go this route in all four corners.

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i am never too close to the person in front of me...i drive my truck calm and slow...because i know its a truck...i do press slow and nothing happens and keep pressing and still I'm not slowing down until i have to literally slam it to stop...i average 4-5 truck lengths in almost all traffic...i just want pads that grab better initially. ones with a higher COE...and I'm not worried about noise or dust...my evo runs hawk hp+ or ferodo DS3000Ks they wail like mad and are dirty as hell but i don't mind and they trash rotors yearly.
it isn't much to ask for an upgraded pad from someone who has actually used a different set.



You know, you are like the 50th guy to come here and tout your racing pedigree and complain about something wrong with the 4Runner. Unless you race F1 or IndyCar or Prototype then you are just a poor slob like the rest of us with an expensive hobby. Face it, if you almost hit someone in the ass you were too close to them.

Those of you complaining about barely pressing the pedal and activating brake assist: It's the speed of actuation not the force of actuation that activates it. Slow it down a bit and it acts like normal brakes. Panic and hit it fast and your whole world stops.

Edit: OP after reading your last post it sounds like you are hitting the brake too fast. Try going down the street and hitting the brakes with a slower steady pressure. Now do the same only tap them really quick like a panic stop. You will feel a huge difference.
 
Three years ago we bought a used 1 ton dually. I have had one 2500 Chevy or another since 2003 but this truck was a beast.

I drove and trailered with it for about a week before I was absolutely convinced that it needed brakes. My husband said it was fine and made fun of me for it but I took it in, where the guys at the garage made fun of me some more and assured me that the brakes were in great shape.

My point is that the 4Runner feels like a sports car to me because of what I've gotten used to driving.

I had three kamikaze deer hop out in front of me over the winter. My heart was in my throat, but those brakes worked just fine.
 
Op, I seem to recall a member upgrading his brakes earlier this year. I think he replaced everything at the wheel. You may find information in that thread that is helpful. Tips for searching are in the stickies.
 
I personally don't like the feel or feedback of the 4runner brakes either. And you do have to press them harder than most vehicles to remain at a complete stop. I had a lot more confidence in my 2012 wranger 2 door brakes by the feel of them.

But I got used to the 4 runner brakes and usually give myself more distance to stop. I'm a granny driver too so its not that bad. It is a surprising difference when you drive any other vehicle though....

Didn't Toyota upgrade the brake lines in 2012-2013 to make the feel/feedback better? I remember reading something about that. I see the toyota 4runner wiki says that in 2013 "Brake lines were upgraded for improved pedal feel, and electronic Trailer Sway Control programming included". Not sure if that is accurate or not.
 
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i do press slow and nothing happens and keep pressing and still I'm not slowing down until i have to literally slam it to stop...i average 4-5 truck lengths in almost all traffic...

1. Your brakes don't work, take the truck in to your local dealer for warranty work.

2. How do you maintain 4-5 vehicle lengths in NJ?
 
nj is not all city. i live by the beach.
I saw EBC yellows also. Ive had experience with EBC also. ill look into those also
 
running with the BMW clubs i have driven the X6M's which i believe is about the same weight

At 5100 pounds it's actually heavier. But after that the comparison kind of pales for me. Apples and oranges. I'll leave this be for now. I sincerely hope the new pads and rotors make it the consistent dime stopper you are seeking. And I honestly believe you might have gotten less grief if you hadn't used the word suck in your description. They are perfectly adequate for 99% of the 4Runner owners who drive them. And I'm a guy who enjoys getting around a corner more than most. :wink2:

https://www.carsforsale.com/vehicle/details/9137335

2015 BMW X6 M - Specifications, Pictures, Prices
 
nj is not all city. i live by the beach.
I saw EBC yellows also. Ive had experience with EBC also. ill look into those also

66k miles and had to replace rear pads and rotors. I thought that was weird but then I remember all the times I drive on steep dirt roads and the traction control is constantly braking my rear tires to keep them from spinning. I should probably look into a rear locker mod to lock it up when in 2wd. I bought a rear brake kit from summit that comes with slotted rotors and ceramic pads. Feels good so far. Can anyone post link to a good rear locker mod?
 
quick update- dunno why but all 4 tires were grossly under inflated. pumps them up to 35 psi and its much much better now...i guess the dealership inflated tires to 28 psi or so, but its a huge improvement if this makes any sense.
 
Exactly. All these people that think the 5th gen 4runner has great brakes must not have ever driven anything that even has decent brakes, much less good ones. That's how bad the brake feel is on these vehicles. The worst of any modern vehicle I have ever driven.

Op has it right, top of the pedal does nothing, middle of the pedal does nothing and then all the sudden they slam on with full force. The engagement and feel is pathetic.

I have no issue with stopping power once they actually "engage", it stops well enough. Just the feel and engagement is awful, and honestly I can't believe Toyota let this pass.

If this was my dd I would have already swapped out pads, lines, booster and master cylinder. I would do everything I could to try to make them better.

I would have to agree with the above after doing three back-to-back, A:B test rides between three different 2016 4Runners and the GX460: the 4Runner's brakes suck (I'll say it). Do they stop? Hell yes, they do, more than they need to given how much pedal is pressed, and not enough given how much pedal is pressed.

Yes, I'll adapt when my TEP is delivered in three weeks or so. But, my '03 Sequoia has better brake modulation, my '90 4Runner had better brake feel, and my '86 XtraCab had better brake feel.

Toyota screwed something up in the mix, and it must be in software because the 2016 Lexus GX460 did not exhibit this annoying trait (you can call it a feature if you want, but I call it a bug).
 
Am I the only person that thinks the brakes on the 4Runner are great for off-roading? If they were more sensitive, I'd hate it. Having more of a squishy feel and more travel before generating serious stopping power allows me to use braking finesse more easily when working my way over rocks and small boulders.
 
Not sure that those of us who have negative feedback on the 5th Gen brake feel think that they need to be more sensitive. On the contrary, they need to have a wider throw range as they start to engage. They bite, and bite hard.

I'll adapt.
 
Am I the only person that thinks the brakes on the 4Runner are great for off-roading? If they were more sensitive, I'd hate it. Having more of a squishy feel and more travel before generating serious stopping power allows me to use braking finesse more easily when working my way over rocks and small boulders.

Just remember that the ones who have this perceived problem have posted in this or similar threads. Let's say 50 people as a round number. There are well over 300K 5th gen 4Runners now all driving around and stopping just fine. The math says there is no problem other than the brakes are different. To some people, different is a problem. If there were a real problem this forum would be overrun with complaints.

What gets me is there is a post above this one from a guy complaining about his brakes and he doesn't even own a 4Runner yet... and still plans on getting one.

I had to adjust my driving style to fit the 4Runner. The brakes are different. Big deal.
 

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