Sport ed. Brakes vs TBU

[Brique]

Hey guys, I've searched Google in this question but didn't find an answer, so forgive me if it's already out there.

I have an '01 sport edition, which according to [MENTION=57546]4-Ripcord[/MENTION] 's 3rd gen buyer's guide has upgraded brakes stock. My understanding is that the only difference between what i have now and the tundra brake upgrade is the actual width of the rotor.

My question is if I would see the same improvement everyone else is raving about. Can anyone with the 01-02 sport ed. who's done the upgrade comment on this?

My rotors have gone wobbly and I'm wondering if i should do the tbu or just upgrade to some performance rotors that are more resistant to overheating and warping.

Thanks in advance!

 

[thebrandon]

If they are the same diameter I think the improvements if any would be minimal. You would probably see increased life out of the rotor since it is thicker and less prone to that horrible wobble the factory thin rotors get. For the overall price, it might be better to look for a quality aftermarket rotor vs a full rotor/pad/caliper upgrade. I didn't have sport brakes but I love my Tundra brakes. The TBU is probably the best thing I did to my truck.

 

[Supermoney]

I have a 01 sport too, the thin rotors is the main problem...they warp way too easily.

I am doing the brake upgrade on it next week.

 

[sggaz]

We have a 2000 Highlander and the brakes on it are identical to the brakes on our 98 SR5. So I've always wondered about the supposed upgraded brakes. I just installed the 199mm TBU on the 98 and there is a major difference in rotor thickness. If you are willing to spend a few extra bucks the TBU makes sense.

 

[Brique]

I'm willing to spend the money, but was thinking i could save a small amount of weight and effort by going with some performance rotors that might dissipate the heat better. That's why I'm asking primarily, is if all i would see it off the tbu would be the reduced warping or if there would still be a performance increase over the sport ed. brakes.

 

[sggaz]

I'm willing to spend the money, but was thinking i could save a small amount of weight and effort by going with some performance rotors that might dissipate the heat better. That's why I'm asking primarily, is if all i would see it off the tbu would be the reduced warping or if there would still be a performance increase over the sport ed. brakes.

From what I've read the people doing the 231mm TBU say there is a noticeable improvement in stopping power. I've read some people say the same about the 199mm but I don't think I've experienced that. So from a quicker stop perspective I don't think the 199mm upgrade will make a major performance difference. However, over the long haul, this upgrade should provide a more robust performance even with heavy braking as warp of the rotors shouldn't result in degradation of performance. Unfortunately there's no definitive data or study that has measured stopping performance over time so we can only read what other people write and make our best judgement from there. In my case I figured swapping out the 16 yr old calipers wasn't a bad idea anyway and having the thicker rotors should be better for the long haul.