pjbrownva
New member
Thanks. I'm very pleased with the final outcome, and can't be happier with the performance :thumb3:. I not only did the 5th gen upgrade with Akebono ceramic pads, but I also upgraded to stainless steel braided lines all around (front brakes, rear brakes, and what I call the "middle" brake lines that run from close to the rear axle towards the middle of the truck.
The one wheel at at time trick worked well for me. Because I live in a residential area without a driveway or garage, I have to keep a low profile, or someone will complain or call the cops.
I kept my work area neat, and had most of my tools in the truck itself. I had a large metal pan next to where I was working, and any tool that I need to keep handy, I put in the metal pan.
I even positioned my floor jack so that most of the jack itself was under the truck too, and when I removed a tire, I kept it upright and leaning against the side of the truck.
The idea is not to attract attention. Keep everything neat and low profile. I was also pleasant. When I wasn't actively doing something, I greeted my neighbors as they walked by with a smile and a pleasant "hello. Nice day."
If it looks like I'm changing a tire or something, people will let it go.
If it looks like I'm doing major work, if I have all 4 tires off and the truck on jack stands, then they will complain.
I used wheel chocks to block the front and back of the wheel diagonally across from the wheel I was working on. I also left one of the wheels chocked after I had removed all of the brake calipers and brought them inside to paint them.
I had some cardboard, and lots of paper towels, some empty gatorade bottles to avoid getting brake fluid everywhere, and a garbage bag for trash. If I made a mess, neighbors might have gotten upset.
I always go over my work area when I'm done and pick up all debris -- even if it's not mine. Don't give anyone a reason to complain or call the cops.
Also, if anyone had a comment about the work, I usually just agreed with them, politely. No need to explain or start a conversation. If they asked what I was doing, I usually said something like, I'm removing this tire to make sure it's seated properly, and checking out the brake behind it. I just want to make sure everything is OK and rides well. It's not a big deal... and I left it at that.
I don't have it handy, but use any of the online parts catalog (or Amazon) and look up front rotors, and front and rear calipers for a 2010 4Runner limited. Then change the vehicle to a 4th gen (like a 2008 V8 limited) and look up the rear rotors.
That will get you the part numbers. The brake pads are identical between the 4th and 5th gens, so you can use either.
I used partstrain.com and was very pleased with their cost and service. Check around with other online vendors. You might find them.
I had 5 12 oz bottles on hand (don't ask me why... I don't know), and I used four of them... but I think that was overkill. The person who posed that you need about 2 (12 oz) bottles is probably right.
on the other hand, I already had the fluid, and it allowed a very thorough flush and bleed, so I was sure I had clean fluid and had gotten all of the air out.
I used an empty 2 liter soda bottle to catch my old brake fluid. With a drill, a made hole in the top of the cap that was the right size so that my bleeder hose fit through the hole, but was a snug fit. I also drilled a smaller breather hole in the cap. Stainless steel speed bleeders (about $60 for a set of 4) made the work easy.
I started by flushing through a bottle of DOT 4 fluid (cheaper), then I switched to Synthetic DOT 5.1 fluid. It has a higher boiling point.
DON'T use DOT 5 fluid. It's not compatible with DOT 3 or DOT 4 fluids, but DOT 5.1 is compatible. See wikipedia if you want more info.
Last edited:
