Is the tundra brake upgrade worth it?

yeah its noticeable my tundra brakes better cus the brakes are bigger so duh, but im too lazy to do it on my 1st gen, if i was hauling big loads then yeah id probbly do it

 

Tundra calipers (13WL/13WE) were designed for a hard line connection into the caliper rather than the banjo bolt used on stock Tacoma setups. Sometimes you can make the banjo work (either depending on the specific calipers you use, or modifications to the banjo bolt) but it's not guaranteed, and definitely not as designed.

This kit has everything you need to convert the Tacoma to a hardline setup from the spindle to the caliper, just like a Tundra: https://adventuretaco.com/product/tacoma-to-tundra-hard-brake-line-kit/

 

Thanks turbodb for the clarification.

 

OP read this: https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/clear-tundra-brake-banjo-bolt-explaination.599091/

 

There's more to it than that. The banjo fitment as well as the caliper machining is covered here:

Making It Right: Tacoma-to-Tundra Brake Upgrade

 

Ok so im debating if i should do the tundra brake upgrade, i am on 16’ inch wheels tho and they are custom so will i have to upgrade to 17’ to clear the rotors????

 

There’s a thread on this forum that shows what rims fit and don’t fit the tundra brake mod. Do a search

 

What wheels do you have? (brand, model, width, backspacing/offset)

It depends on the 16" wheels you're running and their specs. Many 16" wheels fit just fine, especially if you use the 13WE calipers (which are fine to use, since they use the exact same rotors as the larger 13WL calipers, and the big reason for the upgrade is for the larger rotors w/more heat dissipation).

Here's a list of wheels known to fit: https://adventuretaco.com/which-wheels-fit-the-tundra-brake-upgrade-on-a-tacoma/

At the bottom of that list are some printable templates from @mechanicjon and instructions to use them, which you can use if you don't see your wheel listed.

There are some threads, but they are woefully incomplete or out of date these days, which is why I created and maintain that list.

 

On the subject of GX460 brakes I've got a buddy who's recently patented an adapter that makes the rear disk brakes from the GX460 a bolt on option for our trucks. His first test run on the setup was a 4 day overland trip we did from Price Utah through Moab and into Colorado.

I thought this might be a good spot for the info. The adapter is produced by Capivara Industries and can be used with wheels as small as the stock 15" wheels found on the early Tacomas like the 96 he was testing it on.

That's Bill the brains behind the design holding a 3D printed model.


It sure is a tight fit with his little 15" wheels but they performed flawlessly on our trip, even the original emergency brake cable is reused unmodified in the design.

If I remember correctly the bracket/adapter was 1¼" wide so it does add a bit of width to the overall length of the back axle. Some may see that as a benefit and some may not. I'm already using spacers ¾" spacers in the back so I could ditch the spacers and still end up a wider than it is now.



I'm interested to see how things turn out for Bill and his adapters and may end up being one of the Guinea pigs or more appropriately named Capivaras (its the Argentinian spelling of the word for those of you familiar with Capybara)

 

not that I need them but that is a fantastic concept. Would the GX460 and Sequoia be the same then? or the T4R?

 

ETA to production?

 

That's super cool. Tons of folks will want that. I'm not sure why people don't like the drums - they seem to work well (as in, can lock up the tires when properly adjusted which is the most braking you can get), last forever, and are low maintenance - but there certainly are plenty who want to swap to disc! Pretty neat work/adapter, glad it is proving to work.

Not sure about Sequoia, but at least the 3G T4R had the same drums we do. I suppose GX460 was introduced in 2009, so perhaps you're wondering about Sequoia/T4R of that era.

 

I don't have an answer for that to be honest but I do remember him saying it should work for several different applications. Hopefully I'll get some more info soon

 

oo, good call, i was thinking of the GX470 (previous gen) that matched with the T4R from 03-09

I'm still on my original drums/shoes some 20 years later. no issues braking and I don't tow much either

 

I'm not sure but I believe he's already got them in production, I reached out to him a few minutes ago to see if there's a good place for more details or to purchase them. I do know he has a website but I wasn't able to find much on there at the moment.

https://capivaraindustries.com/

 

I just heard back from Bill he said they are currently working on prototypes for the 1st, 2nd and 3rd Gen Tacomas. 1st, 2nd, and 3rd Gen 4runners as well as the T100.

They should be on the market at the beginning of the year

 

Here is a recent testimonial for the worthiness of the Tundra rotor/caliper upgrade.

My cousin and I like to take his Subaru Outback to places it really shouldn't. Our latest adventure was to our favorite campsite. It is in the eastern sierras near Lone Pine. Once off the freeway the trail starts at 4000' elevation and 6 miles later ends at 8500'. During the climb to the campsite, we had to stop 6 times to let the Outback transmission cool down. We had big concerns about the Outback brakes going back down.

Well, we didn't make it a half a mile till the Outback brakes started smoking. We ended up tethering the Outback to the Tacoma and left the Outback in neutral. I had to drag the Tundra brakes for almost 6 miles. There was no brake smell or fade. Most of the time the Tundra upgrade is a nicety but this time I think it was a necessity.

The climb




Campsite




The way down


Fast way down

 

this is one of the main reason I like my Taco. I can choose 2nd or 3rd gear to stay in and use engine braking downhill. I usually keep O/D off unless going 45+ to prevent shifting

 

My wife disliked driving my 06 Tacoma for years because of the brakes. I tolerated them for 17 years. Sold my otherwise trust Tacoma quad cab TRD in May and bought a 2024 4Runner. Now, what a difference in braking!

 

The Tundra brake mod is a big improvement. Installed were Delco silver rotors, Akebono ceramic pads and Dynamic Friction new WL calipers.
It has Wheeler's stainless braided lines with banjo fittings. Banjo bolt drilling is not needed; just screw a drywall screw into the small brass piece inside the caliper and pull it out with pliers, they were not difficult at all to remove.
Bleeding went well with a 2.5 cfm air conditioning vacuum pump slightly modified. It might be even better with the 6 cfm pump. A lot of air came out of the LSPV that apparently wouldn't move with other brake bleed methods. It helps to put some clay or wax around the bleeder screw base to seal it while bleeding them.
The brake pedal was not really different after the upgrade.