Aftermarket Brake recommendations for 1st Gen? (1 Viewer)

[Icy Eew]

I have a 2005 Sequoia. PO put on NAPA 'performance' parts (slotted rotors/ceramic pads) about 141K miles. Parts #RA 86929, 86931, AD 7877, 7477. I bought the tree from him at 148K-taken it on a few trips since. Mostly flat landing it. Brakes have always felt firm, but slow to engage. I figured this normal operating characteristics for the truck (having read about sequoia brakes). Today, was coming down the mountain (~12 miles and ~5K descent), brakes were doing ok on the fire road/gravel, but experienced severe fade once back on pavement. VSC chirped, then screeched. I fortunately was able stop near the bottom with visible smoke from the wheels. Waited a bit then drove the rest of the way home (~3 miles, brakes seemed like they have recovered). Truck was loaded with people (2 adults and 4 teens) and has steel front/rear bumpers. Tires are 33's with ~2 inch lift. Not stock, but not gigantic tires either. ~150K on the odometer, so parts are ~10k miles into their service life.

My question isn't how to diagnose the failure. I guess what I am asking is that should I not find an obvious problem, were these rotors/pads the PO had placed something I should have been able to trust or not.

1. Anyone else with experience with these parts? Are these something I can rely on or do I need to look elsewhere?
2. Should I go back to OEM? I know that the early sequoias had issues with weak brakes, but I thought that was improved with the 05-07 model years. Do people use the stock braking system for regular off road use (When the truck is built out it will be pretty loaded, especially with the family).
3. If not, what do you all recommend for aftermarket brakes? Seems like a lot of companies out there-don't know who actually makes an improved product vs. OEM or not.

Thanks for your help. My longer term plans are to tow a pop-up trailer with this, so it's critical that I figure out a good long-term solution moving forward.

 

[tkyllo]

I know Powerbrake makes aftermarket brakes for first gens. They sell a whole kit and its pretty pricey. The more common one that a ton of guys run is the GX460 brakes. They are bigger so you have to run a 17" rim but that's a super common swap.

 

[Jgrauman]

I have a 2005 Sequoia. PO put on NAPA 'performance' parts (slotted rotors/ceramic pads) about 141K miles. Parts #RA 86929, 86931, AD 7877, 7477. I bought the tree from him at 148K-taken it on a few trips since. Mostly flat landing it. Brakes have always felt firm, but slow to engage. I figured this normal operating characteristics for the truck (having read about sequoia brakes). Today, was coming down the mountain (~12 miles and ~5K descent), brakes were doing ok on the fire road/gravel, but experienced severe fade once back on pavement. VSC chirped, then screeched. I fortunately was able stop near the bottom with visible smoke from the wheels. Waited a bit then drove the rest of the way home (~3 miles, brakes seemed like they have recovered). Truck was loaded with people (2 adults and 4 teens) and has steel front/rear bumpers. Tires are 33's with ~2 inch lift. Not stock, but not gigantic tires either. ~150K on the odometer, so parts are ~10k miles into their service life.

My question isn't how to diagnose the failure. I guess what I am asking is that should I not find an obvious problem, were these rotors/pads the PO had placed something I should have been able to trust or not.

1. Anyone else with experience with these parts? Are these something I can rely on or do I need to look elsewhere?
2. Should I go back to OEM? I know that the early sequoias had issues with weak brakes, but I thought that was improved with the 05-07 model years. Do people use the stock braking system for regular off road use (When the truck is built out it will be pretty loaded, especially with the family).
3. If not, what do you all recommend for aftermarket brakes? Seems like a lot of companies out there-don't know who actually makes an improved product vs. OEM or not.

Thanks for your help. My longer term plans are to tow a pop-up trailer with this, so it's critical that I figure out a good long-term solution moving forward.

