Tundra brake conversion for Tacoma

[texas taco]

For those out there that have done the conversion. Is it worth it? Are there year specific parts to to look for? , and any problems or obsticles to deal with? . Thanks.

 

[edgear]

I know that BogusBlake did this mod about a year ago, and was quite pleased with it. I haven't asked him about it lately, so not sure how it's still working in the long run.

 

[Ursidae69]

I'm planning to try the updraded brake solution from Wheelers. ExWest said in his mod thread that it has worked out well for him and his truck is heavier than most Tacomas. Might be easier than the Tundra caliper mod.

 

[Desertdude]

Blake's Tundra brake thread

 

[Bighead]

For those out there that have done the conversion. Is it worth it? Are there year specific parts to to look for? , and any problems or obsticles to deal with? . Thanks.

It's going to depend on who you talk to. There are several threads on Ultimate Yota, the TTORA website and Yotatech that discuss it. Some people notice a drastic difference and others don't. The most popular comment I hear is about better heat dissipation which helps keep the rotors from warping. I don't think I have seen any data from a controlled test to determine if there is a difference other than the "seat of the pants" test.

Personally I think it all depends on what condition your brake system is in when you do the swap. If you still have the stock rotors and pads up front and have never adjusted your drums then anything is going to feel better. I have not done the swap, though I have thought about it. The only addition I have on mine right now are braided, stainless brake lines in the rear (extended for lift)...everything else is OEM. With what I have now, I don't have a problem stopping my 4680 pound 4Runner with lots of armor running on 315s. For now I'll keep it as is.

 

[tacollie]

We did it to my friends taco about 4 months ago. He loves it. He also has a supercharger and he pulls things a lot. It is a little over $400 dollars using all new parts. It bolts staight on. You have to have a 16" wheel or wheel spacers. There is a thin cover on the back side of the rotor that has to be bent out of the way. He loves it. I am going to go with the EW set up from wheelers because it is cheaper and I don't like bleeding brakes. Plus a cros-drilled slotted rotor will disipate the heat way better than the stock rotors helpping with not warping rotors and brake fade.

 

[ntsqd]

FWIW, all rotors crack due to differential temperature. Holes are evil. They propagate the cracks faster as they introduce stress risers that nucleate the formation of cracks.

Contrary to popular belief holes don't do a lot for cooling. they actually work slightly against cooling. Their original purpose was to allow the gases generated by heat from the pads to escape. Modern pad compounds have nearly or totally eliminated this problem. Most new pads will out gas a bit when new. This is the last of the pad material solvent(s) boiling out of the pads.

"For many years most racing rotors were drilled. There were two reasons - the holes gave the "fireband" boundary layer of gasses and particulate matter someplace to go and the edges of the holes gave the pad a better "bite".

Unfortunately the drilled holes also reduced the thermal capacity of the discs and served as very effective "stress raisers" significantly decreasing disc life. Improvements in friction materials have pretty much made the drilled rotor a thing of the past in racing. Most racing rotors currently feature a series of tangential slots or channels that serve the same purpose without the attendant disadvantages."
http://www.stoptech.com/tech_info/wp_brakesystems_upgradeselections.shtml

A note on the slots, they absolutely want to have a radiused bottom. Those with square bottom corners are best left for someone else to buy.
If you insist on having holes, only buy those with a radius NOT those with a chamfer. And keep in mind that there is no good way to put that radius on the other side of the hole. So those corners are necessarily left sharp.

Note the part about thermal capacity. Drilling holes reduces the mass of the rotor. This is a direct reduction in thermal mass, which is important to resisting fade in repeated stops. Some old timer road racers would drill the rotors when they had a particular pad compound that they were trying to make warm up faster!

Some good info here: http://www.stoptech.com/tech_info/tech_white_papers.shtml

 

[BogusBlake]

For those out there that have done the conversion. Is it worth it? Are there year specific parts to to look for? , and any problems or obsticles to deal with? . Thanks.

Totally worth it. I got my calipers very slightly used from a junkyard for $60. The rotors were $80 apiece IIRC. Phenomenal stopping power for just over $200.

The power increase IS noticeable. So is reduced brake fade. I pulled a LOADED 12x6 Uhaul up to CO from AZ and had no problems stopping that thing, even on hills. Unloaded, you risk giving yourself seatbelt bruises if you step on the pedal too hard.

Specific parts to look for:
-Post-SSB calipers (AKA 231mm calipers). If you ask for parts from a 2005 or 2006 2 or 4wd SR5, you're guaranteed to get the right parts.

Pitfalls:
-You need 16" wheels. In 2004, the Tundras and Tacos had the same 16" wheels. I don't know how the brakes will fit on previous year's stock wheels.
-You need a way to cleanly cut down the Tacoma's banjo bolts so they don't hit the flare in the Tundra caliper. I used a milling machine, but it could probably be done with a hacksaw and file.

This is a very easy and effective mod. Not as bling as others maybe, but if you want, you can always get slotted Tundra rotors too.

 

[Bighead]

Blake, are you running stock wheels? One of the questions I had was if this would be a problem with a ~3.5" BS wheel.

 

[BogusBlake]

Blake, are you running stock wheels?

Yep.

 

[Bighead]

Thanks.

 

[texas taco]

Thanks for the replies. You all were a great help.