Tundra Brake Upgrade Problem

[skier46er]

So I want to do the Tundra Brake Upgrade but I have some roadblocks to get through first.

1. When I bought my car my parents agreed to pay for any repairs. Then I started modding it and they said they would only pay for stock repairs. So they are only willing to pay as much as stock would be.

2. Our mechanic, a good friend and works at a dealership says that I shouldn't do it because it costs way too much and it isn't worth it to put that kind of money into my truck. I have 192500 miles currently on my 99 Limited.

3. I could it the upgrade myself but I don't have the correct tools or know or want to bleed the brakes.

WHAT DO I DO?

 

[cashmoney]

Seems pretty simple. Learn to do it yourself or save your money until you can buy the parts and take it to someone that will do it for you. Honestly though, there are better places to spend your money. Unless your rotors are warped and you need new pads I'd save the money for something else.

 

[Konkordmusk]

So I want to do the Tundra Brake Upgrade but I have some roadblocks to get through first.

1. When I bought my car my parents agreed to pay for any repairs. Then I started modding it and they said they would only pay for stock repairs. So they are only willing to pay as much as stock would be.

2. Our mechanic, a good friend and works at a dealership says that I shouldn't do it because it costs way too much and it isn't worth it to put that kind of money into my truck. I have 192500 miles currently on my 99 Limited.

3. I could it the upgrade myself but I don't have the correct tools or know or want to bleed the brakes.

WHAT DO I DO?

What do you do? Tell them Absalom smokes jeeps on the trail.


But srsly, i did the TBU at 217k miles...and haven't looked back since.

 

[skier46er]

What do you do? Tell them Absalom smokes jeeps on the trail.





But srsly, i did the TBU at 217k miles...and haven't looked back since.

How big of a difference does it make?

 

[I_bRAD]

WHAT DO I DO?

Thank your parents for helping out, and then either buy some tools and learn how to do it or get a job and pay for someone else to do it. Tools and practice is my recommendation. It will seem hard at first, but it gets easier the more you learn.

edit: but agree with cashmoney, there are probably a lot better repairs you could do for the same money

 

[skier46er]

Thank your parents for helping out, and then either buy some tools and learn how to do it or get a job and pay for someone else to do it. Tools and practice is my recommendation. It will seem hard at first, but it gets easier the more you learn.

I want to do the upgrade but it's hard for me right now. I'm in the middle of my senior year of soccer and having my car out of commission would be difficult as it is my DD and taking up my moms garage space and I do not have time to have a job right now either. It is a very difficult time for me. I was hoping I could just have our friend do it but being a mechanic at a Toyota dealership they like to keep things stock.

 

[fblainen11]

I'd save up some money someway. Cut some grass. That's what I did in highschool and I swam and played basketball full time. Talk to your friend and see if they would mind helping you one evening or weekend and showing you what needs to be done and lending a hand. You don't need a ton of tools for this job from what I've read.

 

[Freyer]

So I want to do the Tundra Brake Upgrade but...WHAT DO I DO?

You WANT to do the upgrade but can't afford it. What to do? Stop being ungrateful and appreciate what you have. Get a good job when you have time and then do the upgrades.

 

[Koko4]

It's not a bad job to do, but I'd lean more towards doing it when you already know you need new brakes anyways. That way you're not upgrading something that doesn't need replaced. You can do it yourself with very basic tools - a socket wrench set and a couple of screwdrivers. Bleeding the brakes is no big deal at all. There are a TON of how-to's on YouTube, and you just have to have a partner to pump the brakes while you turn the small bleeder screws on the backside of the calipers. It should take about 15 minutes to bleed the brakes, if that.

You have two options for the upgraded calipers - the 199mm and the 231mm (both were used on Tundra). I went with the 199mm because to use the bigger size (231mm) you actually have to grind away part of the inside of your rims (or have larger than stock rims). You do have to cut a very small part of metal away from the dust shield, but it is not a huge deal at all. I think you can even cut that part with cheap tin snips.

You would basically buy the following to do this: a bottle of brake fluid, two calipers for a Tundra, two rotors for a Tundra, and brake pads for the Tundra. The added cost over stock would be the cost of the new calipers and the cost of buying new rotors vs. having the old ones machined.

There are great write-ups on here to help you through it step-by-step. We were all new to wrenching at one point, and I personally got introduced by a friend down the street, then gained a bigger interest and watched YouTube religiously (I HIGHLY recommend Eric The Car Guy's videos, by the way) and I have learned how to replace clutches, rebuild an engine (AMC 304 for a Jeep CJ-5), and many other things. You just have to learn bit-by-bit, and don't get overwhelmed or put-off by being new to it all.

 

[IBallEngineer]

I did the upgrade last Friday, took me about 2 hours. Now I have a lifetime of experience on my side. But it's an easy Saturday project for any novice. A google search will give you TONS of pictures and examples of this job. Same goes for bleeding, which is a very simple thing to do. I started working on my own car when I was 17 because I couldn't afford to pay anyone. I owned my own shop for 14 years and have earned my living in some car oriented capacity my entire life. Not to say you have to do that, but this isn't rocket science, it's just a brake job, with better parts than what came on the truck.

:cheers:

 

[Kryptoroxx]

Go to a you pull it junkyard and source parts that can be rebuilt. Tools and the knowhow will serve you better in the long run over the number of vehicles you will own.

 

[skier46er]

You WANT to do the upgrade but can't afford it. What to do? Stop being ungrateful and appreciate what you have. Get a good job when you have time and then do the upgrades.

I'm sorry but I actually can afford it. I just don't know if it's worth paying the extra money to do it.

I'd save up some money someway. Cut some grass. That's what I did in highschool and I swam and played basketball full time. Talk to your friend and see if they would mind helping you one evening or weekend and showing you what needs to be done and lending a hand. You don't need a ton of tools for this job from what I've read.

Thank you!

It's not a bad job to do, but I'd lean more towards doing it when you already know you need new brakes anyways. That way you're not upgrading something that doesn't need replaced. You can do it yourself with very basic tools - a socket wrench set and a couple of screwdrivers. Bleeding the brakes is no big deal at all. There are a TON of how-to's on YouTube, and you just have to have a partner to pump the brakes while you turn the small bleeder screws on the backside of the calipers. It should take about 15 minutes to bleed the brakes, if that.



You have two options for the upgraded calipers - the 199mm and the 231mm (both were used on Tundra). I went with the 199mm because to use the bigger size (231mm) you actually have to grind away part of the inside of your rims (or have larger than stock rims). You do have to cut a very small part of metal away from the dust shield, but it is not a huge deal at all. I think you can even cut that part with cheap tin snips.



You would basically buy the following to do this: a bottle of brake fluid, two calipers for a Tundra, two rotors for a Tundra, and brake pads for the Tundra. The added cost over stock would be the cost of the new calipers and the cost of buying new rotors vs. having the old ones machined.



There are great write-ups on here to help you through it step-by-step. We were all new to wrenching at one point, and I personally got introduced by a friend down the street, then gained a bigger interest and watched YouTube religiously (I HIGHLY recommend Eric The Car Guy's videos, by the way) and I have learned how to replace clutches, rebuild an engine (AMC 304 for a Jeep CJ-5), and many other things. You just have to learn bit-by-bit, and don't get overwhelmed or put-off by being new to it all.

Thank you for you knowledge. I appreciate people like you and not those who say I am "ungrateful." I am very grateful for my parents and what they do. I would not be the way I am today without them and my vehicle would not be the way it is today. I have purchased a boat with my sister 50/50 when I was 12, 2 snowmobiles and my 4Runner. I think some people should think before they post something.

 

[skier46er]

Go to a you pull it junkyard and source parts that can be rebuilt. Tools and the knowhow will serve you better in the long run over the number of vehicles you will own.

Thank you as well. I just need to know if it is really worth it to do the upgrade.

 

[Freyer]

I'm sorry but I actually can afford it. I just don't know if it's worth paying the extra money to do it.

I don't see the issue then. If you have then money and want the upgrade then I think there is an easy solution. I'm sorry I'm just playing the A hole role tonight

 

[skier46er]

I don't see the issue then. If you have then money and want the upgrade then I think there is an easy solution. I'm sorry I'm just playing the A hole role tonight

Money is not the issue. It's the time and inexperience I have the problem with.

 

[Freyer]

Money is not the issue. It's the time and inexperience I have the problem with.

So go hang out at your buddy's place (the yota mechanic) and give him a helping hand for a while and he will teach you what you need to know and most likely lend you some tools and a helping hand. In the meantime continue to enjoy the ride and by the time you are ready to do the upgrade you will know if it is worth it to you or not

Also, I'll apologize for mis-interpreting your first message. Reading back over it again I can see I went to the extreme on my first reply.

 

[Kryptoroxx]

Thank you as well. I just need to know if it is really worth it to do the upgrade.

I think it is a solid upgrade. I have mine sitting on the shelf waiting for my pads to wear out. I don't upgrade mid maintenance unless it's a danger to safety or a serious fault. My tires were rubbing so i needed to upgrade springs as an example.

Waste not want not man. I'm broke as hell a lot of the time and working/maintaining my truck is a form of entertainment for me and a good stress reliever.

 

[HiLife]

All of us on here remember the very first attempt at automotive repair. The steps, the uh oh moments and the steps on how to better it the next time around. Very few are born with this skills, most learned the skill.
You never going to learn how unless you take the first step. Of course, do your research on your repairs. Start on something you know you can do yourself right now and work your way up from there.
Doing the TBU (or SBU) is a straight forward r&r for those comfortable with wrenching. It's your brakes! Be careful if you are not sure in attempting the r&r.

 

[I_bRAD]

Am I the only one that's leery about grinding the wheels?

I considered the Tundra brakes when I did mine. I went with stock 4runner brakes and I've never had an issue. I think if you're running stock size tires and not pulling a trailer every day or drive it like a racecar the stock brakes are fine.

 

[jgue467]

Money is not the issue. It's the time and inexperience I have the problem with.

In that case, stop blabbing with us and watch this: https://youtu.be/dRaYaytYkIY

As far as worth it, just depends on what you think of the stopping power you have now - is it enough for your needs, driving style, terrain, etc. Only You can answer that so get busy!


:cowboy: