Brake Upgrade Dilemma: 5th Gen vs. Aftermarket

[Bluesky 07]

I'm a believer in doing my own research and decision making, but having read the entire 5th Gen brake upgrade thread and whatever I could find on aftermarket setups (PowerStop, etc.), I'm still conflicted on the best way forward. I would appreciate having input from anyone with the 5th gen upgrade or an aftermarket product - especially those who wish they had gone the other way.

My '07 Sport is at 133K and the calipers are okay to the best of my knowledge; had the front brakes done when I bought the truck (in 2014 at 96K) and all was good then. There's no rust on them at all.
[MENTION=148873]theladyviola[/MENTION] suggested the "if it ain't broke, don't fix it" approach, and there's definitely wisdom in that, so I could just do the pads and rotors and not worry about the calipers unless there's an issue. But is there any other advantage (i.e. better performance) to going with new calipers?

Thanks for any advice.

 

[luke87gt]

I'm in a very similar boat.

Our 2006 has 130k or so and will soon be coming up on brake service work.

I also have no reason to believe that there is any issue with the calipers, despite all the overwhelming information on this site warning of the issue on our 4th gens. Perhaps living in CA has slowed the rate of corrosion for me. Just curious, where are you located?

My initial impression was that if I am going to spend the dough, to go ahead and upgrade to 5th gen. But if the stock calipers aren't freezing, it would be a whole lot cheaper to just resurface the rotors, swap pads, and be done with it.

Still undecided...

 

[badattitude]

I'm sure you already know, your Sport Edition comes standard with "better brakes". Sports have larger rotors (IIRC 338MM) and a caliper that is farther out from the hub. They use the same pads as SR5 and Limited.

I'd seriously just buy Toyota rotors and pads from an online wholesaler. You'll have very good brakes and know that the parts are designed for your vehicle. Maybe get the TRD pads if you want an upgrade.

Brembo rotors from Amazon are also an option. But you can get Toyota OEM for same price.

PS - my calipers do have some rust and I plan to keep them until there is a problem with them.

 

[CXS]

I'd seriously just buy Toyota rotors and pads from an online wholesaler. You'll have very good brakes and know that the parts are designed for your vehicle.

My thought exactly, there's no need to "improve" your brakes.

 

[Bluesky 07]

Just curious, where are you located?

Metro Atlanta. Bought the truck in Greenville, SC, so I believe it has spent its life in a salt-free environment. Some of the rust pics from trucks up north are pretty scary - glad that's not something I've had to deal with.

[MENTION=70753]badattitude[/MENTION], yes, thanks, I am aware that the Sport model has larger components. That's actually part of what I hoped to learn, whether there was a performance difference offered by the 5th gen or aftermarket components over the factory Sport brakes.

 

[robaroni]

I went with the 5th gen calipers and the 5th gen powerstop towing kit. The brakes feel great and I could probably stop a train with them but it's probably a little bit overkill. But that's why its fun!

 

[snhrph]

I went with the 5th gen calipers and the 5th gen powerstop towing kit. The brakes feel great and I could probably stop a train with them but it's probably a little bit overkill. But that's why its fun.

What rotors did you use? Also, did you have to replace the bracket that the caliper is attached to?

I am also considering the 5th Gen brake swap and my local Toyota tech is telling me that only rotors and calipers need to be replaced. Can you please confirm?

Thank you. :yo:

 

[Bluesky 07]

The rotors come in the PowerStop kit he mentioned.

 

[theladyviola]

Financial effectiveness vs vehicle effectiveness. If you test your caliper pistons and they aren't frozen, is it worth it to you, financially, to replace them? If you go with the "ain't broke" philosophy, then stick with 4th gen. If you want to replace the calipers, then go ahead and upgrade to 5th gen unless the sum of all the parts is ridiculously higher than the 4th gen Sport. I would have liked the towing version of my 4th gen PowerStop set, but I also paid half to a third of retail for my set. I can stop on a dime, the brakes are beast, and I won't hesitate to tow with them. If you never tow and never will tow anything substantially, I see no true benefit in going any bigger than what's on there now. My 2¢. My mind is a financial flowchart when it comes to upgrades.

Those ugly calipers are functioning just fine!


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[Ther00ster]

I did 5th gen factory everything but did steel lines in front. Big different

 

[Bluesky 07]

Thanks to all who commented. Pulled the trigger on the Power Stop Z36 Truck & Tow rotor & pads kit for the front (for now). Pep Boys had the best price at $167 plus 10% off on sale (code KITS10) and free shipping, so right at $150 to my door.

Edit: So despite the fact that free shipping is referenced all over their website and the actual listing for the parts, they tried to charge $9.98 shipping because the items "aren't coming from our warehouse." I figured I must have missed something so I looked at every bit of small print and there's nothing to exclude these parts from the free shipping.

I called and they wouldn't budge, finally agreeing to send a $10 gift card to "cover" the shipping charge. It's ridiculous but the cost for the kit is $20+ less than other sites so I'm going ahead. Won't do business with them again though.

 

[AuSeeker]

Thanks to all who commented. Pulled the trigger on the Power Stop Z36 Truck & Tow kit for the front (for now). Pep Boys had the best price at $167 plus 10% off on sale (code KITS10) and free shipping, so right at $150 to my door.

Did you get the kit that has rotors, calipers and pads or just rotors and pads?

 

[Bluesky 07]

Did you get the kit that has rotors, calipers and pads or just rotors and pads?

Just rotors & pads since there's no indication my calipers are misbehaving. Thanks for asking, I will clarify the previous post.

 

[theladyviola]

Just rotors & pads since there's no indication my calipers are misbehaving. Thanks for asking, I will clarify the previous post.

Now THAT decision totally works with my flowchart! Money saved in calipers well spent for a more meaty brake setup. Well done. Excited to hear feedback.


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[luke87gt]

I went with the 5th gen calipers and the 5th gen powerstop towing kit. The brakes feel great and I could probably stop a train with them but it's probably a little bit overkill. But that's why its fun!

Just curious, what brand calipers? Those look great

 

[BlackWorksInc]

Realistically speaking the only difference between the 4th Gen "Sport Brake Kit" (Standard on all Sport Editions, Optional on Limited) and the 5th gen Brakes is that the bore of the pistons is about 2mm larger.

That's it, I've seen 5th gen units seize up as well; though not as commonly as older 1st gen Tacoma, Tundra, and 3rd Gen 4Runner units, followed by 4th gen occasionally. But that could simply be a function of age and as the 5th gens get older they may start popping up more.

As to their braking power over stock? That's trickier to predict and honestly I don't have data for you on how much of a difference 2mm in bore is going to make to braking power on the same brake pads and the same rotors as the 4th Gen Sport Brakes. I personally would like to see the data also as I'm debating if I want to "upgrade" to 5th gen stuff or just go with rotors and pads next time.

 

[robaroni]

What rotors did you use? Also, did you have to replace the bracket that the caliper is attached to?

I am also considering the 5th Gen brake swap and my local Toyota tech is telling me that only rotors and calipers need to be replaced. Can you please confirm?

Thank you. :yo:

Just curious, what brand calipers? Those look great

This is the Powerestop Rotor and pads package I used for the fronts.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00O6QJSVQ/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Got the front Calipers from RockAuto. Paint then before install or they'll rust.
CENTRIC 14144287 and 14144288

 

[Bluesky 07]

Edited my previous post but I'm adding this to bump the thread so anyone considering ordering from Pep Boys will have this info.

Despite the fact that free shipping is referenced all over their website and the actual listing for the parts, they tried to charge $9.98 shipping because the items "aren't coming from our warehouse." I figured I must have missed something so I looked at every bit of small print and there's nothing to exclude these parts from the free shipping.

I called and they wouldn't budge, finally agreeing to send a $10 gift card to "cover" the shipping charge. It's ridiculous but the cost for the kit is $20+ less than other sites so I'm going ahead. Won't do business with them again though. Jackwagons.

 

[Rodtheviking]

AutoAnything (Auto Zone) has them on sale right now, free shipping.

Power Stop Truck & Tow Brake Kit - FREE SHIPPING

Just got the front set.

 

[nicheel8]

Realistically speaking the only difference between the 4th Gen "Sport Brake Kit" (Standard on all Sport Editions, Optional on Limited) and the 5th gen Brakes is that the bore of the pistons is about 2mm larger.

That's it, I've seen 5th gen units seize up as well; though not as commonly as older 1st gen Tacoma, Tundra, and 3rd Gen 4Runner units, followed by 4th gen occasionally. But that could simply be a function of age and as the 5th gens get older they may start popping up more.

As to their braking power over stock? That's trickier to predict and honestly I don't have data for you on how much of a difference 2mm in bore is going to make to braking power on the same brake pads and the same rotors as the 4th Gen Sport Brakes. I personally would like to see the data also as I'm debating if I want to "upgrade" to 5th gen stuff or just go with rotors and pads next time.

I have an 04 Limited how do I tell which calipers I have. I have 140k miles and I'm getting the vibrations, only when I brake.