Front Brakes (2 Viewers)

[Presidio]

I bought a ‘96 and the PO had some work done before he sold it to me. According to the invoice he had new rotors and ceramic pads installed on the front. Since then about 800 miles have been put on the rig. I’ve read the discussion on putting 100 series pads on for better stopping power and long er lasting brakes. In those conversations that I have read I have understood that most people think you should put the 100 pads on new rotors.

So should I pull those basically new 80 pads out and replace with 100’s or just let it go till I need new pads and rotors?

 

[SpenserAK]

If it works well, don't bother. Spend your money on other necessary maintenance & baselining. A properly functioning braking system with OE components is good.

If it doesn't work well, you have a different issue, if those parts are new.

100 pads themselves are simply slightly thicker, from my understanding. I've never been convinced enough to bother, personally, but I only have stock needs. The "mod" has been referred to as "Mud mania" by some, but that's not to say it can't be a good choice when you do the full swapping of parts.

 

[LandLocked93]

If it works well, don't bother. Spend your money on other necessary maintenance & baselining. A properly functioning braking system with OE components is good.

+1

If it doesn't work well, you have a different issue, if those parts are new.

+1

100 pads are simply slightly thicker, from my understanding. I've never been convinced enough to bother. The "mod" has been referred to as "Mud mania" by some, but that's not to say it can't be a good choice for some.

Strictly speaking, their increased width - coupled with 100 rotor's width - constitutes in increased braking surface area. As such they are together considered an advantage in some configurations/situations - these being largely relegated to big tire (37"+) applications.

Of course nothing says 100 rotor/pads can't be affixed to any 80 regardless.

 

[Kernal]

Coming up on 100,000 miles on a set of front OEM 100 series pad, stops very well.
FWIW

 

[CrabCake]

I'd save your money right now...I tried the 100 pad upgrade, but didn't see much difference overall. One issue that I did have was when I pulled the old pads out, the PO did not have the anti squeal shims in, so I just dropped in the 100 pads that were a tight fit as they are thicker. Those squealed from day one when coming up to a stop....pulled them, put on the OEM 80 pads with proper shims/grease, and all happy again. I can get a chirp from my front tires with the ABS if I test them hard (after bedding in) on 315's.

Difference in pads, 80's on the outside, 100's on the inside:

 

[OffRoadScott]

I have heard that the 100 series pad doesn't make contact with the rotor properly, meaning the pad does not make contact fully as the rotor maybe smaller on the 80.

I run the Power Stop Z36 pads front and rear and have had great results with them. I will go back to them when it is time to replace the pads.

 

[Presidio]

My system is working fine, no issues. I’ll just leave as is. Thx!

 

[jht3]

yup, save the $$$. when the current pads wear out, swap in whatever you choose. Re-bed them, and bobs your uncle

i put new pads on my 80 when i replaced a caliper with bad pistons, but retained the rotors. still had a bad vibration. then replaced the rotors, but kept the pads. everything is fine.

i've been swapping pads on the same set of rotors for years. and this is track/race cars where braking is critical. a good bedding session has always cleaned up the old pad compound.

 

[Kernal]

IME the OEM 100 Series front brake pads in OEM calipers cover stock size front rotors well, right out to the very edge. There's no unworn lip or ridge around the outer circumference of the rotor, no overhang of the pad.
FWIW.

 

[jonheld]

I run 315/75R16s on a daily driver.
100% OEM 80 Series components.
All 4 calipers can be rebuilt with 100% OEM parts, including new pistons if needed.
All 7 soft brake lines can be replaced with 100% OEM parts.
Brake fluid should be flushed regularly, and is supposed to be water clear. The darker it is, the more contaminated it is.

FWIW, I have a full set of spare calipers that have been cleaned, powder coated, fully rebuilt with new pads and all new hardware ready to install. For my purposes, this more efficient than simply swapping pads, albeit more costly. It also provides an opportunity to flush the system.
I don't play games with brakes, and have gone down the aftermarket primrose path WAY too many times now.

The thread linked below provides all OEM part numbers which you can source from your favorite Toyota parts supplier. It is a multi page thread with lots of good information. Read the entire thing.

NAPA Eclipse Calipers

With all the recent brake talk, I thought it would be a good idea to order a set of replacement calipers. The NAPA Eclipse seemed to be the caliper of choice around here and they were significantly less expensive than OEM. Turns out, it's pretty obvious why. One of the pistons looks like Chinese...

forum.ih8mud.com

 

[jonheld]

One other thing to consider is that brake performance degrades slowly over time regardless of what you may have installed. Insert the "frog in water" analogy here.
When someone claims better performance when changing a part, that is more often a case of the part replaced was past its lifespan, or while replacing the part other items were adjusted or changed. Not necessarily that the specific part was "superior" to OEM.

Remember that a vehicles brakes are a system, not just a bunch of parts thrown together. Pads, rotors, calipers, brake lines, fluid, master, booster, vacuum all have to work together to safely stop your 6000 pound 28+ year old truck from turning the vehicle in front of you into a bottle cap.

 

[Mark W]

One other thing to consider is that brake performance degrades slowly over time regardless of what you may have installed. Insert the "frog in water" analogy here.
When someone claims better performance when changing a part, that is more often a case of the part replaced was past its lifespan, or while replacing the part other items were adjusted or changed. Not necessarily that the specific part was "superior" to OEM.

Remember that a vehicles brakes are a system, not just a bunch of parts thrown together. Pads, rotors, calipers, brake lines, fluid, master, booster, vacuum all have to work together to safely stop your 6000 pound 28+ year old truck from turning the vehicle in front of you into a bottle cap.

I remember back in the day, trying to explain this concept to all the guys that hacked really nasty "saginaw" PS into their '40s and swooned over how great it drove after they did... when what they replaced was worn out to the point of totally unsafe.

Mark...