My forever brake issue

The crappy brake feeling on these trucks is 90% from the drums in the rear. Tighten them up using the star wheel on the back of the drums and your brakes will feel amazing. Factory specs said adjust till the hub is completely locked up, then back off 15 clicks but for me that was still too tight. Too tight and they'll drag and wear out too quickly, but too loose and all your brake fluid is going to those damn shoes trying to push them out far enough to contact the drums, hence the spongy brakes that go almost down to the floor even though there's no air in the lines. The only other option I know of is a $1000 disc brake conversion in the rear. Try messing with the shoes a bit see if you can improve it

 

I fixed my brakes with a rear disk conversion and sequoia master cylinder. To me now they are what the brakes should've felt from the factory. Expensive but worth it imo.

 

Man, I feel sorry for you guys that don't have the TRD OR package. My brakes are fantastic. When I first got the truck, my wife about put us through the dash more than once.
When we moved to Indiana last year, I made two trips down here with a 16' enclosed trailer that was loaded up pretty heavy. My gas mileage was horrible but my brakes didn't struggle with that trailer one bit.

 

You more than likely have air in the ABS block, the only way to get it removed is to take it to Toyota (or some other shop that has access to tech stream) and have their scan tool manual perform a burp and bleed cycle of the ABS block valves and components.

Learned that one the hard way.

 

What and how?!

 

Ya, think. The GVWR on mine is 5400 lbs meaning my Tacoma weighed about 4200 lbs when it left the factory. That's 200 lbs more than my F150 4X4 weighs with both my wife and I in it with a 200 lb cap on the back.

 

Could be an air leak on the power booster if it feels a little harder to press down...worth an inspection.

 

Search for "Tacoma rear disk conversion". There are even big brake conversions for the rear.

 

Wow how much does your wife weigh?

 

Hahahaha!!

 

Brake booster?

 

About 140, I'm 220, the cap on the truck is 200. The Ford with both of us in it comes out to 6000 lbs on scales. What I don't understand is how the OP's unloaded Tacoma can weigh 6200 lbs when the GVWR is 5400. Curb weight should be around 4200 lbs.

Something about the whole thread doesn't add up.

 

have you checked wheel bearings. A sloppy wheel bearing will make for excessive piston throw before actually clamping down on the front/fronts.

Adjust the rear drums, check wheel bearings and go from there.

 

HOLY SHIT I HAVE MOTHERFUCKING BRAKES AGAIN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!1!!!!!!1!!1!!!!!!!


So the issue was undersized MC and vacuum booster.

I swapped out the stock MC and booster for one out of a 2012 Tundra. Even before I took it to a shop to have them bleed the ABS pump, I already had insanely better brakes than I've ever had since buying it new in 2012. After bleeding the pump, I can actually slam my nose into the steering wheel without having to pump the pedal 20 times -- I've actually engaged ABS for the first time in years!

As for all the various advice...
I've bled literal gallons of ATE Typ-200 fluid through the system. Six times I've had a shop bleed the ABS pump (both stealership, and private). I've adjusted the drums enough to know that that only fixes it for a few days...and I'm not doing that BS every few days, sorry. I've swapped every part that exists at or near the wheels, some of it multiple times. I upgraded to a 2016 T4R caliper and rotor. I've been running Porterfield R4S compound since it had 8,000 miles (currently at 130k). I had never done any work around the MC or booster, because I bought the truck new, and I just assumed Toyota knew what they were doing and installed quality parts (and we all know about assumptions...).

Those who suggested looking into the MC and booster -- the only two parts of the system I hadn't touched, except the tubing and ABS pump -- got me to research possible upgrades. Turns out a popular one is the 2007+ Tundra MC and vac booster. A nearly bolt-in swap, emphasis on "nearly." Had to extend the Tundra pedal bracket (Taco is about 2" longer), stretch the low fluid sensor wires (I just pulled on them until the reached......if they break later I'll splice and extension), source a different check valve (tip: make sure the junkyard includes the check valve when you buy the used vac booster! Don't assume the Taco and Tundra are the same size -- they aren't. If you don't get it, the check valve from a high-end German car will work......mine is from a MBZ), make new tubing between the MC and ABS pump. (If you read the thread, the M10-->M12 adapter requirement isn't 100% accurate: On my 2011 4x4 Sport, the OE fittings were M12 to begin with, same as the Tundra. I mention this to save you from repeating my money-wasting mistake).


If you're like me, and are pulling your hair out over the shit Taco brakes, start with the Tundra MC+booster upgrade. Thank me later.

 

The Toyota way. Always use cheaper and older pieces, no matter what the customer gets.

Shitty almost everything, from brakes, chassis, interior, lighting, head unit, crappy speakers, lego interior, filament bulb everything..
From a 2015 dcsb 4x4 owner.

 

My truck makes me smile while driving


May have been a defective MC the whole time. Glad you got it figured out