5th Gen Caliper Install Gone Wrong?

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fdbyrne

New member
A few months ago I bought a Tacoma and handed down my 4Runner to the wife.
Right before I gave it to her, I installed a set of 5th gen front calipers, rotors, and pads. I got in it to exercise the 4x4 system the other day and was surprised how much peddle travel there was compared to my Tacoma. She's clueless about anything automotive and just thought it was normal.

Basically, it's braking using mostly the rear brakes. After 2 months of daily driving, there is very little wear on the new front rotors. They do heat up a little during a normal drive, but nothing compared to the rears.

Here's the whole story...

I replaced all the rotors, pads, and calipers all the way around about a year ago and changed the brake fluid while I was at it. All was well for quite a while but then one of the new front calipers started sticking. Knowing that I was going to have it for a while and that my wife was going to abuse the shit out of it, I went ahead and put new 5th gen calipers, rotors, and pads up front before giving it to her. I left the rear setup alone.

I likely got a little air in the lines during the swap. I'll own up to that. However, I just had the dealer flush the lines and bleed the brakes using the technology they had available and it still isn't right. According to the dealer, the booster/master is working fine.

All I know is that the truck is using the rear brakes for about 80% of the stopping power. What should I do to rectify this? The fronts aren't even hardly bedded in after these last few months of her stop-and-go, I'm afraid of the highway, driving.
 
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I'm no expert so don't take this as gospel but the on thing I can think of is that you still have air in your lines.
 
Morphyne said:
I'm no expert so don't take this as gospel but the on thing I can think of is that you still have air in your lines.
Click to expand...

I would have thought so too which is why I did the unthinkable and took it to the dealer to have them bleed it.

Prior to them bleeding it, I could pump the brakes a few times and then it felt normal and stopped quickly. Classic signs of air in the lines. After the bleed, pumping makes no difference. It's almost like the rears are bedded and grip before the fronts have a chance to.

It's really strange.
 
When you hd your foot on the brake does it grab and then slowly give to the floor?

Is it possible you damaged your master cylinder during the swap?
 
I guess it's possible, but the dealer didn't think so.

It doesn't go to the floor. It's squishier that normal but the master cylinder is applying pressure to the system and there doesn't seem to be any major leaks where pressure is being lost.

I'll have to take it apart again and check things out but it's do damn hot in the garage right now that I'm really dreading it.
 
If your front brakes only worked 20% you would of long been in an accident. I highly doubt you are having the issue you are stating. Tacoma brakes feel a lot better and require less pedal travel for some reason. I also done a 5th gen swap and I expected a lot better brakes. I've had them on for over 2 months now with about 2k miles and they are barely bedded in. I used Alebono brake pads which wear really slow. If you want a quick check if the front calipers are working, push the pistons all the way in with a screwdriver against the pad. Start the car and have your wife keep pressing the brakes. If the piston is moving towards the pad at a slow rate your pistons and calipers are working just fine.
 
Last edited:
Thank you for your input, but I'm not comparing her brakes to mine. That 4Runner was my daily driver for 2 years so I'm pretty familiar with it.

Here after 2 months plus on the new front brakes you can still see some of the cross hashing machine marks on the front rotors. Also, after a drive you can feel the heat pouring off of the rear rotors while the fronts are not really all that hot.

With the wheel off the front calipers seem to be working fine though. The wheel spins freely without the brake petal depressed but won't move when somebody is pushing on the brake pedal.
 
did you use 5th gen rotors or 4th gen? I think I read where the 4th gen rotors are thinner. if that is the case it is possible that your caliper can't travel far enough to apply adequate pressure?

Edit: I just checked. 4th gen rotors are 28 mm thick and 5th gen rotors are 32 mm thick. measure your rotors and report back.
 
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Morphyne said:
did you use 5th gen rotors or 4th gen? I think I read where the 4th gen rotors are thinner. if that is the case it is possible that your caliper can't travel far enough to apply adequate pressure?
Click to expand...

That's a good thought. I did use 5th gen Centric rotors. They were noticeably thicker than the 4th gens.
 
Following, this thread as I will be doing this next week!? Hope this gets figured out and is just a fluke.
 
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Tell them you want brake flush that includes bleeding all the lines. I heard a few horor stories where they just replace the fluid in the cylinder and call it done.

if you paid for it, have them bleed it one more time. If that is not it then maybe you can try bleeding it yourself?

if the rears were only doing the work then you really would have an issue.

when we had a caliper leak on us, It took two shops to bleed it properly. The first shop kinda half assed it (or maybe they are just hard to bleed, since the system was dry) This was a reputable shop too, so says yelp, the next shop spent a little more time and they got all the air, it was a night and day difference.

I am not sure if you are in the rust belt, but please make sure your rear brake pads move freely, ours got jammed in because of the rust. that heat could just be the calipers or pads are frozen into place...

edit pictures of our rear calipers

https://goo.gl/photos/NTqsMmYF9nqRi5nc7

I spent a weekend trying to clean them, it would have been faster just to replace, anyway, you can a mm rust build up can really cause the pads to seize...
 
Here are my 5th gen rotors calipers front and rear
48a5cb6776f2b89b0f905d40ffd8364e.jpg
0524938d8911d82a56d204c3e24536b4.jpg

And these are the rears
c06b27103bd97b4ad9457327a4049f16.jpg
ef08b73e92b22c08c80850c44078b158.jpg


I have put 1545 miles on them and its been about 2 months. I live in NYC so we are constantly on our brakes. As you can tell I still have the machined lines on all of my rotors as I stated earlier the Akebonos are really gentle on the rotors. I don't want to dismiss the fact you
Might be having an issue, I am just trying to help out.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
wow you are right. cross marks and everything. mine disappeared with bed in.

Measure the caliper thickness just to satisfy my curiosity. measure in mm.
 
I wonder if the rear brakes are where the issue lies. You said you changed them too, but if they are sticking or something that could be the cause of the high heat you're experiencing and account for taking up pedal stroke for the front. Just a thought.
 
Arthur4R said:
Here are my 5th gen rotors calipers front and rear
48a5cb6776f2b89b0f905d40ffd8364e.jpg
0524938d8911d82a56d204c3e24536b4.jpg

And these are the rears
c06b27103bd97b4ad9457327a4049f16.jpg
ef08b73e92b22c08c80850c44078b158.jpg


I have put 1545 miles on them and its been about 2 months. I live in NYC so we are constantly on our brakes. As you can tell I still have the machined lines on all of my rotors as I stated earlier the Akebonos are really gentle on the rotors. I don't want to dismiss the fact you
Might be having an issue, I am just trying to help out.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Click to expand...

Thank you for that. It's really helpful. Mine look similar except my rears are more worn which is somewhat expected since my rears a 4th gen parts that have about 1 year more wear than the new fronts.

How much pedal travel do you have on an average stop?
 
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