It's time to do brakes. Have some questions.

[airdreams1]

I have a 99 4Runner SR5 Highlander SP. From what I can understand it has larger brake calipers and rotors than a standard SR5 and limited. Yes I need to replace the rotors because I have one that is Warped. Maybe need drums too.. I'm not sure yet. Anyway Does anyone know if there is something special I'm supposed to use or if there's an aftermarket something that fits that I don't have to buy from Toyota directly? Yeah I know sometimes the dealership sells the best parts but four front and rear brakes rotors drums pads what's going to be somewhere near $1,000 from my local Toyota dealer and that's if I install them myself.

eventually I'll be needing to do shocks and struts & will probably need that kind of information.... can't really afford to pay $500 per corner from the dealership on this vehicle.

yes lower ball joints are on my list of things to do in the very near future. Unfortunately those will definitely have to be Toyota. I understand that every other option is basically trash that will not last. Having a lower ball joint failure is not something I want to take a chance on.

Any information/help would be greatly appreciated.

 

[Nicknasty]

I just did this

Oem rotors 60$ x2 - 120$
Oem semi metallic pads 50$
O'reilly remanufactured calipers 90$ x2 - 180$ (core 25ea)

Total 350 plus dot 3 and brake cleaner

Ur rears are probably fine might just need adjusting but I wouldn't assume they need replacing unless you know for sure. Get part numbers on camelback toyota and shop around amazon and ebay you should be able to find OEM for very affordable pricing.

More importantly, you may pay more out of pocket for oem now but the parts last significantly longer in the long run.

Another option would be a powerstop tundra brake upgrade kit will include pads, rotors, calipers for about 400 bucks and people have had success with this option it's easier than sourcing parts for a tbu I guess

 

[eddielasvegas]

I suggest being extra cautious if buying from AMZN or EBAY. Both marketplaces are rife with counterfeit parts.

My local Toyota dealer will almost always beat online prices. Even when they don't, I'm okay with that cuz they are close once shipping is included and most online sellers collect tax.

If you decide to buy (don't be afraid to ask for prices closer to online) from your local dealer, remember there are different discount levels. When I first started buying local, I was happy with the discount as it was competitive with online, but over time my discount got a little better as I bought more and built a good rapport with the parts guys.

As an added bonus, buying local helps keep people employed in your community, which I consider a BIG + and always want to do if I'm not leaving too much on the table.

Good luck,

Eddie

 

[jgue467]

I have a 99 4Runner SR5 Highlander SP. From what I can understand it has larger brake calipers and rotors than a standard SR5 and limited....

The larger brakes come on those vehicles that came from factory with 16" wheels, typically SR5 (an option) and Limiteds (standard - all have them).

That is what mine has, they are more than adequate even when towing 3500lbs.

I've had drilled, don't like the feel of the holes when braking, kinda can hear them too.

Now the slotted are great where it rains alot, helps channel water out faster.

If you can find angled fin rotors even better, those channel the air thru angled fins (outside to inside) compared to the standard cooling fins that are straight out from center of rotors. I have found this type in Powerstop with channels, they are side directional, so two different part numbers.

I'd use your VIN to order, for sure parts unless someone changed something.

Luck in deciding.

 

[airdreams1]

Okay, so the Highlander addition just uses the standard front and rear brakes that all the other standard 16in models use. Thanks.
The guy from Toyota was telling me I had to have a specialty brake for it because it had a completely different caliber and rotor then the standard models. He was also trying to tell me that the wheels would not interchange with the other models. Said the offset was wrong even if you got a 16 inch from another Toyota.

And yeah neither of the two local Toyota dealers here will even come close to the prices you can get online for parts. $29 for a radiator cap? Well over $300 for a damn Denso radiator? I mean that's goddamn ridiculous!!! Yeah needless to say I will not support the local rape artists. Like I said these same clowns were the ones telling me I had to have special brakes. They said this model also you had special shocks that were Factory lifted. And like I mentioned they were over $500 / corner of the vehicle. For that kind of $$$$ I would just put in Old Man emu or something like that. Or hell for that matter just go back to a standard SR5 suspension for a fraction of the cost.

 

[repo]

Okay, so the Highlander addition just uses the standard front and rear brakes that all the other standard 16in models use. Thanks.
The guy from Toyota was telling me I had to have a specialty brake for it because it had a completely different caliber and rotor then the standard models. He was also trying to tell me that the wheels would not interchange with the other models. Said the offset was wrong even if you got a 16 inch from another Toyota.

