Brakes at 40k

I was thinking about putting on new slotted and drilled rotors and pads front and rear. My question is I'm having zero issues with my current brakes.. No noises, no shake or pull,off roading no trouble going down hill. Should I wait until I feel a decrease in performance or should I put on the high performance brakes at 40k?

 

^You won't see a decrease in performance until the pads are worn down to nothing.

Do you go through water or mud off road? If so, slotted rotors will help with water evacuation. That's about it.

 

So prolly just do it then? I am pretty easy on my brakes was wondering if 40k sounds about right for new ones.

 

If it ain't broke

 

I wouldn’t bother changing them until they are worn. My rear pads lasted almost 50k miles, and the fronts could have gone another 5 to 10k miles. You’ll hear the squealers make noise, that’s your cue to change them. Any sooner is like changing a light bulb that works just because it’s been on for a while.

Slotted or drilled rotors have the potential to get packed with mud. So unless you only drive on the street, I would personally avoid them.

 

I'm over 60k on original brakes. Last 10k has been with a lot of extra weight and larger/heavier tires. When they finally go out, I will replace with OEM because they work well.

I had an '04 JGC that always warped the rotors - was told it was because brake pads were too small and caused hot shots on rotors. I tried EBC cross drilled and slotted rotors with yellow/red stuff pads (basically racing level brakes) and they warped too. A lot of shops back then couldn't turn cross drilled and slotted rotors so I had a hell of a time finding someone who could, and then they cost me. They lasted no longer than OEM.

All that to say this. I think the brakes on the 4runner are well sized and have lasted as I expected. Just like the windshield wiper thread, I'd say stick with OEM. I've been very impressed by the original engineering and sometimes question why I've spent so much time and money on modifications

 

OEM rotors and pads are pretty nice. They have good bite and long wear. A more aggressive pad will help with bite but you will be sacrificing the rotor for that.

 

Great info guys, thanks

 

Slotted/drilled rotors are absolutely useless in commercial vehicles.

not to mention all of the mud and rocks that will get in them.

 

I changed original brake pads & rotors at 77k . most likely could have gone another 6k or so,

 

^ This ^

 

My original front pads went over 100K miles, of which 70K was on oversized tires and hauling hundreds of pounds of armor, recovery gear and tools. The rears lasted around 80K, IIRC.

This is what I read when I was considering some fancy aftermarket rotors. I ended up sticking with the OEM rotors, and see no reason to change.

 

buy more tires and maybe a youtube series

 

Oem when you need to change them, check the pads to see if they need to be changed.

 

Your testimony is a great example of the OEM brakes. I’ve heard other 5th Gen owners with the same claim.

 

Yeah when it's time I'll go with oem. I drive in a lot of mud and dirt so the slotted and drilled catching all of that makes sense.

 

My experience is just the opposite - the slotted rotors help with cleaning the friction surface.

 

I think I'll go oem because I had the wheels off about 2k miles ago and they honestly looked good. If they lasted this long with heavy off road use then they are good enough for me.

 

I changed mine at 80K and could have made it to 90K.

 

How do you guy get so much out your rotors and pads. I just did all 4 corners because they were pretty much shoot. I only have approx. 31K miles. I went with aftermarket this time slotted/drilled on all corners. Will see how they hold up.

 

^Aggressive engine braking. The 4Runner is heavy, ~4800 lb stock, so drive it like you would a bigger truck. Around town I'm usually in "3". I downshift to "2" ahead of sharp turns and stop lights.

 

In my case it's probably a combination of conservative driving and lots of highway miles. I have been putting on around 22K miles per year, and I don't drive it to work.

I use S mode a lot, similar to @3JOH22A . Even in S4 and S5 I'm probably benefitting from engine braking.

I also let off the gas well ahead of stop signs and lights when possible, and try not to brake any harder than necessary. I do use the brakes pretty heavily while off-roading, though.

And, I avoid city driving like the plague.

My previous Tacoma (2015) was still on the original brakes when I traded it in with 102K miles, as well.

 

My wife and I regularly get over 100k on original brake pads on all of our vehicles, but we live rurally. I think if we lived in the city it would be a completely different story.

 

The instant I know a stop is inevitable, I pick my balance between coasting and light braking and stay off the brakes as much as possible. I do a lot of coasting and engine braking in the mountains.

 

OP, avoid drilled and slotted rotors. They're too lightweight for such a heavy vehicle and have a tendency to heat/warp much easier. Go slotted or solid rotor only. I run slotted Stop Techs (not the cheapest) with great results, but don't go for rotors that are built for a much lighter vehicle weight. It's a truck, not a race car.

 

Drilled rotors can crack. I highly recommend oem pads as needed