Brake Upgrade?

you can also order brembo blank rotors and pads from autozone.... id highly consider this route, and if I had known I would have gone this route. Oem stuff is just too damned expensive. There is evidently a TRD pad, but someone on here mentioned i had to go through some dealer in SC?

 

I wonder if the 4 runner swap works on 3rd gens

Know it's a thing for 2nd Gen. And it's a significant upgrade to piston size.

When I need brakes I'll consider it. I don't really find mine to not work or be spongey but truck is getting heavy with all the armour etc . Should upgrade

 

Second stupid question and thanks for your help. What's a blank rotor and what is the benefit of them?

 

Did you try the 4runner swap?

 

What is this? Looking for 4Runner pads opposed to Tacoma?

I would like to swap out the rear end of a 4Runner for the rear disc. Right now I just need new fronts.

 

Changing pads, calipers, disks will not change a “spongy” feeling. Lines, master cylinder and correctly bleeding will change that. So assuming you are using the correct term, what most are suggesting will not help.
From what you describe, I’d change lines to braided and make sure you bleed correct before spending more $$$$.

 

Complete swap out calipers, rotors pads.

From what I understand it's a significantly bigger piston so you get more stopping power

 

It took time to adapt to them. I locked them up a few times on accident when I first got the truck. The problem is the pump doesn't pressurize the system until a demand is made. So if you apply 1/2" of pedal you initially just get whatever mechanical pressure that creates initially then when the pump kicks on it ramps way up. Now I always start with minimal depression to get the pump to come on then I start modulating.

 

Driving it home when I picked it up I locked up haha wasn't used to it.

 

I’m still getting used to it. I still find myself trying to find that braking point and suddenly throwing everyone forward in their seats.

 

While the same parts might not be available for a 3rd gen (vs 2nd) this gives an overview of pad and rotor types to understand the brake upgrade.

https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/brake-upgrade-stoptech-rotors-trd-performance-pads.523829/

 

True stopping power is simply a function of coefficient of adhesion of your tire on the road surface. That's it. Bigger piston, slotted rotor, disc versus drum, etc has no bearing on actual stopping distance. What those things will help is brake fade if applicable.
Simply put, if your current brakes have the ability to activate ABS, then from there it's all about tires and road surface.

 

Maybe spongy isn't the best term. I went from a sports sedan to this truck. I miss the firm bite those brakes had versus this. Maybe what I'm saying is that the brakes don't slow/stop the truck as quickly/effortlessly as I wish they did.

Obviously a lot of that has to do with weight. This thing's certainly a lot heavier than my car was. Maybe I just need more pistons and bigger pads up front to really like the brakes. This is also the first car I've had in years with rear drums so that may be part of it too. I've also not had a truck in 20 years.

All that being said I am getting used to them now, just need to input a lot more brake pedal for a longer period of time to stop than I prefer.

 

Rear brakes don't do enough.

The problem is you're comparing a 4500lbs truck to a sports car that probably weighted 2500lbs.

Adjust your driving to the vehicle you have.


For what it's worth my truck has better brakes than my car but that's probably because my car is old and the master cylinder is getting old.

 

Size of the piston in the brake caliper does not dictate stopping power. Single-stop power on any modern vehicle is dictated by the suspension design, weight distribution, tires, and road surface.

 

If you want the Tacoma to feel more like a sports sedan under the brakes you need to put sports-sedan type tires on it and probably lower it a good six to eight inches at minimum. Plus braided lines.

 

With bigger tires and weight it makes a difference.
More surface area between pads and rotors being able to apply more force .


I agree on terms of stock truck it's based on tires etc. But when you're referring to more rotational mass from heavier, bigger tires caliper size and power do have an impact on stopping power.

 

Find me a stock car for sale today that is incapable of locking its brakes up. They don't exist.

Multi-piston designs are for heat capacity, pad size, more even pad wear, and packaging, not clamping force. Getting sufficient braking power to overwhelm the tires is simply not a problem in modern vehicles, and hasn't been since, oh, the late '70s.

 

Physics disagrees with you Joe, as long as your brakes have the ability to initiate a locked rotor condition in a given time.
Now, if you add so much weight that your brakes no longer have the ability to do this, then of course you need bigger parts. I personally haven't driven a vehicle in 40 years that couldn't lock the brakes as soon as you push hard on the pedal. After that... it's tires and road. The vehicle's mass and velocity will of course dictate the length of the skid but bigger calipers don't do anything for you there.

 

Did you miss the part where I said stock ok but outside of stock?

Referring to the guys running 35s and lots of weight