And yeah neither of the two local Toyota dealers here will even come close to the prices you can get online for parts. $29 for a radiator cap? Well over $300 for a damn Denso radiator? I mean that's goddamn ridiculous!!! Yeah needless to say I will not support the local rape artists. Like I said these same clowns were the ones telling me I had to have special brakes. They said this model also you had special shocks that were Factory lifted. And like I mentioned they were over $500 / corner of the vehicle. For that kind of $$$$ I would just put in Old Man emu or something like that. Or hell for that matter just go back to a standard SR5 suspension for a fraction of the cost.

Maybe he got mixed up with the 4th gen which has bigger brakes on the sport edition. Or the base model with 15" wheels vs all other 3rd gen. The highlander came with taller springs.

Everything that isn't suspension (minus lower ball joints) use OEM! It's a false economy not to. And buy it from a dealer because there is a huge global industry in knockoff Toyota parts. Unless you upgrading radiator for a trans cooler bypass or bigger alternator or something.

I used Brembo blank rotors and OEM everything else when I did brakes. I was able to get the rear drums turned but it was borderline. I'm going to buy new one soon. The calipers and drums have have 250k on them. Original cylinders too. I also replaced the brakes hoses with longer braided ones and replaced the bleeder valves and caps. I bought new drum hardware but didnt bother using it, the originals were still fine after I cleaned it up. OEM pads and took the time bedding them. The OEM rear shoes last an incredibly long time if you keep them properly adjusted and cleaned once in a while.

 

[patrickdotryan]

Need some help, brakes still sticking!

Hi guys and gals,

I've been reading through everything on these forums and still can't fix my problem. Our 3rd Gen Limited 2WD, mostly after being parked (or maybe just turned off?), I would go to start and the brakes would be locked /stuck. The truck wouldn't even roll. If I drove it for half a block, they would unstick. 90% sure it was fronts. So I took it to our local indy Toyota truck guys who said rotors were warped and calipers were sticking. He replaced calipers, rotors and pads. It seemed good at first, but it started happening again.

So, pulled the ABS sensors at the wheel to be sure they were clean. They looked good. Also looked down the sensor harness towards the wheel with a multimeter and both read the same and both changed when touched to metal. Wheels still seem to stick, maybe more "drag" now" and front wheels have a lot of brake dust.

Just sent it back to indy guy and told him he fixed the wrong thing. He says he can't reproduce, but says the Master Cylinder is weeping into the booster and both need replacing. But he said that might not fix it, it could be the ABS module. So he recommended bypassing the ABS module (because they are No Longer Available) and installing a non-ABS m/c and booster.

I don't want to bypass the ABS as the truck is clean and original and I feel my daughter should have ABS. But he says if he replaces the Booster and M/C with the "for ABS" version and that doesn't fix the problem and then needs to bypass the ABS as the final step, he would have to go back and replace the whole setup again.

I don't want to be $2k into repairs on this truck and still not fix the issue. The truck only has 160K miles on it and is otherwise an extremely clean CA vehicle, everything looks new on it.

It is sitting at his shop and my daughter is car-less! Can anyone offer advice?

Thanks,
Patrick

 

[FD7683]

Hi guys and gals,

I've been reading through everything on these forums and still can't fix my problem. Our 3rd Gen Limited 2WD, mostly after being parked (or maybe just turned off?), I would go to start and the brakes would be locked /stuck. The truck wouldn't even roll. If I drove it for half a block, they would unstick. 90% sure it was fronts. So I took it to our local indy Toyota truck guys who said rotors were warped and calipers were sticking. He replaced calipers, rotors and pads. It seemed good at first, but it started happening again.

So, pulled the ABS sensors at the wheel to be sure they were clean. They looked good. Also looked down the sensor harness towards the wheel with a multimeter and both read the same and both changed when touched to metal. Wheels still seem to stick, maybe more "drag" now" and front wheels have a lot of brake dust.

Just sent it back to indy guy and told him he fixed the wrong thing. He says he can't reproduce, but says the Master Cylinder is weeping into the booster and both need replacing. But he said that might not fix it, it could be the ABS module. So he recommended bypassing the ABS module (because they are No Longer Available) and installing a non-ABS m/c and booster.

I don't want to bypass the ABS as the truck is clean and original and I feel my daughter should have ABS. But he says if he replaces the Booster and M/C with the "for ABS" version and that doesn't fix the problem and then needs to bypass the ABS as the final step, he would have to go back and replace the whole setup again.

I don't want to be $2k into repairs on this truck and still not fix the issue. The truck only has 160K miles on it and is otherwise an extremely clean CA vehicle, everything looks new on it.

