Time to do the brakes..Which pads?

[wsudu]

Is this enough pad left? If not, which brake pads?

I thought I'd ask. I searched and I couldn't find any definate answers. I have an Advance, O'reillys and an Autozone here. I was just going to get the premium ones but whos is better? I heard Wagner is good...And I don't feel any warping yet, but should I just go ahead and machine the drums and rotors anyway? Thanks

 

[X6RUNNER]

I thought I'd ask. I searched and I couldn't find any definate answers. I have an Advance, O'reillys and an Autozone here. I was just going to get the premium ones but whos is better? I heard Wagner is good...And I don't feel any warping yet, but should I just go ahead and machine the drums and rotors anyway? Thanks

WSUDU, if you are DIY then do yourself a favor. Stick with oem pads. It's much quieter and better stopping power in case of high speed braking. Wagner is really good when new, but when it've worn-out about 1/3 of the thickness, it starts loosing the grip. Autozone does carry High Performance brake pad for 96-02 Toyota 4Runner, but it's relatively expensive. I've bought a set for my 2000 4Runner 2 years ago, but it was returned to the store due to the vehicle was sold. As for the rotors and drums. Don't machine them if they are fine. Use fine sand paper to smooth out the surface of each rotor and drum. It's my 02 cents.

 

[Koz]

OEM are best!

Koz

 

[sibanez]

OEM

I usually ran high-performance pads (Hawks and Brembo) on my Integra and my wife's Protege5. For the 4Runner, I'm sticking with OEM pads. I just did a complete brake job (pads, rotors, fluid) because I bought my 4Runner used and can't be happier. The pads in it were aftermarket and not worn (3/4 life left) but the OEM pads make for much better feel and 'stability'

I'm not bashing AutoZone stuff, hell, I use their rotors and have never had a problem. In fact, I tend to have better luck with AutoZone rotors for the fact that I can bring them back time and time again after trashing them at a track day in my Integra. : )

 

[wsudu]

How much more are the OEM's ...or are they more? Should I get them online or at the local stealer?

 

[Bill_R]

Check out the price for a set of pads at partznet.com.
Printout the price and take it to your local dealer and see if they will price match. If they will, good deal. Even if they match the price including shipping it is a good deal. Some dealers will price match, while others won't. Good Luck!

 

[khaug]

I thought I'd ask. I searched and I couldn't find any definate answers. I have an Advance, O'reillys and an Autozone here. I was just going to get the premium ones but whos is better? I heard Wagner is good...And I don't feel any warping yet, but should I just go ahead and machine the drums and rotors anyway? Thanks

Here's another vote for OEM pads. The OEM pads on our '98 still looked good when I traded the truck in at 75 K miles.

You should measure the thickness of the rotors to see if they need replacement. If not, and they aren't warped (vibrating when brakes are applied), grooved or blued badly, I'd just install the new pads.

Do be aware, though, that it'll take new pads a significant length of time to wear in to accommodate the minor imperfections that exist in all used rotors. During the break-in period, avoid hard stops and know that your brakes won't be quite as effective until the break-in is complete.

My experience with machining used rotors hasn't been good. If I find my rotors should be machined, I simply replace them. The cost difference isn't that great and you know what you're getting with new rotors.

Good luck.

 

[wsudu]

Is this enough brake pad left? I think so but I keep hearing this very faint swishing/scraping....not a squeek. I will say that the rotor turns ok most of way but is hesitant in one part of the turrn. I don't feel any warping when I hit the brakes.. Damn these sounds! PS....I looked at Yotatech and found a thread where NorthRidge Toyota in Cali was giving 25% off parts w/ free shipping. Something to look into! I called the parts manager and it's true. Front pads were $33.97!

 

[wsudu]

:bump: Anyone?

 

[alotawatts]

- Looks to me like you have a reasonable amount of pad life left.
Hard to tell with a pic.
My new still in the box Toyota front pads for 15in have 11mm of pad....on the plate.
How many miles on your truck. Probably unlikely you have a stuck piston. How do the rotors look ? 15 or 16in wheels ?

 

[wsudu]

Yeah I thought so too, I am just digging for answers to this faint noise. I have done enough brakes in my day. I don't think it's a stuck piston because it's still moving. 62K and 16" wheels

 

[RonMAIDEN]

I've been using Akebono ceramics on my '97 Runner and now on my '99 and I really like them since they create very little brake dust and minimal squeaking at low speeds for a ceramic pad.

