brake upgrade?

C

cccolin

New member
Hey fellas,

I saw a thread somewhere that said there was a brake upgrade mod to do on 3rd gens, using older tundra brakes I think? I can't find the thread now, can someone link it for me? or other suggestions?

thanks
 
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Well worth your time if you are looking to replace the pads & rotors anyway. Reman'd Tundra calipers can be had for cheap on Rockauto.com and other places.
 
I'd love to piggy back on this thread and ask how to check for fitment. I have aftermarket 16" rims shown in my sig below. No idea what brand they are, how would I check if the TBU would fit?
 
cccolin said:
Hey fellas,

I saw a thread somewhere that said there was a brake upgrade mod to do on 3rd gens, using older tundra brakes I think? I can't find the thread now, can someone link it for me? or other suggestions?

thanks
Click to expand...

Denis_Ruso said:
I'd love to piggy back on this thread and ask how to check for fitment. I have aftermarket 16" rims shown in my sig below. No idea what brand they are, how would I check if the TBU would fit?
Click to expand...

The Tundra caliper upgrade is only worth it if you have the standard 4runner calipers. The SR5's and Limited's already came with large calipers, and the performance is marginal at best.

Specs:
Base - 295mm Caliper with 20mm thick rotors
SR5 & Limited - 317mm Caliper with 20mm thick rotors
Tundra - 318mm caliper with 26mm thick rotors

For the base model 4runners, and others that came with the 295 calipers this is a great upgrade. For those that came with the 317 calipers you're not to gain much.
 
MStudt said:
The Tundra caliper upgrade is only worth it if you have the standard 4runner calipers. The SR5's and Limited's already came with large calipers, and the performance is marginal at best.

Specs:
Base - 295mm Caliper with 20mm thick rotors
SR5 & Limited - 317mm Caliper with 20mm thick rotors
Tundra - 318mm caliper with 26mm thick rotors

For the base model 4runners, and others that came with the 295 calipers this is a great upgrade. For those that came with the 317 calipers you're not to gain much.
Click to expand...

The performance gained is from the thicker rotors, which will take more heat before they overheat.
 
turbo8 said:
The performance gained is from the thicker rotors, which will take more heat before they overheat.
Click to expand...

I understand that completely, and that's why it benefits the models with the smalle rotors and calipers. The Limited's and SR5's that come with larger rotors and calipers the gain is marginal. If you're in a 4runner with larger calipers and rotors already I would upgrade to some better product rather than swapping the calipers.

Being in an SR5 with the larger brakes already, I didn't notice anything different when I upgraded to Tundra's. I only upgraded since I needed new rotors, and had a stuck caliper. You'll notice the difference when you move up from the small size. It'll be night and day.
 
MStudt said:
I understand that completely, and that's why it benefits the models with the smalle rotors and calipers. The Limited's and SR5's that come with larger rotors and calipers the gain is marginal. If you're in a 4runner with larger calipers and rotors already I would upgrade to some better product rather than swapping the calipers.

Being in an SR5 with the larger brakes already, I didn't notice anything different when I upgraded to Tundra's. I only upgraded since I needed new rotors, and had a stuck caliper. You'll notice the difference when you move up from the small size. It'll be night and day.
Click to expand...

Awesome info, since mine's a Limited. Probably just spend the money on nice pads and rotors instead given this info.

Any recommendation on Pads? Thoughts on slotted/ drilled rotors? Might combat the heat issue but unsure if it has any issues with offroad application, maybey rocks and dust getting in there.
 
Denis_Ruso said:
Awesome info, since mine's a Limited. Probably just spend the money on nice pads and rotors instead given this info.

Any recommendation on Pads? Thoughts on slotted/ drilled rotors? Might combat the heat issue but unsure if it has any issues with offroad application, maybey rocks and dust getting in there.
Click to expand...

I'm a big fan of DBA rotors, and EBC brake pads. I've had really good luck running DBA 4000 Series rotors with EBC Green Stuff pads. The pads can be a bit dusty, and some people don't like that.
 
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turbo8 said:
The performance gained is from the thicker rotors, which will take more heat before they overheat.
Click to expand...

I regularly drive on severe grades, so the heat is mostly what i'm worried about. I dont know what model mine is. It's a 98 with the black plastic fenders and black running boards with the 6 spoke/3 y-spoke wheels and a 3.4. manual with e-locker.

edit: it appears from the buyers guide that it's an SR5 with some upgrades. power everything, factory tint, sun/moon roof, e-locker.
 
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Mike, thanks for the knowledge [MENTION=98153]MStudt[/MENTION] is the Secret Santa that keeps on giving :clap2:

turbo8 said:
The performance gained is from the thicker rotors, which will take more heat before they overheat.
Click to expand...

cccolin said:
I regularly drive on severe grades, so the heat is mostly what i'm worried about. I dont know what model mine is. It's a 98 with the black plastic fenders and black running boards with the 6 spoke/3 y-spoke wheels and a 3.4. manual with e-locker.

edit: it appears from the buyers guide that it's an SR5 with some upgrades. power everything, factory tint, sun/moon roof, e-locker.
Click to expand...

Both of these statements can be answered in how and when you use your brakes. I drive severe grades too, and I downshift rather than making my brakes the primary decelerator; this for me is carried over from having driven standard shift for many years. I do the same in my automatic 4runner today, I downshift going down hill and even drive around town in 2ND gear or in 3RD with OD off to take advantage of engine braking... which also translates to better fuel economy.

That being said, I have the larger calipers and rotors on my SR5 Sport and decided a TBU was not going to net me much, but I did paint my calipers red :guitar3:
 
MStudt said:
The Tundra caliper upgrade is only worth it if you have the standard 4runner calipers. The SR5's and Limited's already came with large calipers, and the performance is marginal at best.

Specs:
Base - 295mm Caliper with 20mm thick rotors
SR5 & Limited - 317mm Caliper with 20mm thick rotors
Tundra - 318mm caliper with 26mm thick rotors

For the base model 4runners, and others that came with the 295 calipers this is a great upgrade. For those that came with the 317 calipers you're not to gain much.
Click to expand...

So I have a Base 4Runner, that means I could get the larger 317mm calipers and retain the factory rotors?
 
InterfectoremAV said:
So I have a Base 4Runner, that means I could get the larger 317mm calipers and retain the factory rotors?
Click to expand...

I'm not 100% on that. The rotors are the same thickness, but not the same size. You may run into an issue with the entire pad not sitting on the rotor.
 
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