New Rotors & Pads On a 2008 SR5- Difficulty Level?

RPC

RPC

New member
105K mi on my 2008 V8 SR5, have had front rotors resurfaced twice (each time because I was getting vibration in steering/pedal when braking) and pads on all four corners have been replaced several times through life.

Front rotors are starting to give me the familiar vibration when braking and I’m sure I’m due for replacement, up front at least, and want to just replace all the way around. Brake fluid is original as well, so want to flush and fill that too.

For those that have done this themselves, what would you rate difficulty 1-10 (and is anyone aware of any good write ups on the job?)? I’ve done a lot of wrenching on the truck- new springs/shocks, replaced spark plugs, etc.- so I’m comfortable getting dirty but don’t want to get in over my head.

Thanks in advance.

-Rex
 
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If you've done springs and shock you can handle brakes. Just did my 5th gen took 2 hours without power tools( longest part is jacking up and removing tires)
Not sure if they are different,Watch a quick YouTube tutorial and you'll be fine. Probably a couple pins just pay attention which direction they go
 
You might just have uneven pad buildup on your rotors which would cause vibrations when braking. There are different ways to check and remove the buildup here is one:

Uneven Pad Deposit Removal

I fixed mine by slamming on the brakes on an off ramp.
 
ryan87 said:
If you've done springs and shock you can handle brakes. Just did my 5th gen took 2 hours without power tools( longest part is jacking up and removing tires)
Not sure if they are different,Watch a quick YouTube tutorial and you'll be fine. Probably a couple pins just pay attention which direction they go
Click to expand...

Appreciate it. Was watching a YouTube video when you responded actually, looks super simple.

Did you have to do any steps after install? I feel like I’ve read something about “setting the pads”.
 
I’ve learned a lot on this forum and YouTube as I had no previous experience. I just did the front and back rotors and pads. I also came across a frozen caliper. Check out YouTube for some great step by step procedures. I watched Jim the Car guys and had it playing while I was doing the job as it was my first time. The shop quoted me $1500 for all the work and fluids, I spent maybe a little under $500 with buying some new tools. Used a chain store to buy the parts as they had 20% on online orders.

You’ll be totally fine! It’s a great new skill to learn as you can easily do Brakes after doing it four times in a row on the front and back! . I highly recommend Jim the Car guy videos as he covered some other items like a frozen caliper and what to do if a lug nut stud breaks. Both happened to me and luckily I was able to fix it with the vids.

Best of luck!
 
RPC said:
105K mi on my 2008 V8 SR5, have had front rotors resurfaced twice (each time because I was getting vibration in steering/pedal when braking) and pads on all four corners have been replaced several times through life.

Front rotors are starting to give me the familiar vibration when braking and I’m sure I’m due for replacement, up front at least, and want to just replace all the way around. Brake fluid is original as well, so want to flush and fill that too.

For those that have done this themselves, what would you rate difficulty 1-10 (and is anyone aware of any good write ups on the job?)? I’ve done a lot of wrenching on the truck- new springs/shocks, replaced spark plugs, etc.- so I’m comfortable getting dirty but don’t want to get in over my head.

Thanks in advance.

-Rex
Click to expand...

You'll do fine the front is easy, the rear can be a little more diffucult or even a pain in the a$$ if you don't remove the old rotors correctly, you have to back off the parking brake shoes in order to get the rotor off, if you don't you will most likely have a headache on your hands if you manage to get the rotor off without backing off the parking brake shoes because in most cases you will either damage the mounting hardware or just pop most of it loose, in either case it's a pain in the a$$ getting the shoe/hardware back on correctly because of the rear axle flange/hub with the lugstuds on it is in the way thus making very tight access to the mounting hardware, BUT if you just back the adjuster off to relieve the tension of the brake shoes to the rotor everything will be as easy as the fronts, just be sure to adjust the parking brakes after installing the new rotors.

Also be sure not the damage the wires or speed sensors on all 4 corners/wheels or you will get codes and warning lights and have to replace the damaged wires and or sensors!!

RPC said:
Appreciate it. Was watching a YouTube video when you responded actually, looks super simple.

Did you have to do any steps after install? I feel like I’ve read something about “setting the pads”.
Click to expand...

This is called "Bedding in" the pads, here's a link to links for how to do it, select the correct link for either stock pads or performance pads.

