What is the famed Tundra upgrade supposed to really accomplish? How?

[ArthurWood]

What is the famed Tundra upgrade supposed to really accomplish? How?

If the calipers are bigger and heavier as are the rotor and pads the unsprung weight goes up which is not good usually for handling but maybe that doesn't matter all that much for a SUV.

If the pads get bigger they have larger surface area which might generates more heat which again is not good but they also "may" generate more friction (although maybe not because there is no change in brake-pedal hydraulic input force).

Resistance to fade should go up because there is so much more metal to heat up so that is probably a good thing, especially on long mountain passes.

Pad wear and rotor wear will likely go down because the same pedal-to-hydraulic force is distributed over a larger pad surface area so that's also a good thing although probably minor.

Vibration (warp) won't be affected at all since that's caused by something else altogether.

I'm not sure if the stopping power is affected because you aren't changing the force at the entrance to the calipers.
All you're doing is spreading that same pedal force over a larger pad surface area.

Does that increase the friction or does the overall friction stay the same?

I'm sure everyone who shells out the money for the Tundra makeover is a believer and that probably has a major positive effect on the butt dyno but has anyone really TESTED the Tundra swap out?

What is the real tested proved braking performance improvement and how does that work without changing the input force?

 

[Yoter]

Stock rotors are thin and prone to warping, the Tundra rotors are thicker, thats the reason for the swap.

 

[Betsieatheyota]

What is the famed Tundra upgrade supposed to really accomplish? How?

If the calipers are bigger and heavier, as are the rotor and pads, the unsprung weight goes up, which is not good usually for handling but maybe that doesn't matter all that much for a SUV.

If the pads get bigger they have larger surface area, which might generates more heat, which again is not good, but they also "may" generate more friction (although maybe not because there is no change in brake-pedal hydraulic input force).

Resistance to fade should go up because there is so much more metal to heat up, so that is probably a good thing, especially on long mountain passes.

Pad wear and rotor wear will likely go down because the same pedal-to-hydraulic force is distributed over a larger pad surface area, so that's also a good thing, although minor.

Vibration won't be affected at all since that's caused by something else altogether.

I'm not sure if the stopping power is affected because you aren't changing the force at the entrance to the calipers.
All you're doing is spreading that same pedal force over a larger pad surface area.

Does that increase the friction or does the overall friction stay the same?

I'm sure everyone who shells out the money for the Tundra makeover is a believer, and that probably has a major positive force on the butt dyno, but has anyone really TESTED the Tundra swap out?

What are we expecting the braking performance improvement to be, and why?

Good points, I think the main reason for that mod is the trouble of warping that standard rotors do, Mine are starting to give me an ever so slight start of a soon to be death wobble.... But yea, I am curious to see what the cummunity says about this, I too am thinking of same mod

 

[Sean K.]

What is the famed Tundra upgrade supposed to really accomplish? How?

If the calipers are bigger and heavier as are the rotor and pads the unsprung weight goes up which is not good usually for handling but maybe that doesn't matter all that much for a SUV.

If the pads get bigger they have larger surface area which might generates more heat which again is not good but they also "may" generate more friction (although maybe not because there is no change in brake-pedal hydraulic input force).

Resistance to fade should go up because there is so much more metal to heat up so that is probably a good thing, especially on long mountain passes.

Pad wear and rotor wear will likely go down because the same pedal-to-hydraulic force is distributed over a larger pad surface area so that's also a good thing although probably minor.

Vibration (warp) won't be affected at all since that's caused by something else altogether.

I'm not sure if the stopping power is affected because you aren't changing the force at the entrance to the calipers.
All you're doing is spreading that same pedal force over a larger pad surface area.

Does that increase the friction or does the overall friction stay the same?

I'm sure everyone who shells out the money for the Tundra makeover is a believer and that probably has a major positive effect on the butt dyno but has anyone really TESTED the Tundra swap out?

What is the real tested proved braking performance improvement and how does that work without changing the input force?

Wow...really?

 

[19963.4lsr5]

I paid 150 for the tundra biggy brakes from a guy near me parting out a rollover. It now stops on a dime and gives 9 cents change. 1 big toe is all that's needed. With good pedal feel.


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[gamefreakgc]

More surface area = more stopping power = safer rig.

That's all there is to it. Tundra rotors can warp too, though not as fast as stock. Look at calipers on sports cars and you'll find they are very large, allows you to stop faster. If you have a small pad applying too much pressure you build up too much heat.

 

[BrianSD_42]

OP, your question is akin to asking ... "Hey why do heavier trucks have larger more heavy duty brake systems"

 

[hang10]

Rotors don't warp [emoji12]


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[JayRolla]

Rotors don't warp [emoji12]


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The myth has become such a normal thing that even brake specialists use "warped" in there diagnostics even if they know it's not true. If we had internet back when this would have been squashed. Lol

Funny thing is even 4th gens, fjs, and tundras have braking issues, they tend to overheat and then begin pulsing.

 

[White Stripe]

Imagine a drag car with regular old car tires. It will roast the tires. Now put drag slicks on, the car hooks up and launches down the track. In both scenarios the car didnt change weight but the bigger tires provide more friction just as bigger pads provide bigger friction when braking.

 

[Sean K.]

OP, your question is akin to asking ... "Hey why do heavier trucks have larger more heavy duty brake systems"

Was the thread even posed as a question? I mean, there are question marks....but it sure seemed more like a statement of irrefutable fact (at least in the OP's mind) in certain parts.

 

[sambishop]

Rotors don't warp [emoji12]

Thank God someone said it.

 

[ambush]

Do it

if you have not done it yet, do it. You will be much happier.
No question about it. Just do it.

 

[1996_Valencia_Owen]

As far as I can tell from what I've read/researched...

...the issue isn't warping, so much as the average temperature of smaller rotors leading to the pads getting more easily "cooked" and depositing uneven amounts of material on the rotor.

Another, possibly more important factor, seems to be the quality of the rotor metal and casting itself. For instance, most stock/oem rotors are still pretty poor cast iron material, with non-homogenous grain structure and mineral content.

As such, when the brakes heat, they heat unevenly, and the brake pad material coats the non-homogenous areas unevenly. This gets worse over time until the rotors pulse a lot when slowing.

FWIW, I found that using 3rd gen limited (stock size) rotors that had been cryo-treated did the trick for me, in concert with good brake fluid.

The cryo-treating really helps homogenize the rotor itself. Many folks report that cryo-treated rotors (if done right, by a legit company, and not just fake-cryo-treated) will outlast stock rotors by far, and often can go without lathing/resurfacing between pad changes.

I used high quality cry-treated rotors on a past sportscar as well, and can now claim that both that sportscar and now my 3rd gen limited stop with zero fade whatsoever.

This, after never having a car that did NOT have brake fade in the previous 15 years of driving before I knew about cryo.

 

[alanflies]

bigger cylinders in the bigger calipers increases force on the pads. bigger pads create more heat from friction which is what bleeds of speed/energy...thicker rotors also bleed off heat better, less warping/glazing.

in any case, you need to bed the new pads and rotors in by cycling them thru 5-10 hard braking cycles without coming to a full stop. Most people don't do this and it is the most important part of the brake install...