warper rotor and abs issue

[swansong04]

ok, my wife and I have a 2011 4runner (details in sig) and have had nothing but issues with the front brakes since we bought it.I don't think we are aggressive drivers at all the wife only uses it to do her 15 min commute to work everyday. And its never been off road.

so last year when it hit 85k km I replaced the pad and rotors front and back with Power Stop (K5873-36) Z36 Extreme Severe-Duty Truck & tow set up .. well since then we have driven another 20k km and the front brakes are DONE ! the rotor's are warped and have major fade when braking hard.

yesterday we were driving through the mountains and I came into a downhill corner a bit fast and I basically lost the front brakes all together and what was weird is the ABS kicked in for some reason and momentarily locked the left front all together . scared the S**t out of me. but the weird thing is around town when you are Appling the brakes in a soft manner they seem to work ok..

any input would be greatly appreciated.

I wish my 4runner braked like my old 2004 Doge 1 ton that 8000 pound truck feels like a Ferrari compared to this 4runner argh !!!

 

[e60ral]

i would replace with oem rotors, the factory brakes are pretty good

what do you mean by lost brakes? if the abs or brake assist kicks in the pedal will feel soft, but it's still braking. what you experienced may have been panic assist if you didn't actually lose brakes.

 

[(none)]

Might need some more explanation.

Are you sure the rotors are warped or are you just getting pulsing in the pedal/steering wheel?
You can have runout measured, you may just have heavy deposits building up, which could be exacerbated with your wife's 15 minute commute if it involves lots of stop and go.
How is the rest of your suspension/ tire balance? These can effect vibrations and noises while braking.

And as noted above, what do you mean you lost the brakes? Even with ABS, the brakes can still lock up momentarily, tires can make lots of noise, etc.

 

[swansong04]

the brake pedal went very soft and to the floor and my brakes were fading fast to the point where I thought I might loose them all together and the steering wheel is wobbling back and fourth hard in my hand. and like I said went it got to the point of almost no brakes the ABS kicked in and locked up the front left for a brief second ..I assume its the ABS make this crazy ratcheting noise.

 

[e60ral]

ABS or brake assist is why the pedal went soft (specifically in your case it sounds like brake assist came on and then ABS activated also). the tires can still momentarily squeal with abs, especially if the surface is bumpy or in your case your brakes are badly warped

your wheel shaking is because your rotors are warped. using aftermarket rotors may have contributed to why they were warped.

it sounds like they are operating fine, i would just replace the pads and rotors with oem and your problems should go away

 

[Jeremy556]

Sounds like VSC kicked in going into that turn too hot. It probably needs calibration with lift, wheel spacers, etc. I have to calibrate mine whenever I change ride height at all.

You mention wheel spacers in your sig, are they installed properly and properly torqued? Try taking them off.

Have you ever changed your brake fluid? You may have a seized piston or two causing short pad life, warping, and fade. Drive around a bit without any heavy braking then check brake temp with an IR thermometer.

 

[KingPrat]

and the steering wheel is wobbling back and fourth hard in my hand.

Hard? Have you considered possible seized calipers on the front? I've never had warped rotors shake the steering wheel hard, just an annoying shudder...