Tundra Brake Upgrade Complete

[mark71]

How much did it improve stopping distance? I am getting tired/anxious about my brakes as I keep nearly rear ending people on the highway at abrupt stops. I was originally going to wait until the next time I needed brakes but may pull the trigger on this sooner. I am just trying to figure out how much of a difference will this make? Usually, on my german cars when I would change out calipers it would be to an 8-12 piston setup. They would be the best brakes money can buy. I have feeling that the Tundra kit while better than stock is not going to be a night and day difference. Please help quantify the difference thinking from an aggressive drivers point of view.

I am not an aggressive driver (especially since putting the steel bumper on), but I can give an opinion on aggressive driving and braking.

The Tundra setup is mainly about increasing rotor mass. I don't think the sweep area is significantly increased (but it has been a while since I researched it).

Tundra upgrade is also considerably cheaper than the setups you reference, so you would likely need to change your bang-for-the-buck expectation.

 

[Markuson]

How much did it improve stopping distance? I am getting tired/anxious about my brakes as I keep nearly rear ending people on the highway at abrupt stops. I was originally going to wait until the next time I needed brakes but may pull the trigger on this sooner. I am just trying to figure out how much of a difference will this make? Usually, on my german cars when I would change out calipers it would be to an 8-12 piston setup. They would be the best brakes money can buy. I have feeling that the Tundra kit while better than stock is not going to be a night and day difference. Please help quantify the difference thinking from an aggressive drivers point of view.

Side note:
I'd wager your current brakes are more powerful than they seem. If you really stomp on them, you'll be amazed how well they work. It does take considerable foot pressure, but I think that's is inherent in the 200 power assist brakes. Hit the brakes hard enough to make your seatbelt pre-tension...and you'll see what I mean.

 

[Reckless]

I usually slam them last microsecond and they stop barely (my heart usually in my throat). I hope stainless steel brake lines will improve the reaction time. I am willing to spend alot more on brakes but don't think they will fit inside 17" wheels.

 

[Markuson]

I usually slam them last microsecond and they stop barely (my heart usually in my throat). I hope stainless steel brake lines will improve the reaction time. I am willing to spend alot more on brakes but don't think they will fit inside 17" wheels.

They do fit in Rock Warrior 17's, since those come straight off of the Tundra. Other 17" wheels could be a problem.

 

[Lc200ik]

Side note:
I'd wager your current brakes are more powerful than they seem. If you really stomp on them, you'll be amazed how well they work. It does take considerable foot pressure, but I think that's is inherent in the 200 power assist brakes. Hit the brakes hard enough to make your seatbelt pre-tension...and you'll see what I mean.

When I was first getting used to mine (after Amazon and some slightly sportier German and Italian cars) the pretensioner would go off almost every time I braked, startled the sh* out of me first couple of times, but braking not great, I bled the brakes and changed pads for EBC yellowstuff and it now brakes better without the tensioner going off. I think the thresholds may be adaptive to driving style, previously had a Saab 900 turbo convertible and a merc CLK convertible which had rollover protection which involved the rear headrests flying up with a startling noise and they used to trigger frequently on what I considered normal cornering! Anyway, I'm going to be driving up and down a mountain fully laden so having better heat/fade resistance and 4% more brake torque to compensate 3% more tyre diameter can't be a bad thing so if I can get my hands on one in the UK I will be another tundra upgrade test pilot. There's always going to be a limit to how well it can brake due to the dynamics - have you seen videos of one doing an emergency stop, it practically stands on its nose. I'm going to fit either koni heavy track or bilstein b6 shocks (any comments on which is better, reluctant to shell out on a full old man emu or ironman set having seen mixed reviews about reliability) which should help with nose diving on braking among other things and if the back wheels stay on the ground that might help braking also!

 

[Markuson]

Don't forget engine braking.
Off road in steep, repetetive declines, you either use engine braking or fry your brakes.

 

[ikeb]

They do fit in Rock Warrior 17's, since those come straight off of the Tundra. Other 17" wheels could be a problem.

the 17" RWs barely clear the brakes (and by 'barely', i mean i've had two different people comment that they were shocked they fit in there) - and i have a '16, which according to hoyle, have the tundra upgrade built-in. there's somebody on the forum was was upgrading to a BBK... brembo maybe?... for the LC and it would not fit a 17" or 18" wheel - i believe he had to go to a 20" for any appreciable increase in size.

take this all with a grain of salt - i haven't considered upgrading my brakes, but i do have a '16 with the larger "tundra-sized" brakes and i'm running RW wheels. they fit, but anything bigger would not.

 

[Lc200ik]

Don't forget engine braking.
Off road in steep, repetetive declines, you either use engine braking or fry your brakes.

Yup, and I'm also looking at a torque converter lockup mod to help with that and fuel economy. But on windy mountain roads with sequential hairpins you put a load of energy into the brakes every bend even with engine braking to regulate speed and at low speed don't get much of the thin air in to cool them.

 

[Markuson]

Yup, and I'm also looking at a torque converter lockup mod to help with that and fuel economy. But on windy mountain roads with sequential hairpins you put a load of energy into the brakes every bend even with engine braking to regulate speed and at low speed don't get much of the thin air in to cool them.

Ah. I was talking about 4lo over steep dirt or rock where the engine does the bulk of the slowing. Hairpins on mountain pavement are different.

 

[Lc200ik]

Ah. I was talking about 4lo over steep dirt or rock where the engine does the bulk of the slowing. Hairpins on mountain pavement is different.

I'm not intending to go straight down the sides with 7 on board, too much noise from within, they complain enough when I make it up or down sticking to the road faster than anything else

 

[89FJ62inVA]

bump

 

[Druss]

Does this upgrade use the 231mm Tundra calipers or the 199mm?

 

[TeCKis300]

Does this upgrade use the 231mm Tundra calipers or the 199mm?

Not sure what dimensions those reference, but perhaps this thread can help you answer that?

DIY Tundra Brakes (BBK)

Time for bigger tires and with that, need a big brake kit (BBK). Thanks to the pioneers @TexAZ, @bjowett, and others before me, it's been known that upsized Tundra front brakes, rotor and caliper, largely bolt in. Here's my attempt to simplify the install for others that may want to tackle...

forum.ih8mud.com

 

[turbo8]

Does this upgrade use the 231mm Tundra calipers or the 199mm?

I think you are refering to the 1st gen tacoma / 3rd gen 4runner brake upgrades. Which do not apply here, completely different.

 

[Druss]

The 1st gen tundra used a smaller caliper and suffered from brake fade, i just wanted to check that these were the new gen, looking at the other posts confirned they were.