Definitely go with the larger calipers of the gx upgrade. I did the powerstop "extreme" kit and warped the rotors in under 2 years, have 6 in my family so we are always pretty heavy. I'm doing the upgrade to larger rotors and calipers once parts become available. I've never liked the brakes on the Sequoia

 

[crikeymike]

I have a 2005 Sequoia. PO put on NAPA 'performance' parts (slotted rotors/ceramic pads) about 141K miles. Parts #RA 86929, 86931, AD 7877, 7477. I bought the tree from him at 148K-taken it on a few trips since. Mostly flat landing it. Brakes have always felt firm, but slow to engage. I figured this normal operating characteristics for the truck (having read about sequoia brakes). Today, was coming down the mountain (~12 miles and ~5K descent), brakes were doing ok on the fire road/gravel, but experienced severe fade once back on pavement. VSC chirped, then screeched. I fortunately was able stop near the bottom with visible smoke from the wheels. Waited a bit then drove the rest of the way home (~3 miles, brakes seemed like they have recovered). Truck was loaded with people (2 adults and 4 teens) and has steel front/rear bumpers. Tires are 33's with ~2 inch lift. Not stock, but not gigantic tires either. ~150K on the odometer, so parts are ~10k miles into their service life.

My question isn't how to diagnose the failure. I guess what I am asking is that should I not find an obvious problem, were these rotors/pads the PO had placed something I should have been able to trust or not.

1. Anyone else with experience with these parts? Are these something I can rely on or do I need to look elsewhere?
2. Should I go back to OEM? I know that the early sequoias had issues with weak brakes, but I thought that was improved with the 05-07 model years. Do people use the stock braking system for regular off road use (When the truck is built out it will be pretty loaded, especially with the family).
3. If not, what do you all recommend for aftermarket brakes? Seems like a lot of companies out there-don't know who actually makes an improved product vs. OEM or not.

Thanks for your help. My longer term plans are to tow a pop-up trailer with this, so it's critical that I figure out a good long-term solution moving forward.

I would check those calipers. Perhaps one or both are sticking. Could also be that they heated up and then they weren't retracting (sticking) when you weren't on the brakes, so they just over heated. I have an older Jeep wrangler, and those calipers are famous for being crap and sticking, and burning up the brakes. Happened to me on the flat ground here around Florida.

Is it just a stock weight setup? Any added bumper, winch, RTT, or any other considerable weight added?

I sell the Powerbrake kits. The 1st Gen kit is new to the market, so there's no long term reviews of it yet. Jon up at Mule in Seattle was the first to get them and he's got a heavily loaded Tundra and definitely needed the bigger brakes. We're also awaiting fitment confirmation on the Sequoias, as there was a change mid-generation on those. You've also gotta run 17" wheels to clear the bigger calipers and rotors (extra cost if you aren't already running that size wheel)

Powerbrake X-Line 4x4 Toyota Tundra Big Brake Kit for 2000-2006

Powerbrake Stage 1 Toyota Tundra Big Brake Kits for 2000-2006 Toyota Tundra 4x4 6 Lug trucks, add massive braking to your heavier built truck

exitoffroad.com

But without a lot of added weight on the rig, some new calipers and high performance pads should stop it anytime you need it to. The big 6 piston caliper upgrade is a bit of overkill unless you're running heavy.

 

[Icy Eew]

Thanks all. I think the GX conversion interests me the most. Is it just the calipers, or rotors as well? Any particular model year parts?

 

[ToyotaMatt]

@Racer65 / city racer parts store has OEM ADVICS pads for you

this is HOW I ROLL on ALL me personal and clienst toyota's

no other way

periods

 

[obchristo]

I have an 05 4WD and I did the 460 upgrade about 1.5 years ago. For parts search, you can use a 2012 GX460.

Calipers and Rotors are much larger than the stock hardware. I did Brembo solid rotors, Callahan Calipers ( Not just a prop from Tommy Boy but actually a division of Powerstop ), Hawk Street Peformance Pads and 6 new Crown Performance SS Brakelines that I had mad 2 inches longer. Did a full Brake fluid exchange also.

You will need to trim the dust guards and do some grinding on the mounting points on the calipers.

Braking on a daily basis is improved. Emergency braking and braking under hot and heavy conditions is GREATLY improved. Fade is reduced as much as physically possible with a vehicle of this weight- and I routinely drive some pretty sustained long downhills while fully loaded (Palomar Mountain in San Diego County and Big Bear are 2 that I drive each with over 3000 feet of altitude loss in a short, twisty amount of time.

Sal has a great writeup here, but you have to scroll through all the other stuff he did on his Sequoia: 2002 Sequoia Limited 4WD - https://www.expeditionportal.com/forum/threads/2002-sequoia-limited-4wd.192169/

I would do it again in a heartbeat.

 

[76lcmike]

have an 2001 limited. put the larger caliper kit on and the cryo. slotted rotors. annnnd my wife still warped the dam rotors. lol