Grabby brakes, disable brake booster or switch pads??

Brother-in-law liked my TRDOR enough to trade the Wrangler. He is happy with the switch but is having trouble adjusting to the brakes. I think they are fine, he finds them too grabby on initial application. "Learn how to drive" was my response, ill received . I have read about the brake booster on the OR and wonder if it could be disabled. Would it reduce stopping power or just require a heavier foot? (which he is apparently after). Also considered the pads. Has anyone gone from OEM to aftermarket in the Tacoma, 4 Runner, or FJ and found something with less bite? Discs are doing most of the work, so I wonder if a front end swap would be enough if a different compound was used. Thoughts, other than telling him to get used to it?

 

brakes that work too well. now there's a new one.

*shakes head*

 

I had the same issue coming from an older vehicle. Tell him to drive the thing for a couple months... he'll get used to it in no time.

 

Part of being a driver is knowing how to drive the car you're driving. Whether that's the car you own, the car you built, or the car you borrowed.

Let him figure it out, modifying the brakes because he's too lazy to change his habits carried over from a completely different vehicle seems like a completely nonsensical idea.

 

They are way less sensitive than the 2nd Gen with the same Booster, I damn near put myself thru the windshield the first time I stepped on the brakes on my old 2015. My 2017 has a really good pedal feel, think he just needs to adjust his driving style.

 

Man, some awesome replies. They are all correct. Nothing needs to change but the driver.

 

I had the same initial impression, didn't take long at all to get used to them.

 

You've told him the correct answer, and this is it.

At this point I'd take a test drive of his truck and see how you think it compares to your truck. Just to make sure there isn't some weirdness happening. If there is, it's warranty work, not modification time.

If it tests ok, I'd drop out of the conversation and let him work it out for himself. You won't 'win'; he needs to figure it out on his own. No reason in creating family friction over how truck braking friction should work (see what I did there?)

PS. I recommend you never go as his passenger on and HPDE or performance driving school events. Having done a bit of instructing, I can say that guys like him will, at a minimum, make you seasick between the waves of sheer panic. When their feet are that un-adaptable, having 'quiet hands' isn't very likely either.

 

really. Tell your BIL to learn to drive. Every vehicle is different. In two weeks he will be used to them. Geez.

 

he needs to adjust his foot. the first week with my truck there were a lot of sudden stops because i was used to the brake peddle on my old jeep XJ where I had to mash it about half way to get any response.

 

Good reply, thanks Bill. Coming from autocrossing and tracking an S2000, I get the need for quiet inputs or getting used to facing where you came from. Probably why I am fine with the feel of the Tacoma.

Will advise him it is adapt or spilled coffee. Thanks all.

 

Disable the brake booster? That is a bad idea. Really bad. Power brakes were an option at one time, but there is a reason they are standard these days. Pads can be sticky when they absorb some moisture, but this really sounds like a driver issue.

 

My OR was like that too, until I learned how the truck responded. He just has to adapt to touchy brakes. Better than no brakes.......

 

Best brakes I have ever had are on my Tacoma. Better than my built Rabbit GTI Autox car. Way better than my wife's Jeep TJ Wrangler.