Bigger Brake Conversion Options?

Hi guys,

I'm wanting to add bigger brakes to my 2011 TE edition. Anyone know of a larger caliper and rotor combo for both axles or just the rear? I'm adding significant full-time weight to the rig and want better stopping power.

Thanks

 

www.zeckhausen.com

 

Looks like they offer slotted and vented rotors for additional cooling. I'll have to go measure to see if they offer larger rotors etc...

Thanks!

 

Rotor thickness measured 1mm over spec in the rear and 2mmover spec in the front. Definitely going with new rotors, just need to find the best for my application.

 

I know this will be an unpopular opinion, but the 4Runner's four wheel disk brakes are pretty darn good.

Rather than spending a significant amount of money doing a full on big brake kit, why not upgrade pads and rotors? Even if still OEM fitment, you'll see a decent improvement.

 

I am carrying an additional 600lbs of gear and a German Shepherd behind the two front seats including the tent. That is the need for better brakes. I also believe that the stock brake components are very good, but want to do better if I can.

I'm not sure that I need larger rotors and calipers, but wanted to see what was available, because that would obviously allow me to stop more quickly and keep the brakes cooler on descents. I am starting to warm up to the idea of the combined cross drilled and slotted rotors that are the same dimensions of the originals and will probably go that route. I have never used cross drilled/slotted rotors in the mud, though. Do you know if this will be a problem?

Do you know of any good cross drilled and slotted rotors? I don't want cheap stuff, just the best stuff.

Thank you

 

I am carrying an additional 600lbs of gear and a German Shepherd behind the two front seats including the tent. That is the need for better brakes. I also believe that the stock brake components are very good, but want to do better if I can.

I'm not sure that I need larger rotors and calipers, but wanted to see what was available, because that would obviously allow me to stop more quickly and keep the brakes cooler on descents. I am starting to warm up to the idea of the combined cross drilled and slotted rotors that are the same dimensions of the originals and will probably go that route. I have never used cross drilled/slotted rotors in the mud, though. Do you know if this will be a problem?

Do you know of any good cross drilled and slotted rotors? I don't want cheap stuff, just the best stuff.

Thank you

 

I haven't installed aftermarket brakes on my 4Runner, but I did do EBC slotted rotors and EBC pads on my 2011 Tacoma. Using my butt dyno it sure did feel like the initial brake bite was much stronger, and better brake feel through the entire cycle. I couldn't comment on fade as I never towed with heavy braking. I was happy with the purchase however.

EBC has applications from OEM, heavy towing, all the way up to race applications with color coding to help differentiate their lines.

 

Thank you for the feedback. I love hearing real world experience! I'll go check them out. "Butt Dyno," that's hilarious, I'll have to use that one in the future.

 

Damn! That’s a lot of snow!? Nice!

 

I believe Rotora makes a big brake kit.

 

#1 Kudos on wanting to increase your braking capacity. Most people (myself included) concentrate on aesthetics, audio, power etc.

#2 I don't see how you can significantly improve braking capacity without increasing rotor diameter. Which would require bracketry to relocate your calipers. But damn, that sure would make a difference

#3 I dunno about everybody else, but the brakes on my new TRD Pro aren't inspiring. It's the one major gripe I have of this truck. Minor gripes would include a keyed ignition, micro-sized radio screen and turn signals that don't do a 3-flash

 

Somewhere I read that, because of the heat generated while using the active traction control (crawl control, multi-terrain), Toyota had already engineered oversized rotors (oversized for normal street braking) into the T4R to compensate.

Somewhere else I read a debate on slotted vs drilled rotors with respect to clearing mud. Slotted seemed to be the choice because the diagonal slots presented a continuous path for the mud to the edge of the rotor where the drilled rotors presented a bunch of “dead ends” that tended to collect the mud.

As far as weight, load your rig up and take it to a CAT scale (a lot of truck stops, especially in warehouse areas, have them) and weigh your rig (it’ll cost you less than $15). Compare your actual weight to the GVWR on the plate on the drivers door post. This will give you the best info of where you sit within what Toyota has engineered the vehicle to handle (power, frame, suspension, tires, tire pressure, and braking capacity).

