Brake Upgrade: StopTech Rotors + TRD Performance Pads

I also like plan rotors! Can you say noise wheelies?
Oh, the wheels are 19" foraged Rays with 245/50-19 or 28.6" tall Nitto's. Stock 215/70-15 or 26.8" tall.

 

Blank rotors are a better option than drilled or slotted. I went with brembo blank rotors and Hawk LTS pads. Working very well.

 

One of the challenges is finding a blank rotor that is an improved performance design over stock. I looked and didn’t find any, most if not all are just quality stock replacements, no actual internal cooling redesign. DBA makes a different internal cooling redesign, but they also don’t have blank rotors. The tests that are comparing a slotted rotor to a stock rotors are unlikely to be using a redesigned rotor so much as a slotted stock replacement. One of the reasons slotted isn’t as good as material removal from the rotor reduces rotor mass, which is bad for thermal capacity. The StopTechs have redesigned the rotor cooling with greatly increased mass, despite being slotted. So they will take more heat and cool quicker even though a small amount of material was removed for slotting. Of course one could also make a case for continuous surface area pad contact loss from slotting vs greater friction performance from lower operating temperatures due to increased cooling and what is most beneficial. But keep in mind Pressure = Force/Area. The pressure from the caliper is fixed in the equation, so if you remove contact area from the slot the pressure is increased on the remaining area, which means the performance should not be negatively affected by slotting and the cooler operating rotor with increased mass will perform better.

 

Glad you are happy with the outcome! But to clarify, I did no experimenting here so I don’t deserve credit for something I did not do. This was all product research with a background understanding of how the components work and what should be among one of the best performing systems while making minimal concessions from stock braking behavior niceities. It is all a spectrum, I favor increased performance with OEM like quality. Further gains can be had with a semi-metallic pad, but NVH will significantly increase, as will dust and pad life will be reduced.

 

Damn, all I see is money!

 

I recently bought this stoptech kit because my braking performance after adding 34" tires was pretty shitty. I'd noticed it for a while and finally decided to do something about it. The best solution would of course be to buy a complete big brake kit that includes larger calipers and rotors. That's not up for debate. However, those of us that don't have 2-3k burning a hole in our pocket need a more incremental upgrade type of solution. AKA: I don't need to put myself through the windshield, I just want back the braking performance I lost by going with larger tires.

The Stoptech kit linked here is what will do it for you. $280 and I think there's a discount code. https://www.buybrakes.com/brake-kits/disc-brake-pad-and-rotor-kit-970-44042
The pads have slightly more surface area than stock (I measured) and the rotors have increased cooling. Unless you're a complete retard and ride the brakes down a mountain pass without downshifting they will be fine. I'm fundamentally against cross drilled rotors for this type of application but slotted actually seems to help a bit. As for the final results, I can't make a comparison to brand new OEM pads and rotors but I can make a comparison to OEM pads and rotors that have about 50k miles on them.

Prior to installing the Stoptech kit my pads had PLENTY of life left on them. Almost like they weren't being used. I drive in such a way that I don't have to brake terribly hard so my pads last a long time. My stock rotors had recently been turned/resurfaced so the contact area was perfect and not glazed. I also did a complete brake system flush recently to see if that would help too. It's also worth mentioning that I have extended SS lines. So although the pads and rotors had miles on them, they still should have been functioning properly.

Enter the Stoptech kit, I knew these would be a bit more dusty but I'm happy to clean the wheels a bit more often if it means I don't die in a fiery crash. It's blatantly clear the new setup has a much higher friction coefficient and way better initial "bite" than the OEM stuff. I think probably 95% of that is the pads and the compound I picked. It should also be noted that I installed a full 3 piece Mobtown steel armor kit at the exact same time I was installing the brakes. So even with the added ~150lbs the truck still stops better than it did before. I won't lie to you, the new pads definitely dust a lot more but that isn't hard considering the OEM pads didn't dust AT ALL. But that tells me the pads are doing work and are getting good friction on the contact surface. It also means I'll need to change the pads a bit more often but again, I'm fine doing that if it means I can stop.

 

Awesome post man! You changed my mind on the BBK. I’ll be giving this a shot instead and run it until I feel like I need more stopping power.