It is sitting at his shop and my daughter is car-less! Can anyone offer advice?

Thanks,
Patrick

The ABS system on the 4Runner doesn't work that well anyways but it is better to have ABS than not having it. I don't think it would be the master cylinder because a bad ones would make the brake pedal lose pressure while holding it steady for a couple of seconds. A bad brake booster would stiffen the pedal if it's not working like it should.

Your mechanic sounds like he's just throwing parts on it but he does work on Toyota's so I honestly believe that it could maybe be the ABS module but I can be wrong on that. I've worked on the brakes on my 4Runner many times and don't run into severe issues like this.

The 4Runner should've gone to the dealership instead of the indy since he couldn't fix it the first time.

 

[mtbtim]

Warping is a misnomer. They don't warp, but they can wear unevenly or get uneven brake deposits on them. If there's enough meat on them to be resurfaced, it might run you around $15/rotor. I doubt the rear drums need replacing. Hell, your shoes might still be good too because they last a really long time.

I'd start with the front and take your rotors to a shop that has a brake lathe and they will be able to tell you if they can resurface them. If they can, that's great and you saved some money. Go ahead and splurge and get the Toyota pads. Same goes for the rear, get OEM shoes because people have been known to have issues with aftermarket shoes.

I've got two videos that could help you out. Good luck!

<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/NhaJcoV5h40" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe>


<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/IJkVEBYSecs" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe>

 

[Bad Luck]

Hi guys and gals,

I've been reading through everything on these forums and still can't fix my problem. Our 3rd Gen Limited 2WD, mostly after being parked (or maybe just turned off?), I would go to start and the brakes would be locked /stuck. The truck wouldn't even roll. If I drove it for half a block, they would unstick. 90% sure it was fronts. So I took it to our local indy Toyota truck guys who said rotors were warped and calipers were sticking. He replaced calipers, rotors and pads. It seemed good at first, but it started happening again.

So, pulled the ABS sensors at the wheel to be sure they were clean. They looked good. Also looked down the sensor harness towards the wheel with a multimeter and both read the same and both changed when touched to metal. Wheels still seem to stick, maybe more "drag" now" and front wheels have a lot of brake dust.

Just sent it back to indy guy and told him he fixed the wrong thing. He says he can't reproduce, but says the Master Cylinder is weeping into the booster and both need replacing. But he said that might not fix it, it could be the ABS module. So he recommended bypassing the ABS module (because they are No Longer Available) and installing a non-ABS m/c and booster.

I don't want to bypass the ABS as the truck is clean and original and I feel my daughter should have ABS. But he says if he replaces the Booster and M/C with the "for ABS" version and that doesn't fix the problem and then needs to bypass the ABS as the final step, he would have to go back and replace the whole setup again.

I don't want to be $2k into repairs on this truck and still not fix the issue. The truck only has 160K miles on it and is otherwise an extremely clean CA vehicle, everything looks new on it.

It is sitting at his shop and my daughter is car-less! Can anyone offer advice?

Thanks,
Patrick

It sounds to me like the rear axle seals might be leaking. Have you pulled the rear wheel speed sensors and spun the tires while looking at the tone ring? You should also pull the rear drums and check the condition of the rear shoes and make sure the parking brake bell cranks aren't sticking.

 

[FD7683]

Having dealt with counterfeit parts once, I would 100% stay away from amazon and ebay and go straight to the dealer for parts or shop at a reputable Toyota website. Most people don't resurface the rotor due to the hassle of getting it done and most people decide to replace the entire rotor. If the Toyota OEM rotors like to warp like i've heard of, I would also stay away from aftermarket rotors unless it's a better made one than the OEM stuff. I use the AutoZone brake pads and work great for me but get the ceramic stuff at least if you do buy them there.

If one is warped in the front, replace both rotors in pairs so they wear down equally. Drums last for a good decade or 2 so they might not need to be replaced yet but you could throw on a new pair of shoes and drums if you can verify if they still have enough material left.

 

[patrickdotryan]

Thanks for the replies on my brakes still sticking issue. The Toyota indy already replaced the rotors, so point me trying to get those machined.

For the reply about the rear axles, we spun the rear wheels and they didn't appear stuck. Then we drove the car while all was working freely and when parking did NOT engage the park brake over the course of a week (just left it in P) and the issue still occurred, so that likely rules out parking brake bell crank sticking. We removed the rear drums and there does not appear to be axle seal leakage. Inside the drums looks very clean and new and since it's a California car, there is no rust.

