SURF RUNNER
Senior Member
So I'm in the process of overhauling my brake system and I've been doing a lot of research lately. I'm doing the Tundra Brake Upgrade and have reman calipers, new rotors, brake pads, and braided stainless steel brake lines on order. Since I'm upgrading everything I also did some research on brake fluid. Brake fluid is a vital component of your braking system, so it is important to know something about it. This thread is not intended for those that know more than I do about this - I am not an expert. I started this thread for those that may not have ever researched brake fluid or maybe not even given it much thought.
A few basics:
- DOT 3 is recommended in the 3rd Gen Owner's Manual (Not sure DOT 4 even existed in 2002)
- DOT 3, DOT 4, and DOT 5.1 are compatible and polyglycol ether-based
- DOT 5 is not compatible and is silicone-based
- Brake fluid is hygroscopic which means that it will absorb water from the atmosphere
- The boiling point is obviously the temperature at which brake fluid will boil (usually in the calipers). There are wet and dry boiling temperatures. It is called "wet" because this is estimated for brake fluid in a system for about a year absorbing about 4% water. Dry means that the seal in the can has just been broken and the fluid hasn't absorbed any water yet.
- The wet boiling point is more important for daily drivers than the dry boiling point because they would not flush the brake fluid very often. The dry boiling point is more important for racing because racers have fresh braking fluid for every big race.
- Water in the brake system gives you a more spongy feel to your braking. This is one of the reasons why you want to change out your brake fluid when it is needed.
So up until now I have been using Valvoline Synthetic DOT 3 & 4 and have been happy with it. Unless you are towing a boat or a trailer downhill, racing, or somehow driving in a way that simulates a day at the track an inexpensive, readily available DOT 3 or DOT 4 brake fluid from your favorite automotive parts store will be more than adequate for you. Some of you may be a little like me... I don't necessarily need anything better than Valvoline Synthetic, but if I can find something significantly better for not much more money then I am interested. I almost always want higher quality and better performance if it doesn't cost much more. I've owned a Corvette in the past and plan to get another one in the future, so that probably has something to do with it. Some of you may own a sports car or muscle car that will require better brake fluid if you do some racing. Maybe you want a brake fluid that you can use in both your 4Runner and your Turbocharged Supra.
In my research I found out (no surprise) that amateur racers spend quite a bit of money on brake fluid. Probably the very best at $70 per litre ($2.07 per ounce) is Castrol React SRF. This brake fluid has a dry boiling point of 608 and a wet boiling point of 518. For comparison the Valvoline Synthetic I am using is 480 dry and 311 wet. The minimum wet number for DOT 4 is 311. Keep in mind that more water in your brake fluid will result in a number quite a bit lower than 311 since the boiling point for water is 212.
https://www.lelandwest.com/brake-fluid-comparison-chart.cfm?startRow=1&SF=4&ST=2
The link above is a sortable chart that was updated within the past two weeks. It is sorted by wet boiling points. I would also recommend sorting by price per ounce. Brake fluids come in different size cans and bottles, so it is important to look at the price per ounce.
One thing that you will notice is that there is a huge difference in both the quality and the price of these brake fluids. Unless you are racing in the Baja 1000 no one driving a 4Runner needs Motul RBF 600, which is one of the best brake fluids. The brake fluid that stood out to me is ATE Typ 200. This is exactly the same as ATE Super Blue except that it is amber and not blue. This is a high quality product with a loyal following. It has a dry of 536 and a wet of 396. These are outstanding numbers for 50 cents an ounce. I have seen ATE Typ 200 at $13.95 per litre (1 litre equals approx. 33.8 ounces) which is 41 cents an ounce. My Valvoline is 37 cents an ounce, so you are getting a hell of a lot for 4 cents more an ounce. ATE TYP 200 comes in metal cans which is good for storing leftover brake fluid and keeping moisture out. Plastic bottles don't do a very good job of this. ATE Typ 200 is available at Tire Rack ($15.50 per Litre), many online motorsport shops, and maybe at your local motorcycle shop. ATE Typ 200 only comes in 1 Litre cans, so don't compare the per container price directly for brake fluids that come in 1/2 Litre or 16-ounce bottles.
The ATE Super Blue is no longer legally for sale in the U.S. because it is blue and not amber. A lot of enthusiasts used to alternate amber and blue to help them know when they have flushed out most of the old brake fluid. Some of them still do it, but have to work a little harder finding the blue stuff. Another benefit of ATE Typ 200 is that it is good for up to 3 years in your system. Most racing brake fluids are good for one year or less.
Which brake fluid do you use?
A few basics:
- DOT 3 is recommended in the 3rd Gen Owner's Manual (Not sure DOT 4 even existed in 2002)
- DOT 3, DOT 4, and DOT 5.1 are compatible and polyglycol ether-based
- DOT 5 is not compatible and is silicone-based
- Brake fluid is hygroscopic which means that it will absorb water from the atmosphere
- The boiling point is obviously the temperature at which brake fluid will boil (usually in the calipers). There are wet and dry boiling temperatures. It is called "wet" because this is estimated for brake fluid in a system for about a year absorbing about 4% water. Dry means that the seal in the can has just been broken and the fluid hasn't absorbed any water yet.
- The wet boiling point is more important for daily drivers than the dry boiling point because they would not flush the brake fluid very often. The dry boiling point is more important for racing because racers have fresh braking fluid for every big race.
- Water in the brake system gives you a more spongy feel to your braking. This is one of the reasons why you want to change out your brake fluid when it is needed.
So up until now I have been using Valvoline Synthetic DOT 3 & 4 and have been happy with it. Unless you are towing a boat or a trailer downhill, racing, or somehow driving in a way that simulates a day at the track an inexpensive, readily available DOT 3 or DOT 4 brake fluid from your favorite automotive parts store will be more than adequate for you. Some of you may be a little like me... I don't necessarily need anything better than Valvoline Synthetic, but if I can find something significantly better for not much more money then I am interested. I almost always want higher quality and better performance if it doesn't cost much more. I've owned a Corvette in the past and plan to get another one in the future, so that probably has something to do with it. Some of you may own a sports car or muscle car that will require better brake fluid if you do some racing. Maybe you want a brake fluid that you can use in both your 4Runner and your Turbocharged Supra.
In my research I found out (no surprise) that amateur racers spend quite a bit of money on brake fluid. Probably the very best at $70 per litre ($2.07 per ounce) is Castrol React SRF. This brake fluid has a dry boiling point of 608 and a wet boiling point of 518. For comparison the Valvoline Synthetic I am using is 480 dry and 311 wet. The minimum wet number for DOT 4 is 311. Keep in mind that more water in your brake fluid will result in a number quite a bit lower than 311 since the boiling point for water is 212.
https://www.lelandwest.com/brake-fluid-comparison-chart.cfm?startRow=1&SF=4&ST=2
The link above is a sortable chart that was updated within the past two weeks. It is sorted by wet boiling points. I would also recommend sorting by price per ounce. Brake fluids come in different size cans and bottles, so it is important to look at the price per ounce.
One thing that you will notice is that there is a huge difference in both the quality and the price of these brake fluids. Unless you are racing in the Baja 1000 no one driving a 4Runner needs Motul RBF 600, which is one of the best brake fluids. The brake fluid that stood out to me is ATE Typ 200. This is exactly the same as ATE Super Blue except that it is amber and not blue. This is a high quality product with a loyal following. It has a dry of 536 and a wet of 396. These are outstanding numbers for 50 cents an ounce. I have seen ATE Typ 200 at $13.95 per litre (1 litre equals approx. 33.8 ounces) which is 41 cents an ounce. My Valvoline is 37 cents an ounce, so you are getting a hell of a lot for 4 cents more an ounce. ATE TYP 200 comes in metal cans which is good for storing leftover brake fluid and keeping moisture out. Plastic bottles don't do a very good job of this. ATE Typ 200 is available at Tire Rack ($15.50 per Litre), many online motorsport shops, and maybe at your local motorcycle shop. ATE Typ 200 only comes in 1 Litre cans, so don't compare the per container price directly for brake fluids that come in 1/2 Litre or 16-ounce bottles.
The ATE Super Blue is no longer legally for sale in the U.S. because it is blue and not amber. A lot of enthusiasts used to alternate amber and blue to help them know when they have flushed out most of the old brake fluid. Some of them still do it, but have to work a little harder finding the blue stuff. Another benefit of ATE Typ 200 is that it is good for up to 3 years in your system. Most racing brake fluids are good for one year or less.
Which brake fluid do you use?
Last edited:
