Front brakes, always issues, Why Toyota, WHY?

S

Seafury

New member
So I have a 98 4Runner with just under 300k miles.

Lifted with Tundra front struts and OME 2" rear springs.
No armor, steel bumpers, racks, skids, sliders, or any other weight adding stuff.
285/75/16 E mud tires.

This truck has warped over 6 sets of front brake rotors since I bought it about 6 years ago at 202k miles.

Even in the beginning with 265/70/16 P all terrains, makes no difference.

I have even swapped in 2001 Tundra largest option front calipers, rotors and pads.

Warped those about 1 year ago, after about 2 years of use.

Never turn rotors, ALWAYS replace them.

Now, my new to me 2011 4Runner came to be mine, with already warped front rotors that I did not notice until it was to late.

What front rotors do you all recommend for the 2011 4Runner Limited that are warp resistant?

I am in Northern Va, so local stores preferred, but open to shipping if they are good and not to expensive.

So far I am looking at Stoptechs fromm Olympus Auto rated heavy duty for about $130 each.

And the best unknown crap Advance auto has at $90 each not rated heavy duty but cost more then standard rotors.

Would Toyota dealer rotors be better? I know they cost a lot, like the same as Olympus heavy duties or more.

I really want to avoid replacing rotors every year like my other truck.

Thanks Toyota for your shitty design mistakes that you won't acknowledge or correct.

Also BA (Brake Assist) can FOAD!

Sorry i'm a bit irritated by this ongoing bullshit brake issues on Toyota trucks.

My father went through similar issues with the 1st year T100's and even some of his later newer Tundras.

Toyota, get your brake shit together and stop screwing us over, make the brakes BIGGER and better cooling!

Thanks for any advice.
 
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I would say the first step would be to figure out why the are warping, or rather what is causing the caliper/pads to hold onto the rotor when it shouldn't. In your instance it may be a lubrication issue, brake hose issue, fluid issue or piston seal issue. Either way, knowing that is beneficial to making sure you don't have to keep buying rotors. I have only replaced with OEM rotors. But be sure to get good pads.. Akebono, OEM etc.
 
mrblah said:
if you are killing that many brake rotors on different vehicles, maybe its not the car.
Click to expand...

I agree with the above statement... I have had a handful of Toyota vehicles and never had issues. Sedans, Trucks, now a 4Runner and everything has been all good. I would say I'm the norm and you are just really unlucky. Never really heard of this being a huge issue honestly. Going on 3 years with my 4runner now and haven't had to even change brake pads.
 
I've barely put a dent in my pads and rotors at 50k miles. So I'll wholeheartedly recommend OEM for both. But make sure the install is done right if you're having issues. Check axle runout for problems first. Then check runout with rotors installed, and install in position with least amount of runout and ensure it is well within spec.
 
Thanks for the replies everyone.


Some things to note.

I am a retired mechanic.

There is not, and never has been, any mechanical/maintenance issues with these trucks brake systems. Nothing sticking, dragging, etc.

I drive with authority, not like a lazy Sunday driver, or old person, but not like a race car either. I consider it normal driving. I drive to get somewhere 99% of the time, not to site see.

I do live in a very high traffic area, have most of my life.

NEVER had this issue on any other brand/model of vehicle I have ever owned, or had in my family, to include motorcycles.

Fords, Escorts and Tuarus.
Chevys, S10 Blazers and Pickups. Modified to high hp, 400+
v6 Corsica's.
Pontiac Grand AM
Mitsubishi Eclipse 500+hp
Dodge Durango
Lexus GS300
Lexus ES350
Honda Accords, Civics
Suzuki bikes, Yamaha bikes, Honda bikes.

Every Toyota truck that has been in my family has had this same issue.

1st genT100
2nd gen T100
1st gen Tundra
3rd gen Tundra
3rd gen 4Runner
5th gen 4Runner

I am surprised this is not a bigger issue on the forum.
As a mechanic most of the non standard maintenance we did on Toyota's was brakes/rotors due to warping, it is very commonly known for Toyota trucks.

Just looking for anyone who has this problem, and solved it.

What brand/type of front rotors they went with, so I can save some money, frustration, labor, and trial and error on this new 4Runner.

If I am the only one here with this issue, so be it lol.
Tell me i'm unlucky or a terrible driver. At least that gives me an answer to ponder.

Thanks gang!
 
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I bought a 1992 Toyota pickup with 160k and sold it still running with 410k. Never had to replace the rotors and as far as I know the rotors were factory original.
 
as a retired mechanic, I'm sure you're well aware that rotors don't actually warp on passenger vehicles, rather rotors wear unevenly. There are items that contribute to this occurrence, true flush fitting of the rotor, requiring a flush and true hub surface, improper or uneven torque on the studs, or initial deposits of brake material, which can be caused by not properly burnishing brakes.
*most people do not burnish new pads properly, and the shop that installs the brakes most likely does not do this.
Given the weight of the 4runner, and the obvious task of the front-vs-rear braking on these trucks (nose dive from geometry), it could be said that burnishing pads on these trucks is an important step.

There are cyrogenically treated rotors that are marketed to resist warping-- but this is not a formula one vehicle, and they would likely wear with the same unevenness that you've been experiencing.

Do you have a specific pad preference? Have you been doing initial burnishing?

I'm not trying to be flippant here, just some points to ponder.
 
I just replaced the fronts in my 2015 with 50k miles. They were OEM pads/rotors. The pads were down to about 3mm remaining. New pads and resurface. Rotors looked fine and I've had no issues with warping. I did not put a dial test indicator to measure runout on them - but I have one and could do so if there were a question about warping/runout issues. I believe they are still very true.

In my 3rd gen I did have a lot of issues. Mostly due to rear brake problems. I did the Tundra rotor upgrade and found that it helped some. The problem was ultimately the rear drums not being adjusted well. I suspect that is the cause of nearly 100% of 3rd gen brake issues. Poor rear brakes resulting in the front brakes being overused.

I would replace with OEM stuff. I use mine enough to wear through the pads in 50k miles and have had zero problems with them. I would consider that a fairly high rate of use without any issues. There probably are better aftermarket options - but the OEM brakes seem to work very well for me under what I consider pretty heavy use.
 
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The first set of rotors on my ’03 4Runner and ’08 Sequoia did not last long, likely under 30,000 miles. My ex wife did most of the driving in those trucks and I believe she was pretty hard on them. In both instances, I personally replaced the rotors with drilled versions from Stillen of all places (good past experiences on other rides) and they performed flawlessly, lasting through multiple brake changes with no warping issues.
I just checked the brakes on my current 4Runner a couple weeks ago with 31,000 miles on them and there looks to be about half the pad thickness remaining. Given how often I have changed brakes on vehicles over the last three decades, I am impressed.
Most drivers on this forum will say the OEM brake parts are just fine and they are working out great for me, so far but if there was an issue with the rotors on this rig, I would go right back to the Stillens again.
 
I didn't see anything about bedding in your brakes.

Did you bed in your brakes and rotors properly to the manufacturers recommendation? The first few miles this needs to be done to distribute the pad material properly.

I just replaced pads and rotors at 50k miles. All of my pads were less than 2mm left. Rotors felt 'warped'. Rotors are cheap these days and to me it's not worth the hassle of turning them.
 
I had a 2006 Tundra that would warp rotors every 10,000 miles. My 2009 Tundra never had a problem with warping. I did a lot of online research about Toyota warped rotors. From that point forward, after every rotation at the Firestone shop, I would loosen and re-torque the lug nuts to the correct specifications as soon as possible. Never had a problem after that.
 
2011 Trail, with 104k+ on the ODO.

Original rotors, no warping, didn't even turn them when I replaced the pads at 92K. Still stops straight as an arrow, even when I have to stomp on them.
 
My '16 4runner has 40K on it and I've had zero issues. Looked at the pads when I did the lift last week and still plenty of meat left on them. I was also a parts manager with a large Toyota dealership for about 5 years. While we did lots of brake jobs there were no rash of brake issues with Toyota. I'd say the average milage on the brake jobs were 60-80K.

Now the wife had a '15 Audi Q7 and with 25K miles it needed all 4 rotors and pads, to the tune of $1600. She's now back in a Toyota. She loves her 18 TRD Pro although I do miss that silky smooth supercharged V6 and Quattro AWD.


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"Tell me i'm unlucky or a terrible driver."

Maybe your torque wrench is seriously out of calibration and you're overtightening the lug nuts.

Fwiw, I grew up in Rockville and learned to drive on the Beltway when it was new. Yeah, I'm old. Is it even possible to go fast enough on D.C. roads to wear out the brakes when you stop? I mean you don't wear out the brakes just sitting in traffic. :)
 
This summer I plan to do a “brake job” on my truck. 100k miles and still on the original pads and rotors. They are still in great shape. By brake job, I mean I’m going to pull the pins and springs and either clean or replace. Going to replace the fluid with OEM and bleed them if I can find a helper.
I try to treat my brakes well every day. After a hot stop I try not to keep my foot on the brake, either let it creep a bit or shift to neutral. I also try to re-bed them whenever I get a nice long downhill. Not sure if that would help other situations. The perks of living outside of major metropolitan areas.
 
One of my friends has gone through multiple sets of brakes and rotors on every car he has owned.

Contrast that with, I have never had any trouble with brakes or rotors on any of
the vehicles I have owned. My 4Runner brakes work fine and trust me we have enough idiots moving to Austin to occasionally test them.
 
as far as brake performance, outside of performance vehicles the OEM brakes on the 4runner are among the best of any vehicle i've owned
 
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