When I raise and spin the front wheels, they can be hard to turn by hand and as I said, the FRONT wheels now have black brake dust on them, indicating the brakes are dragging even when it's not entirely obvious whilst driving.

The Toyota indy took a photo of the master cylinder pulled forward from the booster and there is some fluid sitting in there, so it IS leaking. Question just is, if I replace the MC and booster with the standard "for ABS" one, do we think that might fix the brake grabbing issue?

Bonus question, if it does not, then sounds like an ABS pump problem, I see those are No Longer Available, does anyone rebuild those?

Thanks,
Patrick

 

[19963.4lsr5]

Caliper pistons seize from corrosion under the piston seals and master cylinders fail with age as well. I’d start with reman calipers


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[patrickdotryan]

Caliper pistons seize from corrosion under the piston seals and master cylinders fail with age as well. I’d start with reman calipers


Thank you. Just for clarity, the calipers, rotors and pads have already been replaced. Problem still persisits.

Thanks
Patrick

 

[phattyduck]

If the ABS pump fails, it should fail 'open' - just like the truck has no ABS. I wouldn't suspect that for now.

If you can turn the wheels at all by hand with that corner in the air, the brakes aren't sticking enough to notice it while driving.

More dust with the new pads might just be how the new pads are.

I'd really suspect something with the rear brakes. Does your daughter use the parking brake regularly? If not, the rear could be WAYYY out of adjustment and need some work. The parking brake needs to be used and working correctly to auto-adjust the rear brakes.

-Charlie

 

[patrickdotryan]

thanks phattyduck, that is really helpful info.

Yes, she does use the park brake, although in testing we left the car operational for a week without using the park brake and the issue still occurred and we also spun the back wheels freely, so we ruled that out.

But I really like the advice that it may be way out of whack. Rear brakes are easy and cheap to fix, so I'd love it to be that! More so than an ABS system!

Really appreciate yours and everybody's help and I will come back here to post any results.

Cheers,
Patrick

 

[slayman]

Also have a 99 Highlander. Replaced rotors this past weekend. There's a thread on page 4 or so with "Power stop" in the heading if you're interested. Here's my summary:
Follow up: I did not do the TBU. Why, well, I don't tow much other than an aluminum trailer with yard stuff and perhaps a motorcycle, this is a first time project for me and I didn't feel like getting into caliper replacement. So, I bought an EBC kit from Auto Zone. GD rotors and Greenstuff pads. Installed yesterday with most of the work being done by our do everything shop guy at work. I am glad I had the assistance of an experienced mechanic when it came to the best methods for removing caliper bolts etc. without screwing something up. While the tasks are pretty straightforward his experience made the job much easier. So if I remember, I'll post an update once the brakes have some miles on them.
EBC parts: pads green stuff DP6807 , rotors GD7236. so far so good feels way better than the wheel shaking old rotors. One reason I picked the EBC parts is I've had good success with them on my motorcycle.

 

[FD7683]

Bonus question, if it does not, then sounds like an ABS pump problem, I see those are No Longer Available, does anyone rebuild those?

I think the units are rebuildable. This does sound like a gamble but since you mentioned there is a leakage, I would replace the components with ABS so you can still keep the ABS on the truck. Worst comes to worst, the ABS or something else comes out to be the problem.

 

[patrickdotryan]

Hi all, checking back in. For reminder, my daughter's truck had brake sticking issues after being parked. Rotors (warped) and pads were due for replacement and also our Toyota indy said calipers were sticking, so replaced those too.

This didn't fix the sticking issue so to trouble shoot, I pulled the ABS fuse to see if that was a problem and also tested the wheel sensors. That didn't solve it. Additionally, without the ABS fuse, the (new) brakes shuddered just before the truck came to a stop. Felt like ABS pump activating while powered down. We assumed this would go away when fuse was put back in.

So on the second visit, Toyota indy suggested to fix the still-occurring brake sticking issue, we replace the leaking master cylinder, which was pooling fluid into the booster. We replaced both.

Seems the booster / MC issue has solved the brake stick issue. However, even though the ABS fuse is back in, the truck still does the "shudder" when coming to a slow stop. Even if conditions are dry etc.

is there any way that the ABS can be reset or something? This was not happening before we pulled the fuse. Effectively we just powered it down and drove it, much like all the people who have a switch to turn off ABS when they're off-roading. In fact I got that from this forum.

Any thoughts on how to resolve? Seems like te brake sticking issue is fixed, but now it is super annoying to drive around town.

Thanks
Patrick

 

[spartacus]

When the brakes were draging they may have left flat spots on the rotor. Get the rotors turned and new pads.