Would you recommend running DOT4 fluid?
Also, you think the slots on the rotors would create issues with mud or dirt getting in between while off-roading?

 

For best stopping power, while compromising NVH, dust and pad life, go with the StopTech Sport pads, for improved performance while retaining stock like characteristics go with the TRD sport pads.

DOT4 fluid spec has a higher minimum boiling point than DOT3 fluid, but note these are just spec minimums. The fluid of either type can exceed the minimum spec. DOT4 fluid as a general rule degrades more rapidly as it starts to absorb water than DOT3, meaning it is more important to regularly flush your brake fluid on a vehicle running DOT4 to maintain braking performance. DOT4 and DOT3 are largely considered interchangeable on modern vehicles and many fluids are sold as DOT3 & 4, or DOT4 that meets/exceeds DOT3 requirements. If deciding to change to DOT4, I would flush the system to take advantage of the higher boiling point, as it isn't going to help if the DOT3 in the system still boils while the DOT4 does not, it will still result in brake fade. As usual, buying a quality fluid is important for best performance.

I would speculate Toyota uses DOT3 due to its longer service life, and people are really bad about changing their brake fluid. I think more people are likely to not change their fluid and benefit from DOT3 endurance than drive their vehicle to the point of brake fade and benefit from DOT4 performance. If you are experiencing brake fade, then a DOT4 fluid change may be worth while on a modern vehicle like your 3rd gen. Of course the safest recommendation is to always follow your service manual.

Here is an brief article from StopTech on brake fluid, and covers DOT3 and DOT4:
http://www.stoptech.com/technical-support/technical-white-papers/brake-fluid

As to the slots off roading, it you are in thick goopy mud submerging your calipers, I think dirt in there would be low on the worry list compared to everything else you are subjecting the vehicle to. Mud would still get in between the rotor and caliper on standard rotors. If it is just muddy water, dirt or mud on the trail is shouldn't be an issue. The spinning action will clear the rotor.

 

This is exactly my thinking too. In fact, a slotted rotor might actually do this better than a blank due to there being an "edge" on the slot that should pull surface imperfections or contaminants off the pads.

As for fluid, as mentioned above, DOT4 will perform better if you're really stressing the brakes for long periods of times. But to be frank, most of us just need quick instant stopping power and for that, higher than DOT3 fluid doesn't even matter because the system doesn't get nearly as heat soaked. If you're towing or going down mountain passes frequently then DOT4 for sure would be a good idea.

 

@crashnburn80 you're a god among men! First lighting upgrades now brakes! Looking forward to reading through and doing this mod next.

 

Thread is a year old.

There is also lift, wheel & tire, sliders, supercharger pulley upgrade and more, including home lighting upgrades. I've got a bunch in the backlog too that I just need to carve out time for.

 

That's a bit shocking seeing as the labor per hour free is pretty steep. Maybe for overhead?

 

As I stated in my original post, that steep hourly charge rate mostly goes right into the dealer's pocket as profit. The Technicians get but a small fraction of it.

 

Got everything installed, and fluid changed... Just need to bed pads in...

 

Nice! Which break-in method are you going to do?

 

Combo of both, as soon as roads dry up. This wet cold mix from Diego is causing locals of Charleston, SC to drive like idiots.

 

I love the new setup.more initial bite

 

Great write up. I might have missed it but has anyone put these on a tird gen? I believe they are interchangeable. Stoptech lists the rotors for my 2017 but the trd pads don't come up for any trucks after 2015, in my searches.

 

Based on searching Toyota part number for standard OEM pads, it appears the 3rd gen uses a different part number than the 2nd gen, which leads me to believe the TRD pads listed in this thread would not fit a 3rd gen.

 

It's not quite the Amazon Black Friday deal @crashnburn80 referenced in the first post, but I just received an email from BuyBrakes.com, offering 10% off with coupon code stoptech10 (valid through 18 Dec). That makes the normally $135/ea StopTech Cryo Treated Rotors ~$122/ea.

For those with money to burn, the Stoptech Front Disc Brake Upgrade Kit (#83.864.4700.73) is available for less than $2300, with current discount and this coupon.