Brake, wheel and tire upgrade questions

I'm in the process of bringing my '01 PreRunner back to its full glory! 250k miles with minimal maintenance. I installed an extended rear brake line while doing the expedition leaf pack. I was planning on just bleeding them now, replacing the pads soon and then maybe upgrading later. But, the fluid in the reservoir was unbelievably bad. It was basically black with lots of black floaties. I tried to suck as much of it out as possible. But there's just so much contamination I couldn't come close to getting it clean. So, I'm thinking I should probably just do the upgrade now.

I read about the Tundra upgrade but no one really mentions the master cylinder. Is there a replacement master cylinder that is an upgrade and a good match for the tundra mod? If not, does anyone know the correct part number for the AISIN brake master cylinder for the 01 with ABS? The factory part number is 47201-04060, but it's discontinued. And the AISIN one I keep finding looks like it's for the non abs models.

Is there a brake upgrade that's more highly regarded then the Tundra mod?

The truck came with some hideous aftermarket wheels. I really like the factory wheels, but I can't find any locally. So, I was thinking about getting a new set of 17-in aluminum wheels design for off-road use. Thinking 17-in over 16-in just because of the availability of tires and brake clearance.

Also seeing what you think I should do regarding tires? I really like the idea of the 33-in pizza cutters in load C. But, the only ones that I can find are the 255/85r16 Falken AT4 that weigh 60 pounds and are only available for 16-in rims. At that weight I'm not saving any weight versus 285 load E tires. In fact I'm finding a lot of the 285 load C tires are around 45 lb.

So what's the move? Go with 285s load C or 255/80r17 load E? I will be mostly off-roading in California, Nevada and Arizona. I know the load C tires are much better for these trucks generally, but are the sidewalls too fragile for the sharp rocks we have out here? The other option is going with 16s and the 255/85r16 AT4 load C. But, their weight and the lack of appealing 16-in rims is a turn off.

 

Needs bigger meats to fill the now empty wells.

 

Probably best to replace the M/C and brake booster as a set with the age and mileage on your truck.

 

Several questions in there; will try to get all of them.

In general, you don't need to replace the master cylinder when you do the TBU. Some folks think they get more pedal travel once the upgrade is done, others don't, but no one has any problem getting the brakes to work, so from a TBU perspective, there's no real need.

Now, if the insides of your braking system are deteriorating on themselves (that's probably what all those floaties are in there), you might want to replace all the parts anyway. If you're doing that, I'd replace everything. All the hard brake lines, all the soft lines, everything. Because that crap is in all of them, not just in the reservoir/MC.

Nope, that's the best mod for our trucks. Bolts on, and is easy to service at any local parts store if you find yourself in trouble in the middle of some place that isn't your home and where you don't have a shop.

This page has a great step-by-step guide (with pics) on the upgrade, as well as links to all the parts needed (at varying price points). OEM is best for the pads, but for the calipers you shouldn't pay the premium. Get them from your local parts store (ideally) or Amazon, which will give a lifetime warranty in case you ever need to replace them.

https://adventuretaco.com/guide/step-by-step-tundra-brake-upgrade-on-a-tacoma-or-4runner/

And don't forget the upgraded lines, they make a big difference with the larger calipers.

https://adventuretaco.com/product/tacoma-to-tundra-hard-brake-line-kit/

You'll have more tire choice in 17" wheels for sure.

My recommendation would be to find the tire you like, and then see what size wheel it will fit. Though I'm now running 17s (with 33x10.5" tires), my next wheel will be a 16 b/c I like the 255/85R16 tire size, and there's no equivalent 33x10" tire for 17s.

Here are a bunch of 16" rims that work on our trucks, and that support the Tundra Brake Upgrade.

The 4Runner 3G 5-star wheels are sharp (IMO), and a lot of the SCS wheels look really great as well. A benefit of both those options are that they are very light wheels and can offset a slightly heavier E-load tire.

 

@turbodb thank you for your detailed reply with links! I read that TBU thread, great stuff. Nice to know the oe spec master cylinder is compatible. I was thinking the napa calipers, oe rotors and adventure taco lines you linked are the best way to go. Bummer the hard lines might be bad too. Are those easy to get or do you need to make them yourself? Do you have any opinion on omitting things like the ABS and load sensing proportioning valve?

