Tacoma Brakes Thumbs Down

Really? Didn’t know that but I’m new to trucks and drums. I thought that was the entire reason for drums but after looking it up, clearly I was wrong haha.

 

weak rant. Brakes are fine.

 

Here, you dropped your tinfoil hat.

 

Drum brakes ineffective???

Consider the Semi-Tractors hauling 40 tons of goods loaded on a trailer. What type of brakes are on those trucks? DRUMS. Rear tractor wheels and on trailer wheels. Sorry, I'm not sure about the front wheels.

The drums have enough force to lock up the wheels on these loaded trucks at highway speeds.

Drum brakes are experienced technology that has been enhanced with the addition of ABS.

Really, no need to change. I s'pose you could make a mod, but the gain would be small compared to the cost and effort.

If you take a close look at vehicles with 4 wheel discs, then you will discover the rear discs are much smaller than the front discs. This should offer a clue as to where most of the braking force occurs.

 

Fronts are drum historically. Only in recent years have disk brakes become an option on class 8 semi trucks and trailers.

 

Thanks. My day is complete. I learned something.

 

The brakes on the tacoma are kinda "weak" but thats just something you have to get used to.

i came from a G37S with Huge rotors and 4 piston brake calipers on each corner in the front, along with steel braided lines. So after my g37, the tacoma did feel like it did have weak brakes. Butt it took about 4-6 months to get used to the pedal feel and travel. Its honestly fine. The truck always stops. you just have to get used to the "feel"

 

For a true weak brake experience try a 1970's Dodge pickup. Went well with the heater in those tin freezers.

 

And they won't get any cooling either.

 

Don't give me ideas....

 

I know Chevy went four wheel disc on their trucks...and then back to drum....and now back to disc. Front brakes do most of the work anyway, but my truck doesn't seem to have any issues stopping. It really comes down to proper maintenance, rotor, drum, pad, and shoe choice than anything else.

 

Drum brakes are self energizing so until they heat up to the point of brake fade they probably work better than discs.


Also, if you are heating up your brakes to the point of brake fade, trade your license for a bus pass.

 

https://sosperformance.com/products...sion-with-parking-brake-fits-2005-2015-tacoma

I just ordered this rear brake conversion kit since I already have the 6 piston fronts to match, I chose the master cylinder upgrade as well as the parking brake upgrade. I wasn't happy with the stock brakes either especially when towing or carrying heavy load with 2 passengers and the bigger calipers/rotors fill up the wheel space more for a cleaner look. Very noticeable braking performance increase and brake pedal feel, bled them with Motul DOT 5.1. Picture below of the fronts on 18x9 wheels, once I get the rears installed I'll update.

 

Ask, any full time mechanic that works on trucks driven in the north (rust) or in harsh conditions if drum or disc brakes on the back have fewer problems.

 

Nothing beats drum brakes as emergency/parking brakes. The hoopty crap car/truck companies do to put little drum brakes inside disc brakes for parking brakes is truly staggering sometimes.

Yeah they are boring, yeah they are old, but they work just like an old 1911a1 and I've yet to talk to someone who says they want to be shot in the chest with that ''old outdated'' round and pistol.

 

Everyone is looking to the brake units. A big gain is to be made in the lines. Switch to all steel braided and see a big difference over rubber lines.

 

If you can lock the drums nearly immediately in a panic stop, brakes aren’t the problem. (Not directed at you specifically, but you reference a great point).

Stickier rubber will help more than any brake upgrade in the world, unless you’re tracking or towing.

You can change braking “feel” with lines and whatnot, but locking your brakes is effectively the ultimate test (for a street car). Once you get sticky enough rubber you can’t lock the brakes, that’s another story.

 

You must have not owned enough Toyotas with drum brakes. The rear bell-cranks are prone to seizing up and it's well known they're prone to getting stuck after being wet.

The only reason Toyota uses them is because they're cheap and don't want to put anymore than they have to into R&D for the Tacoma. The money makers are cute utes like the Rav and Highlander for Karens and Rachels. I'll go out on a limb and say the Camry/Highlander R&D budget might be bigger than the Tacoma and the Tundra.

I do find it funny that people complained about the Frontier being old as dirt, but the Tundra gets a free pass. Toyota is just as much asleep as Nissan when it comes to life cycles

 

Lol full of shitpost. I love ya man but not when you go full send on wrong.

 

The truth hurts, let's call the 3rd gen what it really is

Gen Two and a Half