Recent upgrade to a 2014 TDR - brake & rust question

Hello! I have read and benefited from these threads since I purchased my 2003 TDR in 2018. Just sold it and purchased a 2014 TDR, 6 cyl, 4 WD from a private seller at 200k miles for $13k.

Truck had one owner in Vermont. 10 year maintenance at a dealership there. A garage looked at it and said it was in good shape. I bought it.

Dealership put it up on the Lift and showed me all the rust the seller covered with paint. The frame looks to be replaced but the front and back suspension looks like it’s in pretty bad shape.

I replaced brakes and they did an alignment. Still does t have very responsive brakes. I have a code reader that turned up without any codes. Mechanic thinks the master brake cylinder may be going.

How do I test the master break cylinder? Do I hang onto or reduce the price and try to resell?

I realize more info is needed, but the problem with the brakes is a tough one to figure out as an amateur

thank you for your help !

 

I would check to be sure there's no air in the brake lines / system, before worrying whether the master cylinder or other mechanicals are failing.

If you replaced the brakes yourself, did you bleed them fully afterwards? It can be difficult to bleed an ABS-equipped Tacoma without a bi-directional scan tool that can activate the "ABS bleed" function on demand.

Either ask the shop to fully bleed (including ABS activation bleed) the brake system, or, if they can't do that for some reason, I've heard that at least a partial ABS bleed can be accomplished by repeated, extended ABS activations. THis is very hard to do on dry pavement. Much easier to get extended ABS activation while braking on flat, straight, dry dirt/gravel roads.

Here's one example (there are many) of ABS/brake bleed threads on TacomaWorld:

https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/bleeding-the-abs-module.509008/

 

GilbertOz (great handle), I had the work done. I usually replace my own brake pads but wanted a garage to do the first set of fixes in case there are bigger issues. They said they did bleed the brake line.

however, my long term mechanic (they are a bit of a drive away) is going to look at it Wednesday. I’ll ask them to look at too and will read the thread you shared (thank you!)

super helpful guidance

one thing to add- the pedal is hard (not squishy) but you have to press it hard to get the truck to stop - if that helps

 

Not a pro mechanic here, just a DIY'er. Hard brake pedal without squish does sound more like a problem with the hydraulic assist in the brake system, not just air bubbles trapped in it.

Welcome to TW forums. I'm interested to hear how your repair case develops & hopefully gets resolved.

 

Thank you, I’ll check back in after my trusted mechanic gives me the full inspection report.
Dealership said it was ‘a bad buy’

 

Yeah, aside from the brake system issue, if the frame and/or underbody & components are badly rusted, that's a major obstacle to the truck's long-term life & resale value.

 

This is exactly what I was thinking. One option is to re-list it with acknowledgment of the suspension and exhaust rust and reduce the price. I was looking for a long term reliable work truck.

 

Trying to remedy a rusty truck or selling it at a loss are both unpleasant options, but the latter might be the wiser one. Maybe take the L, learn from it, move on.

For future used-vehicle purchase plan to do your own underbody inspection in addtion to whatever a trustworthy mechanic says about the condition of the engine, drivetrain, etc.

Rust is fairly easy to diagnose visually and/or by impact feel/sound, with the aid of a hammer tapping all along the main frame rails, and by tapping lightly with solid plastic end of a screwdriver for lighter parts like rocker panels, brake line & electrical harness mounting points, etc.

 

I took some pics from underneath- any chance you can review and let me know what things I need to watch out for or be ready to repair? Thank you

 

To my eye, I would characterize that as "light to moderate surface rust." To me it doesn't look like it is to the point where it is structurally compromising the load-bearing capacity of any member or part. But I live in CA and have very little experience with seriously-rusted vehicles.

Aside from the photos, if you haven't already done it, I would ask the owner to allow you to lightly hammer-tap on suspected areas, especially the lower control arms, front cross member, & generally the front 1/3rd of the frame, to be sure that it all sounds & feels solid. In badly-rusted areas there is a distinct hollow sound when doing tap testing.

The major challenge with that amt of existing rust in a salted-roads state + winter driving may be keeping it from getting any worse over time. I know that FluidFilm, Woolwax, & similar lanolin/petroleum mix products are pretty good at preventing clean metal from rusting. I'm not sure if they effectively arrest any further development of rust on surfaces that already have moderate and widespread rust on them.

 

Surprised how the rust isn’t bad at all living in Vermont its whole life.

 

Did some research on the warranty services that were completed on this. Looks like brakes have been an issue - but I can’t tell exactly what they did to fix.

The frame was coated but not replaced. Do I have that right ?

and something with the ball joints was taken care of under warranty.

 

dealer said the entire front suspension was seized up and needed replacement - quoted my $6,500

 

Correct, the service records indicate the frame was cleaned & post-coated with CRC (which is basically Toyota's version of Fluidfilm.) Not replaced.

That explains why the frame still looks half-decent and not terribly rusted, despite living in Vermont.

It definitely looks "dry" now and needs ongoing re-application of fluidfilm or woolwax or similar, ideally annually, at least every 2 years.

 

thanks, was treated in 2019, so it’s overdue for another treatment.

 

I paid $13k, TDR, 200k miles, one owner, dealer maintained. Based on the underside pics, I got a fairly good deal? Or Reasonable price with some upkeep needed? Been trying to decide if I resell - and I read your recommended post. I read Another recent post on folks’ opinions to purchase a southern vehicle with no rust.

 

They're probably right on the diagnosis, but way high on the price to fix. Based on the amount of rust on the LCA's, I'd say the alignment cam bolts are totally seized up - which makes it impossible to align. The fix involves new LCA's and Cam Bolts. Oh, and those shocks appear to be original - and waaaay past due for replacement. One can generally buy very low mileage 3rd gen take off suspension parts (shocks, springs, etc.) for very reasonable prices in the Classified section here. That will save you some money.

 

one thing that people not from the rust belt might not know, is that there is a decent chance the calipers are partially seized

I’ve replaced so many calipers on many different vehicles that just seized up
Ones with the phenolic pistons swell, get stuck, slide pins freeze, stuff just rusts together
I dont see where you said they were replaced, did the mechanic who did the pad slap say a thing about the condition of the calipers? Even one seized can give a hard pedal

 

Agree completely. Correct diagnosis, priced at $200/hr labor + parts.

If you are an able DIY'er you can do this work yourself for <$1500, even including brand new OEM LCAs. (Even less if you want to get into replacing the bushings the existing LCAs yourself, though this is best done w/ appropriate bearing presses, arbors, etc.)

 

This is the problem - dealer pointed out the calipers were after market and probably bad. Will have to replace with OEM