 

Just a dusting for us. In fact we got that much last night again. I wish it would stop already. lol

 

It's particularly important here in the mountains, but on the road alike. I don't expect a significant difference in performance without increasing the diameter either, but I'm hoping for something a bit better.

I'd love to have the 3 flash turn signals too! I wish sometimes that we weren't so far behind other countries when it came to vehicles.

 

That makes a lot of sense and would be a good reason for engineering a larger rotor. I think that they did a good job and created a good braking system. That's all good advice and aspects to ponder. I appreciate it!

I worry about the mud a bit and especially the pea size gravel (DG a.k.a. Decompossed Granite) that makes up most of the soils around my home. It's not uncommon to get DG stuck between the dust plate and the rotor so I wonder if it will get stuck in the venting. Probably not since it is a vertical surface that is moving. Rarely will I be rotor deep in soft DG. We'll see because I ordered vented and cross drilled rotors.

 

Ok guys, Thanks for everyone's replies. I really do appreciate it.

I ordered stock sized rotors all the way around, but I upgraded to slotted and cross drilled rotors and matching pads (carbon-ceramic). I'll try those first before spending the $$ on a big kit. The stock brakes work good, but I want great. We'll see what these do, I'll trail rate them and get to this thread for an update as soon as I can. I went with the following:

2011 Toyota 4Runner Power Stop Z36 Truck And Tow Brake Pads



I'd like to keep this thread going though in an effort to find a more cost effective bigger brake option.

 

Looking forward to your update. I was looking to get the Z36 kit as well.

 

Here's a good reason for having the best brakes. My Wife and I did all of Black Bear Pass a few years ago. Big drop-offs and 3 point turns around switchbacks. I'd do it again but not in anything longer than a 4Runner.

 

That’s my buddy and my bone stock 2019 ORP in slushy mud (quicksand) almost over the tire (sank up to my knees when I walked around to examine what I’d gotten into). Did a quick rinse of the rotors and calipers (wheels still on) at my buddy’s house then drove 325 miles home. Brakes seemed to work ok, no grinding.

 

When descending a mountain road, use a lower gear to hold the vehicle at a safe speed. You should only have to touch the brakes occasionally to maintain a safe speed or slow for a sharper corner. If you have to ride the brakes constantly to maintain your speed, you’re in too high of a gear.

 

Definitely! Great advice. And use 4 Low as another method to save on braking.

 

That's good to hear! Side note: Not sure if you've heard of an air jack (large airbag) or not, but just a few months ago I used one for the first time while stuck in a salt pan in the Kalahari. It works great for vehicles that don't have good attachment points for a handyman jack. We sunk down to the frame and were able to slip the airbag under the spare of the Hilux. Connect it to the exhaust, lift the truck and then slip a couple of track boards underneath. Worked like a charm! I almost brought one back, but saw that they can be ordered on Amazon for roughly the same amount as overseas. It's a good piece of kit. Worked better than a handyman.

 

I'm anxious to see your feedback in regards to the above set-up. I went to ceramic-carbon pads to get rid of the terrible brake dust on my 2006 Charger SRT8 as well as my 2014 Grand Cherokee SRT. Both were terrible at braking but they did cut down drastically on brake dust

 

I hope that's not the case on the 4Runner, but I'll be sure to update this thread one way or another. I ordered from 4Wheel Parts and the parts come in on Tuesday. The nearest grocery store is a 1/2 hour away on mountainous dirt roads and a little HWY time, too so I should get a decent idea.

 

Here's the new stock sized rotors installed and the part numbers from Power Stop. I installed the Z36 rotors and pads package. I took it for a short and easy spin up and down the mountain and they seem to be very nice, but only a true road test will tell. More to follow but probably best to start a new thread since these aren't bigger brakes.

 

Nice! So hows the stopping power compared to the OEM brakes?

 

I took it up and down the mountain 15 mph or so on 10-15% grades in 1st and they did great. I can tell already that there's a difference, but then anything is better than the 1-2mm that I had left on the original brakes. lol I started a new thread and will give updates on the performance once I get a chance to take 'em through the paces. It's worth noting that so far they are completely quiet!

 

Did you bed them in?

 

Same setup im running. The Runner will stop on a dime with these.