Brake upgrade?

All the weight we add to the rigs including oversized tires is pushing OEM brakes to the limits. I don't see many people mentioning upgrading brakes. My buddy went top of line with Power brake big brake kit which is priced out of range for most people. Anyone have experience with other options?

https://trail4runner.com/2022/04/18/introducing-powerbrakes-big-brake-kit-for-the-5th-gen-4runner/

 

The current-gen 4Runner has a decent 4-piston caliper up front. Unless you're upgrading to a 6-piston upfront and a 4-piston in the rear, I see no value in changing the calipers.

 

For the most part the OEM brakes work well. I do want fo upgrade to powerbrake or Stoptech at some point though.

 

I am only at 13k. Any best guesses how long to expect OEM pads to last once we start modding? I know lots of variables from the rig to driving habits. Eating pads faster is my expectation just trying to gauge how much faster.

Tire size I think is what forces a upgrade. Buddy has 35's on his g5 forcing regear and brake upgrade.

 

That's a nice set, definitely would be a nice to have.

 

I’m running steel bumpers, skids etc. On 35” tires too. I’m sticking with OE breaks until I can confirm they can’t hack it.

So far, so good.

I don’t blame people for wanting to upgrade though. Like the OP stated, driving style has everything to do with it. I baby the breaks!

Cheers
Mike

 

I just upgraded my rotors to Stoptech Cryo Slotted and my pads to NRS Premium galvanized. Not the cheapest way to go (about $930) for both axles, but they work great. Only get slotted rotors if you upgrade and not slotted and cross-drilled). The combo weakens the rotor for a heavy truck use and makes them more prone to warping/breaking.

FYI, the Powerbrake rotors and pads are now available separately from the BBK. It's like a poor man's version BBK. You're still going to spend $900+ per axle, but it makes for an easier upgrade later.

 

I went for the powerbrake kit a few months ago. So far so good although I first noticed a big decrease in performance in my pockets. Reason I went for it's because all the extra stuff we have on the rig and how much time we spent on the HWY. I can tell there are some gains but not super considerable as advertised. I did the installation myself with the help of a friend....take your time if you are a DIY.

 

Does it though? When I'm all loaded down camping and brake on the freeway it sure doesn't want to stop.

Granted larger rotors would be good to go with a caliper upgrade, and of course pads.

Big brake kit is in the future for my 4R

 

you would be surprised what a good rotor and better braking compound would do for you.

just moving to a proper aftermarket company like ebc for pads may yield you the results you desire. Next move is to use a larger rotor and move the caliper out with a bracket. 8/10 this is all people need.

interesting in a BBK however, so I’m a hypocrite. Wouldn’t buy without the pro charger supercharger coming available for the 22 however…

https://www.rr-racing.com/RR-Racing-Front-Big-Brake-Kit-for-Lexus-GX-4Runner-p/gx4fbk0003.htm

Would trust the most out of the offerings

 

Is there a kit to to the bracket and larger rotor for our 4 Runners? This seems like a very nice compromise.

 

doubtful. But it can be developed or even homemade by someone with some knowledge.

commonly done in the vw world to mix and match

I have considered this route, but considering you can get a Wilwood kit for 1500 it’s a matter of what’s time worth.

 

Thank you for posting this thread, Ive been thinking about brakes quite a lot recently after upgrading wheels and tires. My issue is that the wife drives either all brakes or all gas. My issue with her driving style (its easier to upgrade the car than her fix habits) was that she would constantly warp the rotors on her previous car (an Armada) on any type of grade. I have tried the drilled and slotted rotors from PowerStop with just meh results, but I also kept the stock calipers on that vehicle.
Fast forward to the 4R. Im looking for the best solution to dissipate heat and then 2nd which product has the biggest caliper surface area, again for heat dissipation.

Ive stumbled around and found a couple of guys running Tundra calipers and rotors, Im assuming they are bigger?