Don't kill me but I was planning on going with beadlock wheels. I probably don't have the suspension and use case to need them but it's a camping only vehicle and I figure I can keep them forever. There just aren't many 16-in options. But I'd much rather do 16-in rims and 255/85r16 tires. I can always keep an eye out for something like the 3g 5 stars.

 

Napa calipers, OE or Bosch Quietcast rotors, OEM pads/shims, and AT lines are a great way to go.

One thing you might try before replacing all the lines (which seems like a huge chore to me): Get a bunch of new brake fluid - like 3-4 quarts (?) - and really bleed everything good.

• Start at the rear passenger; bleed until you see new fluid coming out and no black floaties.
• Repeat rear driver
• Repeat front passenger
• Repeat front driver

If you can actually get new fluid with no floaties after a really thorough bleed, I'd consider not replacing everything "right now," and giving it a year or so with the new fluid. If stuff is going bad on the inside, you'll start to get floaties again in a few months/year, and at that point you can do the replacement.

If you do need to replace everything, I wouldn't worry about the ABS module or the LSPV; I'd leave the originals. For all the hard lines, you can still purchase them from Toyota and they aren't all that expensive. Happy to help with part numbers if it comes to that.

I mean, go with whatever wheels you want, I don't really care . I've never run beadlocks, but that's just b/c I'm not hardcore enough . I was just trying to support your thinking around the tire size you want to run!

 

Thanks again for your replies! And I think you're right and that's the way I should handle it. Those TBU parts and scope seem great! But, I'll just do the bleeding now so I can monitor for system failure/contamination before I do the upgrade later. However, I feel like I should do the master cylinder, just because I think it will help with flushing the system out. If you don't mind can you help me figure out what's the correct part? It's a 2001. I believe it has ABS. I believe the factory part number is 47201-04060 But it's discontinued. I've seen three different part numbers for an AISIN replacement. Aisin

$89 Aisin BMT-101 Brake Master Cylinder

BMT-101 Brake Master Cylinder I believe it's for the '97-00 models. Then there is BMT - 091 and BMT - 039. I've seen both of these listed for the 2001, but they are hard to find online with a vehicle compatability chart.

 

Take a photo of the engine bay, with a bias toward the passenger side wheel well toward the cab and we can tell if you've got ABS.

Edit: also, what's your VIN, just so we get engine specs, etc.

This area:

 

It's confusing for me. Because I know what the typical ABS module looks like. But I read that these trucks had ABS integrated to the master cylinder and I don't know what that would look like. I don't see either. Plus I called the dealer and they said it has ABS. But, when I turn the ignition on without starting it there is no ABS light on the dash.

The VIN number is 5TEGN92N41Z780874.

There a few pics here

 

non ABS model. Your year does not have abs integrated MC

01-04 has the 2 bolt 15/16” MC, single diaphragm brake booster
Pre-00 has the 4 bolt 1” MC, dual diaphragm brake booster

 

Lucky you, you have no ABS!

It wouldn't surprise me if the dealer has no idea what they are talking about with a 25-year-old truck, so I'd chalk that up to "I'm here to sell you a new truck" syndrome.

Also, from a parts perspective, the master cylinder was different for '98-00 models depending on ABS, but was the same part for '01-04, so I don't know exactly what changed in the braking system there, but it resulted in the same master cylinder working regardless:

'98-00


'01-04



I might give this one a shot since it's only $40, or maybe the Dorman ($97) since it's shipped/sold from Amazon and so easy to return. Plus, the Dorman lists the OEM part number in the description (47201-04060).

Otherwise, take your pick from the options on RockAuto; I'd say they are probably all mostly the same.

 

Thank you for helping me figure this out. Gives me the confidence I'm not crazy. It's hard to pick one tho. I've read about a lot of issues with the random aftermarket ones, Toyota doesn't sell them anymore and I can't find an AISIN option, even though they make one for the 47201-04030. Maybe I should rebuild it?

 

I have an 04 dbl cab 3.4 with the tundra brake mod. I keep the rear brakes adjusted and never had a soft pedal problem.