Bed-In Theory
 
Last edited:
While replacing my pads and rotors, I noticed one of the pistons on the front left was sticking but sprayed it with some penetrating oil and forgot about it, smart guy huh? Installed the pads and rotors, took a test drive, noticed a horrible brake smell, that front left brake caliper was stuck and the pads would not move away from the rotor. So ended up replacing the caliper on both sides just to be certain. Sometimes when you compress the pistons back into the caliper, it can cause small areas of rust of dirt to break off and stick the caliper. Be sure to compress the two pistons evenly and simultaneously as well. Stuck calipers are a common thing on these beautiful beasts, if you notice anything sticking, best to replace it while you have the wheels off. Cheers!
 
you may want to consider doing the 5th gen caliper upgrade if youre planning on keeping the 4Runner a while. Since youre already buying new rotors/pads now would be the perfect time.
 
Keep in mind things might not go as planned. Corrosion can cause fasteners to rust or freeze. You can strip or break fasteners completely. Be prepared to handle it. A dremel and some cut off wheels have been a lifesaver on many of my repairs.

My 4 rotors, calipers and pads took all day due to stuck fasteners with a friend helping me.

Sent from my SM-G920V using Tapatalk
 
Aeq, Au, jf & verman- I appreciate the insight and links. They all make sense and I’ve made a note of all as reminders during/after install.

vas- Hadn’t thought about the 5th Gen upgrade until you mentioned it. I plan on driving this truck for as long as it’ll run and I’ll look into the 5th Gen swap process.

-Rex
 
[MENTION=112829]verman84[/MENTION]-

Doing reading on upgrading to 5th Gen parts and I see you in a thread from 2015 having made the swap to 5th Gen.

You still happy with the change? Anything you would have done differently?
 
I was planning on doing the 5th gen upgrade at some point, but if you follow the 5th gen forums at all, those guy are starting to have seizing issues with their calipers as well. To be clear, there's been a LOOOOT of discussion about this issue.
If you feel like reading about it, read here:
http://www.toyota-4runner.org/4th-gen-t4rs/196236-5th-gen-calipers-21.html

My take: Toyota 4runners have issues with seizing calipers. Most gens including the 5th gen have this issue. Not going to spend extra money upgrading to a different generation of part, for the same issue.

My short plan: complete brake fluid flush on a yearly basis. This actually does help limit the amount of moisture sitting in your system. If i have a caliper fail, I'll purchase the highest quality caliper replacement I can afford, and keep on truckin. Not upgrading the entire system at that time.

My long term plan: upgrade to stoptech or something. Not too worried about it, because I'm probably not going to make it to this plan. Not really inclined to put those type of dollars into brake upgrades, I feel like i can keep this system operating well with maintenance, and replacing failed parts where necessary.
 
f250ben said:
I was planning on doing the 5th gen upgrade at some point, but if you follow the 5th gen forums at all, those guy are starting to have seizing issues with their calipers as well. To be clear, there's been a LOOOOT of discussion about this issue.
If you feel like reading about it, read here:
http://www.toyota-4runner.org/4th-gen-t4rs/196236-5th-gen-calipers-21.html

My take: Toyota 4runners have issues with seizing calipers. Most gens including the 5th gen have this issue. Not going to spend extra money upgrading to a different generation of part, for the same issue.

My short plan: complete brake fluid flush on a yearly basis. This actually does help limit the amount of moisture sitting in your system. If i have a caliper fail, I'll purchase the highest quality caliper replacement I can afford, and keep on truckin. Not upgrading the entire system at that time.
Click to expand...

Appreciate the input. I’m only on page 7/22 of this 5th Gen swap thread and haven’t come across any 5th Gen siezing issues yet, but interesting to know it’s finally happening with those parts too.

My major motivation for going to 5th Gen parts is that my truck is 10 years old and I’ll be more than slightly irritated if I replace my 4th Gen rotors & pads only to have a caliper seize in the next 12-24 months. Might it have happened anyway? Sure, but why not spend <$200 add’l bucks to replace the calipers and stay a couple of years ahead of caliper siezing issues?

Again, neither route is guaranteed not to seize down the road but might I just as well swap to 5th Gen parts and enjoy a little better brake performance also?

Last, I’ve not changed brake fluid in the last 10 years so, if moisture in the system is a root cause of siezing/failure, I’m likely headed straight for it.

Again though man, I appreciate your insight. Helps me think more deeply through options.