 

[Agriess]

Toyota Parts Lookup Link!!!

Check out the price for a set of pads at partznet.com.
Printout the price and take it to your local dealer and see if they will price match. If they will, good deal. Even if they match the price including shipping it is a good deal. Some dealers will price match, while others won't. Good Luck!

Thank you so much for this link! I feel like this should be pinned or whatever to the top of the forum and highlighted in bold. My local stealership doesn't list the Toyota parts online, but rather has a bunch of fields to fill out ending in either a call to the stealership or an email being sent to them for a request... I would much rather look online and be able to see the part numbers vs dealing with the stelership's customer service... I may be a tad upset with my local dealer and I feel I should be for this reason alone if not others...

Ill be using partznet.com for future parts information for my 4runner now!

 

[raminbg]

2000 3rd Gen 4Runner Brake shudder 5kmiles after brake service

My nephew's 147kmile Y2000 4Runner has had severe brake shudder during his 2 years of ownership. He upgraded to larger tires with balancing and had new nonOEM brake pads installed to the front and new Rear drum Pads added with no improvement. The non-Toyota brake service guy put in new rotors and he still has severe shuddering (Brake pulses and Steering wheel shakes when braking above 40 mph).
I looked at the various 4Runner youtube and forums and came up with diagnostic checklist which might be helpful for others with the same issue.

Brake Shudder Diagnosis Checklist and Results:
Y2000 4Runner with 147 miles and oversize wheels with 2year old Goodyear tires. Standard Front Disk Brakes and Rear Drum Brakes with nonOEM parts.
1. Check tire/wheel assemblies on vehicle for excessive play. OK
Tire pressures were a bit low at 20 PSIG. Increased to 29 PSIG.
2. Check Suspension and Drive Train for excessive play/wear. OK
3. Remove wheels and inspect tires for uneven wear. OK
Large amount of brake dust on front wheels noted.
4. Check front rotors: (after 5k miles from replacement)
a. runnout less then 0.05mm for both. (Measured with Dial Gage)
b. rotor surface is smooth with no glazing
5. Check Front Pad Assemblies:
a. Large Spring Clip on Front Right Assembly was anchored only on top Caliper Pin Guide pin. (See Photo with correct Clip Orientation: Large Curved bottom of clip was not locked behind bottom pin).
b. Pad Assemblies tracked in their caliper slots (not stuck).
c. 50% wear for both sets of brake pads. BUT, Front Right outer Pad had 75% wear on top edge). ABNORMAL UNEVEN WEAR after 5kmiles.
d. Non OEM pads had only one Shim/pad (Toyota OEM Pads come with slotted and stainless steel shim pair).
6. Check Rear Drum Brake Assembly. OK
Drum Pads in good condition. Large amount of brake dust after 5kmiles. Little or no lubrication found (need white lithium grease on pivot and wear points).

Findings and Actions:
1. Severe wear on front pads indicate cheap non-OEM pads were used. Left side Pad uneven wear probably related to incorrectly installed Spring Clip.
2. Replaced Front Brake Pads with Toyota OEM brake pads with shim kit and new large Spring Clips.
3. 4Runner was test driven for 5 miles with series of 40mph-to-5mph braking sessions to 'bed the brakes'. Slight brake pedal pulsing noted BUT NO MORE Steering Wheel Shake nor FrontEnd Shudder!

Bottom Line & Lesson's Learned: Non OEM 'cheap' pads and incorrect Pad Shim/Spring clip installation can cause braking problems!
Time will tell if this OEM Brake Pad fix will work over or >30kmiles!

 

[EastTXHick]

I use Akebone pads. They don't squeak and last a long time. They are a bit more expensive than your basic pad from auto zone but well worth it.

 

[imwatchinusleep]

I used the O'reilly Import Direct on the rear disc pads last weekend. Haven't really driven enough to tell, but the fit was great. They also had a weird fabric-like backing on the pads that I've never seen before. The clips were also textured the same way. Not sure if it is supposed to help with vibration or what it does. The quality seemed good for the price - and they had it same-day.

 

[mochacho]

Just ordered a set of Akebonos from RockAuto