5th Gen - Frozen Calipers

[schwein]

Hi Everyone,

We had our rear brake calipers and pads and the front pads done about 20K ago and our front rotors are now needing to be replaced (75K total miles). our mechanic just called and said our calipers are frozen! cant believe it since we keep this thing so clean and its washed once a week even during the winter. I know this was very common on 4th gens but I would have thought they upgraded the 5th gen...?

Anyone else replace their calipers yet on a 2011-2020?

(PSA Search came up with a bunch of 4th gen issues and only one frozen pin issue in 5th gen)

:wtf:

 

[djeepin]

Normal. Most even don't know calipers frozen. Amazon have kits calipers and rotors, all $200. Easy diy.

 

[djeepin]

Sorry it is for diy only. Disregard my comment if you use "your mechanic".

 

[schwein]

Sorry it is for diy only. Disregard my comment if you use "your mechanic".

Thanks, yeah I live in the city so the mechanic does pretty much everything other than things I can do on the street. I think he'll just try and find some re-manufactured units and and we'll get another 30k out of them... Just incredible that 4Runners from 2003-2020 still have the frozen caliper issue :doh:

 

[97BlackAckCL]

Surprised to hear this on the 5th gens, I know this was a common issue on 4th gens, so much so that 4th gens are swapping 5th gen calipers on as a fix

 

[kenwilliams0803]

In my case, the pins were so seized by 125k or so that I could not remove them. It had been since 55k or so without any attention or new pads. I mushroomed the crap out of them without any movement and rather than cutting them in half and trying to air chisel from the middle out or something, I just broke down and got 2 new front calipers. I live in the NE, so yeah it's the salt and stuff.

Did them this past spring, current plan is to pull apart and clean and lube next spring and every year thereafter.

 

[djeepin]

No-one can defeat rust completely. It just seeping under caliper boot, slowly by surely. Must have Toyota soap grease on hand and grease under boot, every time pads change or even new calipers. Especially lower pistons. If not done, replace calipers, but grease them first. Only one kind of grease allowed there, others harm rubber.
.

 

[Charlievee]

Do they make rebuild kits? Easy enough to do if there is.

 

[djeepin]

Rebuild kits only rubber. Piston separately and they expensive. Totally not worth it. Replacement calipers better option. And easy to bleed. Just keep hose from bleed screw upright until all air come out and fluid starts coming out. It is required to gently jam brake hose during reinstal.

 

[85GT-79FJ40]

I just changed a front caliper on mine and I hit 60k miles over the weekend. It started getting sticky last summer and in the fall I changed out to Brembo pads (BIG improvement in pedal feel and initial bite) and un-stuck the LF caliper with a big C-clamp. But a few weeks ago it started to stick again. Not uncommon for the caliper design really. This is my 17th Toyota 4x4 and I have put calipers on a LOT of them. Changing the brake fluid with quality fluid every 2 years is a good preventative measure too.

I have had horrible luck with reman calipers over the years for these. I bought a new one from raybestos for this job. And I have rebuild kits so one of these days when I'm bored at the shop I'll blow the pistons out and see if it's rebuildable for next time.

 

[kenwilliams0803]

Both of mine are new coated Raybestos and I love them. They still look new 9 months later.

 

[Charlievee]

Changing the brake fluid with quality fluid every 2 years is a good preventative measure too.

So good quality fluid... Toyota? I have a can of old German performance fluid (don't recall the type) came in blue and red. Made changing fluid easy. Been awhile since i researched brake fluids, i'm sure there have been many changes over the past 5-6 year's.

No Brembo calipers... Sad panda.

 

[catrains]

I do all the work on my 2016 4runner. every year I rotate the tires and check all the brakes. I inspect the pads and rotor surfaces. so far all is good. looks like 70K miles on the pad change.

you had the monkey wrench guy do the brake job .. probably used china pads and sprayed acetone AKA brake cleaner on the calipers/guide pins.. that is why I do the work... idiots !

I use silicone brake grease to lube the pins and cover the cal boot weather seal.. also pads backing plate have to be filed down so they fit perfectly with no tools/force to set in place..

I have 1996 and 2000 vehicles still have the OEM front calipers .. had to replace the rear calipers on the 2000 because of a manufacturing defect.. @20K miles. still working..

 

[keph13]

Toyota replaced both my front calipers under warranty at something like 80,000 miles because the pins were too frozen to swap the rotors. I think the pins instead of bolts design is kind of dumb - nothing to grab to try to unstick them. I'll probably start swapping them out every time I replace pads.

 

[Blackdog99]

Caliper frustrations

I too have had 5 4runners now, (one of each generation) and my '05 was the worst yet for calipers! I have replaced around 9 on the front of it, and 4 on the rear. I am lucky if I get 1.5 years out of a caliper at 8-10K per year of mileage. I have used, AUtozone's reman.'s Advance auto, O'Reilly, and none are any better than others. I have heard only 2 companies reman these.

I now am in the middle of my '14 4runner needing a front cailper at 77K miles.
I am sick and tired of failing calipers and am wondering if anyone has swapped to performance calipers, (wilwood, or other) and can give feedback?

Thanks!!
TC
(4runner History:
86 SAS Swap Dual T-Cases, modded out
94 32" BFG's 1" lift.
2000 Sport Edition
'05 V8
'14 SR5 w/ 3rd row and leather seat cover swap

 

[Jivewalker]

I'm on my 3rd set of pads at 190,000. Put them on about 20k ago. No seized calipers yet. Use Silglyde on rubber and pins that contact rubber. Brake grease for metal to metal. What part was seized? Piston, pins, or pads?

 

[Blackdog99]

The pistons were always the culprits. everytime I do the pads/calipers, I lube the pins on new, and sand rust off, and lube if re-using on still working calipers.

 

[Charlievee]

I too have had 5 4runners now, (one of each generation) and my '05 was the worst yet for calipers! I have replaced around 9 on the front of it, and 4 on the rear. I am lucky if I get 1.5 years out of a caliper at 8-10K per year of mileage. I have used, AUtozone's reman.'s Advance auto, O'Reilly, and none are any better than others. I have heard only 2 companies reman these.

I now am in the middle of my '14 4runner needing a front cailper at 77K miles.
I am sick and tired of failing calipers and am wondering if anyone has swapped to performance calipers, (wilwood, or other) and can give feedback?

Thanks!!
TC
(4runner History:
86 SAS Swap Dual T-Cases, modded out
94 32" BFG's 1" lift.
2000 Sport Edition
'05 V8
'14 SR5 w/ 3rd row and leather seat cover swap

Don't think anyone makes them. Didn't see any on the Brembo or wilwood sites. Just some remanufactured painted ones on summit.

 

[Ventil8]

I’m still on original calipers. 15 years strong!

 

[schwein]

I have even done calipers 2 times on our 2003, impressive you are on 15 years! Needless to say in the end my mechanic told me when I arrived to pick up the 2014 that he was able to unstick the caliper, greased it and its moving freely again, said I should be good to go. Lucked out on this one! thanks for the comments.