-Rex
 
RPC said:
[MENTION=112829]verman84[/MENTION]-

Doing reading on upgrading to 5th Gen parts and I see you in a thread from 2015 having made the swap to 5th Gen.

You still happy with the change? Anything you would have done differently?
Click to expand...

I am happy with the change. My brakes were pulsating pretty bad and after removing the calipers and much smoother after, it was clear they were very corroded and I had several stuck pistons.

The only things I would have done different are as follows.

  • Buy painted calipers. My new calipers came with a silver coating which I thought was paint but they turned orange pretty quickly ... after a month or two. Painting them yourself can be a hassle but if you do it, do it before you install them on the vehicle ... its 10x easier. But do yourself a huge favor up front and spend the extra $10 or $20 per caliper to just buy pre painted ones.
  • Use 4th gen rear rotors. I did 5th gens because early on, nobody realized there was much of a difference but there is. I'll be replacing my rear rotors with 4 gens shortly. Go with 4th gen rear rotors. You will be running 5th gen rotors up front, 4th in the rear. It can be confusing but it works best that way.
  • Organic/ceramic pads. This is more personal preference but I went with metallic pads and I feel like they aren't as good as what I had previously.
  • Stainless lines. Install new stainless flex lines on all front and rear. Brakes are one of those things you hope to only do once, upgrading your brake lines while in that process is pretty easy and ensures they're going to last, plus they are supposed to provide better response.
  • Apply penetrating oil to all the fasteners for a week or two before you do the work and let it soak in. I ran into several really difficult fasteners and stripped a few of the heads off in the process which added hours to the install. I also had to go to the auto store to buy new fasteners/bolts to replace the stripped and broken ones. I had to grind them down, hammer a socket onto them and luckily they finally came out with a long breaker bar. I bought a cordless impact wrench and 1/2" impact sockets just for this job and thank god because it helped break a lot of rusty fasteners. A breaker bar is a must though. I believe mine was 24" or longer.
  • Have a friend help you out. It would be a tough job with only one person, especially the bleeding process. Buy some extra brake fluid to have on hand. Don't let your reservoir go empty or else you'll have to head to the toyota dealership.
  • Don't forget to loosen the parking brake before you remove the rear rotors. There is a hole in the rotor, rotate the wheel so the hole is on the bottom. There is a star wheel inside that hole that you rotate to loosen the parking brake and then you can pull the rotor off. Otherwise you risk damaging the parking brake when you pull the rotor off. Also, if your rotors are struggling to come off, there is a threaded hole in most rotors that you can put a bolt into that forces the rotor off. Don't recall the size but I'm pretty sure its the same size as the caliper bolt.
 
verman84 said:
I am happy with the change. My brakes were pulsating pretty bad and after removing the calipers and much smoother after, it was clear they were very corroded and I had several stuck pistons.

The only things I would have done different are as follows.

  • Buy painted calipers. My new calipers came with a silver coating which I thought was paint but they turned orange pretty quickly ... after a month or two. Painting them yourself can be a hassle but if you do it, do it before you install them on the vehicle ... its 10x easier. But do yourself a huge favor up front and spend the extra $10 or $20 per caliper to just buy pre painted ones.
  • Use 4th gen rear rotors. I did 5th gens because early on, nobody realized there was much of a difference but there is. I'll be replacing my rear rotors with 4 gens shortly. Go with 4th gen rear rotors. You will be running 5th gen rotors up front, 4th in the rear. It can be confusing but it works best that way.
  • Organic/ceramic pads. This is more personal preference but I went with metallic pads and I feel like they aren't as good as what I had previously.
  • Stainless lines. Install new stainless flex lines on all front and rear. Brakes are one of those things you hope to only do once, upgrading your brake lines while in that process is pretty easy and ensures they're going to last, plus they are supposed to provide better response.
  • Apply penetrating oil to all the fasteners for a week or two before you do the work and let it soak in. I ran into several really difficult fasteners and stripped a few of the heads off in the process which added hours to the install. I also had to go to the auto store to buy new fasteners/bolts to replace the stripped and broken ones. I had to grind them down, hammer a socket onto them and luckily they finally came out with a long breaker bar. I bought a cordless impact wrench and 1/2" impact sockets just for this job and thank god because it helped break a lot of rusty fasteners. A breaker bar is a must though. I believe mine was 24" or longer.
  • Have a friend help you out. It would be a tough job with only one person, especially the bleeding process. Buy some extra brake fluid to have on hand. Don't let your reservoir go empty or else you'll have to head to the toyota dealership.
  • Don't forget to loosen the parking brake before you remove the rear rotors. There is a hole in the rotor, rotate the wheel so the hole is on the bottom. There is a star wheel inside that hole that you rotate to loosen the parking brake and then you can pull the rotor off. Otherwise you risk damaging the parking brake when you pull the rotor off. Also, if your rotors are struggling to come off, there is a threaded hole in most rotors that you can put a bolt into that forces the rotor off. Don't recall the size but I'm pretty sure its the same size as the caliper bolt.
Click to expand...

