Don’t upgrade your brakes

[Russell4Runner]

I restored my 3rd Gen 4Runner chassis, brakes and suspension. I spent months locating all the correct part numbers and sources with the best prices. I was sold on the idea of upgrading front brakes with Tundra parts so I purchased the set from BrakeMotive for $234. Turned out to be my biggest mistake. After my mechanic spent 2 weekends completing the new parts install my brakes were worse than before the upgrade. A brand new OEM master cylinder and OEM power brake booster was installed and the brakes were still shit. You could not do a panic stop! I contacted BrakeMotive and they sent replacement calipers and again, the brakes were the same. My mechanic said it was the rotors being inferior. So I trashed the upgrade kit and reinstalled the original front brakes. Now my brakes are fine and I can do a panic stop. I don’t know what Tundra upgrade kit you all used who swear by the upgrade, but the BrakeMotive kit is shit from China. I learned the hard way to never buy China-made automotive parts and to only buy OEM Toyota parts. The BEST source: Toyota of South Austin, TX online parts. Their prices are the lowest by far!

 

[mesooohoppy]

the general consensus that im starting to see is the bleed was not likely done correctly. the second that ABS pump gets air in it, the second the entire thing needs to be bled.

did you stave the MC of fluid at all? did you re-bleed the ABS pump?

 

[elnip]

I used tundra calipers that were from a Pick a Part outfit with new rotors and had no problems at all on my 1st gen taco.

 

[TCMach]

Super confused on your goal here. Thread title is "Don't upgrade your brakes" but the thread is more about the crap parts you used not working. Tundra upgrade is a great option for braking power and resisting fade and yes has its drawbacks which have been documented many times over. But seeing as you have no experience with a proper TBU the title should be "Don't use BrakeMotive"

 

[firebirdguy]

yeah, sounds like something else was going on there to cause the issues you explained. just because a rotor/caliper is made in china doesnt mean it wont work or stop the car in a normal fashion. if its cheap & from china it might not last as long as a better quality brand, but it will still stop the vehicle in a panic stop or normal stop.

i would question your mechanic blaming the problem on "inferior rotors." i have used the cheapest of rotors on other crappy vehicles & they stopped the car perfectly fine, same with no name cheap calipers... if they are not outright defective or installed wrong, they would still stop the car properly.

but i agree, this post should be about the company you used for parts not about the tundra upgrade in general.