 

TRD brake pads with stock rotors and stock calipers is the best upgrade for any price. Try it and thank me later.

 

Don't 4runners come from the factory with dot3 fluid? That isn't helping anyone

 

Doesn't really make a difference. We're not at the track so we're not going to get fade from red hot rotors heating up the brake fluid.

 

There's just no room. You would need to run 18 inch wheels to get bigger rotors. It's cramped in there as it is.

 

Yeah I hear you. I ran EBC on this Eclipse I had. Was amazing.

I just....really want bad ass looking brakes with a marginal performance increase themselves but large performance increase because they run a different pad.

 

I'm running 22" on mine, would be nice to fill in all that space.

 

Do you have stock suspension? I ask because I wonder if the initial brake dive is masking the braking power. I feel mine have very good stopping power under similar circumstances. Sometimes I think the 4runner borders on “over-braked”from the factory…you can almost feel a thump to the frame from the intial hit of a hard brake, as control arm bushings flex to their max. Maybe that’s just the fast initial bite thing, and my firmer shocks transmitting braking forces more directly before the front compresses down.

Most roads around here are flat though. Maybe the 4runner brakes sucks more with grades.

 

I've got a 3 inch lift with heavy duty icon springs up front. And icon overlanding coils in the rear.

I had 15 gallons of gas in the roof rack with 4 hard cases and a bunch of shit in the back. There was a lot of weight.

 

Spending more money on a similar style caliper and rotor is not going to stop you any faster. A lot of these upgrades are designed for track cars that heat cycle their brakes quite a bit. It prevents brake fade and keeps a more consistent brake feel as well as keeping you from losing all braking.

There are a few different things that can help you stop at a shorter distance.

1 - A tire with more grip. This will generally wear faster and have a softer/stickier compound.

2 - A more aggressive brake pad material. The more aggressive the material, the more bite your pad will have. This will cause more noise, dusting, and rotor wear.

3 - Increasing pad to rotor surface area. This is where a true BBK kit comes in. It will more than likely be a 6-piston caliper and larger rotor. You will need to go with a larger wheel to achieve this also.

 

Ah, makes total sense then. That’s full-on expedition mode. Brake upgrade in that situation may make sense.

 

Adding to steelevo - #4, Slow down

 

There lies the problem....cant safely with all that extra weight.

 

i understand fully. I’ve added about 1000 pounds with front/rear steel plate bumpers, winch, dual swing out on rear, full steel skid plates, steel sliders. Each corner comes in at around 100 pounds. My truck is a big pig!

I was certain that I would have to upgrade the brakes, but so far they have been doing the job. I’ve had to lock them up and engaged the ABS and it all worked.

Every time I rotate the tires I check the brakes and pads, it’s been holding up! No leaks or excessive wear (I do have extended braided break lines for long travel).

I’m still watching out, but so far so good.

I’m still thinking that driving style is the biggest factor in break life. Your mileage may vary!

Good luck!

 

i’m not against brake modifications but i’ve learned through me experiences that you always need to consider the net results of the changes.

along with noise and excess wear - aggressive pad compounds also tend to hate working in the cold and bite can be delayed a bit. on the flip side they also tend to bite too hard when a good amount of heat builds up in city driving… almost like an on/off switch for some builds.

tire grip is something to consider though lowest on most peoples list in this forum. not many of us will stray from what we like/have in tires in the name of improving stopping grip.

in the end we just have to consider the amount of weight we’re dealing with and what we need to do to slow safely.

 

or learn to drive with minimal traction as one relies on sliding to both corner and brake….

 

Anyone seen a master cylinder upgrade?

Something like this
https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/my-2006-tacoma-brake-upgrade-edited.652471/

Because that would of course help along with the big brake kit

 

Mentions the reasons why he stuck with stock brakes. Excellent example of a well built, heavy truck that tows a majority of its life.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CmWKFaKSdJk