And anti seize all things
 
f250ben said:
I was planning on doing the 5th gen upgrade at some point, but if you follow the 5th gen forums at all, those guy are starting to have seizing issues with their calipers as well. To be clear, there's been a LOOOOT of discussion about this issue.
If you feel like reading about it, read here:
http://www.toyota-4runner.org/4th-gen-t4rs/196236-5th-gen-calipers-21.html

My take: Toyota 4runners have issues with seizing calipers. Most gens including the 5th gen have this issue. Not going to spend extra money upgrading to a different generation of part, for the same issue.

My short plan: complete brake fluid flush on a yearly basis. This actually does help limit the amount of moisture sitting in your system. If i have a caliper fail, I'll purchase the highest quality caliper replacement I can afford, and keep on truckin. Not upgrading the entire system at that time.

My long term plan: upgrade to stoptech or something. Not too worried about it, because I'm probably not going to make it to this plan. Not really inclined to put those type of dollars into brake upgrades, I feel like i can keep this system operating well with maintenance, and replacing failed parts where necessary.
Click to expand...

The parts are the same price for 4th and 5th gen. do yourself a favor and upgrade to 5th gen. I have the upgrade and it one of the best upgrades ive done. Ive been running it for about 2 years and im about to do the first brake overhaul since putting it on.
 
verman84 said:
I am happy with the change. My brakes were pulsating pretty bad and after removing the calipers and much smoother after, it was clear they were very corroded and I had several stuck pistons.

The only things I would have done different are as follows.

  • Buy painted calipers. My new calipers came with a silver coating which I thought was paint but they turned orange pretty quickly ... after a month or two. Painting them yourself can be a hassle but if you do it, do it before you install them on the vehicle ... its 10x easier. But do yourself a huge favor up front and spend the extra $10 or $20 per caliper to just buy pre painted ones.
  • Use 4th gen rear rotors. I did 5th gens because early on, nobody realized there was much of a difference but there is. I'll be replacing my rear rotors with 4 gens shortly. Go with 4th gen rear rotors. You will be running 5th gen rotors up front, 4th in the rear. It can be confusing but it works best that way.
  • Organic/ceramic pads. This is more personal preference but I went with metallic pads and I feel like they aren't as good as what I had previously.
  • Stainless lines. Install new stainless flex lines on all front and rear. Brakes are one of those things you hope to only do once, upgrading your brake lines while in that process is pretty easy and ensures they're going to last, plus they are supposed to provide better response.
  • Apply penetrating oil to all the fasteners for a week or two before you do the work and let it soak in. I ran into several really difficult fasteners and stripped a few of the heads off in the process which added hours to the install. I also had to go to the auto store to buy new fasteners/bolts to replace the stripped and broken ones. I had to grind them down, hammer a socket onto them and luckily they finally came out with a long breaker bar. I bought a cordless impact wrench and 1/2" impact sockets just for this job and thank god because it helped break a lot of rusty fasteners. A breaker bar is a must though. I believe mine was 24" or longer.
  • Have a friend help you out. It would be a tough job with only one person, especially the bleeding process. Buy some extra brake fluid to have on hand. Don't let your reservoir go empty or else you'll have to head to the toyota dealership.
  • Don't forget to loosen the parking brake before you remove the rear rotors. There is a hole in the rotor, rotate the wheel so the hole is on the bottom. There is a star wheel inside that hole that you rotate to loosen the parking brake and then you can pull the rotor off. Otherwise you risk damaging the parking brake when you pull the rotor off. Also, if your rotors are struggling to come off, there is a threaded hole in most rotors that you can put a bolt into that forces the rotor off. Don't recall the size but I'm pretty sure its the same size as the caliper bolt.
Click to expand...

You’re a stud, thank you
 
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