Time for a brake upgrade - recommendations requested

bowrappyo

bowrappyo

New member
Hey there

First off, I am sure there are threads on this already but unsure how recent they are so forgive me in advance if this is duplicative. Here’s the deal.

Current brakes will be coming due for service in the next 6-9 months so I’m going to take the opportunity to upgrade them and I could use some suggestions. I am based in Venice , CA so if anyone has a shop they would recommend that is also welcomed.

Rig below


gvy8BR3


As you can see the previous owner had painted the rotors and whatnot red. Horrible. I also want to take the opportunity to get rid of that bs.

I do about 30 % off road driving. On recent trips to the migraines, I have definitely had stopping power issues so really looking forward to an upgrade so I can have more confidence while off-road but that is only 30-40% of my driving

Should I do cross drilled rotors? Any recommendations for a full brake upgrade? Can’t wait to get rid of these red brakes/rotors. Give me your wisdom!

Thanks!
 
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tundra brake upgrade.. there hasn't been any advancement in brakes, research here and you will find your answers. don't get slotted or drilled rotors.
 
Slotted rotors are for reduced heat for autocross or heavy braking situations. Kinda pointless on a 4Runner. Drilled may have some benefits, but not sure.

Those red rotors might be oversized Tundra rotors. Mine are also red, that's the Powerstop brand. The photo you posted didn't work, can you tell us the manufacturing stamp on the rotors? Is it 13WL?
 
cross-drilled rotors are a NO unless you increase rotor diameter and thickness. the holes significantly reduce the mass of the rotor thereby reducing its capacity to absorb heat. the holes will become hot spots and will be a source of cracks especially if you tow and/or go offroad and do stream crossings. they do provide the advantage of keeping pads clean and letting gases exit immediately

Upgrading to a bigger rotor means bigger mass to absorb heat but will require bigger calipers and pads as well as the size of the wheels

slotted rotors have less mass reduction compared to cross-drilled rotors and they will provide consistent braking by keeping the pads from being glazed when subject to heavy braking like when towing
 
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For the love of 3rd gens please skip Tundra brakes.

EBC or Brembo rotors. I am really liking my EBC blanks. Made in the UK as well. I run the Greenstuff 6000 but try to find the 7000 for lower dust. I can also highly recommend PBR heavy duty pads from Australia. Harder to find, but my favorite. I ran them with Brembo rotors and they bite very well. I ran both of these setups with 199mm Tundra calipers. In hindsight I'd just stick with stock and go for the highest quality replaceables. Cheap rotors and pads will warp quickly.

Check your rear drums for proper adjustment. This is a biggie.
 
gamefreakgc said:
Slotted rotors are for reduced heat for autocross or heavy braking situations. Kinda pointless on a 4Runner. Drilled may have some benefits, but not sure.

Those red rotors might be oversized Tundra rotors. Mine are also red, that's the Powerstop brand. The photo you posted didn't work, can you tell us the manufacturing stamp on the rotors? Is it 13WL?
Click to expand...

All really helpful feedback so far. I can't figure out this wack image uploader for the life of me so here are some photos in my gdrive.

Rears look to be drums? painted red? ugh

Fronts are red calipers and I see a "13" on them
 
bowrappyo said:
All really helpful feedback so far. I can't figure out this wack image uploader for the life of me so here are some photos in my gdrive.

Rears look to be drums? painted red? ugh

Fronts are red calipers and I see a "13" on them
Click to expand...

Sorry, the casting mark is on the opposite side where the brake line is. I should have been more specific. I can see your photos now though and those brake drums look horrendous red! I can see why you want to get rid of it. Some high-temp paint from your local hardware store should do just fine for the drums as it's just a chunk of metal. Painting the calipers is a bit harder to do though as you don't want paint all over the pistons.

Pic for reference on where the casting mark is:

frc11549n_1.jpg
 
gamefreakgc said:
Sorry, the casting mark is on the opposite side where the brake line is. I should have been more specific. I can see your photos now though and those brake drums look horrendous red! I can see why you want to get rid of it. Some high-temp paint from your local hardware store should do just fine for the drums as it's just a chunk of metal. Painting the calipers is a bit harder to do though as you don't want paint all over the pistons.

Pic for reference on where the casting mark is:

frc11549n_1.jpg
Click to expand...

Hahah, yup. Now you see what I see painfully everyday. Just uploaded some more photos.

I see S13WY

Did a google search and didn’t get much back
 
bowrappyo said:
Hahah, yup. Now you see what I see painfully everyday. Just uploaded some more photos.

I see S13WY

Did a google search and didn’t get much back
Click to expand...
I looked at the photos in your google drive. You have S13WM which is the stock caliper for most 3rd gen 4Runner's.
 
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HiluxSurf SSR-G said:
cross-drilled rotors are a NO unless you increase rotor diameter and thickness. the holes significantly reduce the mass of the rotor thereby reducing its capacity to absorb heat. the holes will become hot spots and will be a source of cracks especially if you tow and/or go offroad and do stream crossings. they do provide the advantage of keeping pads clean and letting gases exit immediately

Upgrading to a bigger rotor means bigger mass to absorb heat but will require bigger calipers and pads as well as the size of the wheels

slotted rotors have less mass reduction compared to cross-drilled rotors and they will provide consistent braking by keeping the pads from being glazed when subject to heavy braking like when towing
Click to expand...

Got it. Appreciate this. I think I am deciding between these two options then. Plain vs. slotted EBC.

TOYOTA Tundra 2000 thru 2002 - Perfect Brakes Discs, Pads and Shoes
 
bowrappyo said:
Got it. Appreciate this. I think I am deciding between these two options then. Plain vs. slotted EBC.

TOYOTA Tundra 2000 thru 2002 - Perfect Brakes Discs, Pads and Shoes
Click to expand...

The Tundra Brake Upgrade is more than just Tundra rotors and pads, it also requires upgrading to Tundra calipers. This thread has a bunch of good information on the upgrade if you want to learn more about it. There are people who swear by it, and people who say doing it was one of their biggest modification regrets, so you should make sure you go in with your eyes open.
 
Skulking said:
The Tundra Brake Upgrade is more than just Tundra rotors and pads, it also requires upgrading to Tundra calipers. This thread has a bunch of good information on the upgrade if you want to learn more about it. There are people who swear by it, and people who say doing it was one of their biggest modification regrets, so you should make sure you go in with your eyes open.
Click to expand...

Saw this option that includes everything.

More Information for POWER STOP KCOE2324

will look at the thread as well.
 
i did the TBU and have no regrets. yes i got red calipers but i don't see why you couldn't find black. the old brakes pulled horribly and couldn't stop the vehicle effectively. obviously the old pads needed to be replaced, but upon inspection the rest was not in great shape either. now it brakes evenly and effectively after proper system bleeding and pad break-in.
 
Powerstop should also make silver colored calipers if I remember correctly (might be branded as Callahan). I also bought mine from Rockauto.
 
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