Toyota 4Runner 5th Gen Brakes Are Terrible

I know the 5th Gen 4Runner is around 4,800 lbs and a body-on-frame layout, but can we get better braking modulation and stopping power?

Linear braking response is foreign to the 4Runner. You begin to press the brake pedal to come to a stop and there is hardly any braking. You press past the midway point and it's full on nose-dive braking. It's incredibly annoying to drive and for passengers to experience.

Yes, nose-diving when coming to a stop is a trait known to the 5th Gen. I assume it's do to its weird suspension layout of double wishbone in the front and live-axle in the rear. 4Runner rear-ends sit a little higher in the back which makes nose diving worse.

There are lift-kits or leveling kits that reduce rake and prevent crazy nose-diving, but I chose a different method. I replaced the OEM rear brake pads with StopTech Street Performance pads. They bite a lot harder and keep the rear end from lifting too much. I noticed stopping distances are shorter, but the downside is they dust a lot and squeak when it's cold.

I believe OEM brake pads focus on low noise and dust which is why they are so poor. I haven't encountered brake fade or irregular wear during canyon or towing, just really bad performance. I have no other choice but to upgrade to big brake kits or replace the 4Runner. Braking was OK when the 4Runner was new, but after a couple of years of wear and several road trips the weakness is glaring.

I find myself braking extremely early and still crossing the intersection line. Stop and go, daily driving is pretty bad because I don't dare get up to speed. I find myself driving like an old grandma that does 10 mph below the speed limit due to laughable stopping distances. It's too bad and I don't think I will replace the 4Runner with another one. It can have the off-road performance and looks of a traditional SUV, but shouldn't have the atrocious brakes of one.

Zimmerman Z-Coated Rear Rotor on E39 530i

Zimmerman Z-Coated rear rotor and StopTech street performance brake pads on a BMW E39 530i. H&R sport springs and Bilstein sport shocks shown as well.

Braking performance is amazing and I love this setup. Only downside is the amount of dust the StopTech brake pads generate.

StopTech Street Performance Pads & Zimmerman Rotors

I swapped out the old, cracked, warped OEM rotors and Akebono Ceramic brake pads on my 2002 BMW E39 530i and installed StopTech Street Performance pads with Zimmerman coated rotors. How do I know the previous owner had Akebono pads installed? I have some extra unused pads and the part numbers match up and they look identical. There is still plenty of life left on the Akebono pads but I want something more aggressive so I went with StopTech.

Let me tell you how great the braking now feels. No more annoying shimmy or vibrations during braking, especially on off-ramps or coming down from the canyons, just nice solid brake application.

I bought my 530i used and I believe the rear rotors are original and pads are Akebono so I can't tell you how the initial bite feels compared to OEM Jurid pads. All I can say is the speed sheds quickly and the bite is pretty strong. Performance is awesome and confidence inspiring in spirited driving, I haven't had any fading or sketchy issues and I believe the DOT4 fluid helps a lot. The response is such a night and day difference that I have never felt before in this car.

Another great benefit of the Zimmerman zinc coated rotors is the way they look through the wheels, no more ugly rust that screams for attention. It is unfortunate to see a perfectly detailed car with rusted hubs.

I highly recommend this combo for daily driving, light track duty, and canyon driving. If you are looking for low dust and no noise, I would suggest going with the Akebono Ceramic brake pads with Zimmerman rotors. I did consider getting Hawk pads but that would have been overkill. Let me know what brake/rotor combos have worked well for you and leave a comment below.

1 month update: 
The StopTech pads dust a lot, if I don't wash my car every week the wheels are almost black. Performance is still amazing with whiplash inducing force if I slam on the brakes. These pads inspire a lot of confidence in driving and I can't recommend them enough.

No wonder why I was getting vibrations and squeaking noises, the rotors are all scored and have cracks.

Zimmerman rotors looking good with Bilstein Sports.

Zimmerman Rotor packaging.

DIY: Brake Fluid Flush on BMW E39 5 Series

How to change brake fluid on a BMW E39 5-Series using the Motive European Power Brake Bleeder w/ Adapter

BMW recommends flushing brake fluid every two years for everyday street driving.

Tools: 

• Flathead screwdriver
• 9 mm wrench 
•  Box end wrench may be helpful
• Motive European Power Brake Bleeder w/ Adapter
• Genesis Cable Bleeder Bottle
• Turkey baster or syringe to suck out old brake fluid
• 17 mm socket and ratchet to remove wheels
• Torque wrench for wheel lugs
• Jack and jack stands

Parts:

• Brake fluid:
• 2 x ATE Original SL.6 DOT 4 . Lower viscosity, better for street use. 
• 2 x ATE Original TYP 200 DOT 4

Recommended:

• Shop rags or towels to place around brake reservoir and underneath brake caliper for spills.

Steps:

• Break torque on wheel lugs using 17 mm socket and ratchet
• Safely jack up E39 and place on jack stands.
• I use Jack pad adapters to prevent crushing the plastic jack points. 
• Remove lug nuts and wheels. 
• Pop open hood and locate driver side cabin air filter tray.
• Use a flat head screw driver and push down on the plastic tabs to disconnect air duct. (Red)
• Unclip metal latch holding air filter cover. (Purple)
• Remove air filter tray cover. (Yellow)
• Remove cabin micro filter. 
• Remove rubber trim around cabin filter tray. 
• Disconnect electrical plug from hood sensor. (Green)
• Squeeze and remove metal clip from screw holding tray to body of vehicle. (Blue)
• Lift and remove cabin air tray.
• Now you have access to the brake fluid reservoir.

• Open reservoir cap (red circle) and suck out old brake fluid with a turkey baster. 
• Place rags or towels around reservoir to soak up spills. Brake fluid will damage and remove paint. 

• Fill brake reservoir to max with new DOT 4 brake fluid. 
• Dump remaining brake fluid into Motive brake bleeder. 
• Install adapter to brake fluid reservoir.
• Pump brake bleeder to 15 psi.

• Go to right rear brake caliper and locate the brake bleeder nipple. 
• Now is a good time to inspect brake lines for any wear, rot, or damage. 

• Remove cover from bleed screw and attach hose from bleeder bottle. 
• If using 9 mm box end wrench, place it on bleed screw before attaching hose from bleeder bottle.
• I sprayed penetrating oil on the screws for ease of loosening. 
• Loosen bleed screw and wait until all the air bubbles and dirty brake fluid has left the hose.
• Look for new, clear brake fluid before tightening bleed screw. 

• Remove hose and reinstall cover. 
• Pump Motive power bleeder to 15 psi.
• Repeat the process for the left rear caliper, right front caliper and finally the left front caliper.
• Make sure power bleeder is at 15 psi before each bleed. 
• When completed, remove pressure from the power bleeder side and fill reservoir to max. 
• Reinstall reservoir cap.
• Reinstall cabin micro filter tray and rubber trim piece. 
• Reinstall and torque wheels.
• Jack and remove jack stands to lower E39. 
• Test the brakes by moving a few feet before going on a drive. 

Notes:
Buy two 1-Liter bottles of brake fluid. One should be enough, but you want to have an extra liter in case of spills or shortage of fluid.

Gently loosen and tighten the brake bleed screws, it is easy to strip and damage them.

It is normal to have air bubbles in the hose from the power bleeder to the reservoir during fluid flush process.

Cover all areas where brake fluid may spill. Brake fluid will strip paint.

Minimize the amount of time new brake fluid will be exposed to air. Brake fluid is hygroscopic so remove the reservoir cap only when necessary. Properly dispose of any opened brake fluid bottles if not using in the near future.

This tutorial may apply to other BMW models.

I don't think the previous owner ever changed the brake fluid or within the past five years. The old brake fluid was extremely nasty and almost black.

  

DIY: Infiniti QX4 (01-03) Caliper Slide Pins & Bolts

How to change the caliper sliding pins, bolts, and dust boots on an Infiniti QX4 (01-03). This DIY may apply to the R50 Nissan Pathfinder.

Tools Needed:

• 14mm Socket TEKTON 3/8-Inch Drive Torque Wrench, 10-80 Feet Pound
  
• Torque Wrench (up to 32ft-lbs)
• Screwdriver
• Penetrating oil (if caliper bolts are seized)  Blaster 16-PB Penetrating Catalyst - 11 oz. 
• Jack. I prefer 3 Ton Ultra Low Profile Steel Floor Jack with Rapid Pump Quick Lift 
• Jack Stands.  Torin 3 Ton Jack Stands (Sold in Pairs) 

Parts Needed: 

• Dust boots. Carlson Pin Boot Kit 
• 2x Caliper slide pins and bolts. ACDelco Durastop Front Disc Brake Caliper Bolt 
• Brake Grease. CRC Silaramic Brake System Grease - 5 oz. 

Removal Steps:

• Loosen six 21mm lug nuts and place wheel chocks behind rear tires with Camco Wheel Chock - Pack of 2 or something to prevent vehicle from moving backwards
• Jack QX4 and place jack stands underneath car. Look at the owner's manual for jack points. Relieve jack pressure so the car is resting on the stands.
• Remove wheel and locate top and bottom caliper bolts circled below.

• Use 14mm socket and ratchet to remove old caliper bolts. Use penetrating oil on the bolts if seized.
• Remove brake piston and support with bungee cord or place something underneath. Supporting the piston is important because the brake lines will be damaged if left hanging. I rested the brake pistons on a plastic container.   

• Pull caliper slide pins out. Moderate force may be necessary to remove pins. Gently tap with hammer and chisel if you cannot pull them out by hand. Old and rusted pins pictured below. 

• Remove old dust boots from caliper carrier.

Installation Steps: 

•  Grease new slide pins with CRC Silaramic Brake System Grease - 5 oz. 

• Place new dust boots over slide pins and install them in the caliper carrier.
• Reinstall brake piston and align holes over slide pins. You may need a C-Clamp to close the piston if brake pads were changed or if there is difficulty getting the piston over the brake pads.
• Install caliper bolts The ACDelco Professional Front Brake Caliper Bolts and OEM are 14mm. I believe the torque values are 32 ft-lbs.The picture below is from a Nissan service manual. 

 

• Reinstall wheel and safely remove jack stands, jack, and other equipment. 

Notes: 
Removal and installation is straightforward and simple, however this job can be very difficult if caliper bolt and pin are seized. There are Youtube tutorials available if the bolt and pin are seized.

Remember to use silicone grease on the slide pins.

Take all the necessary safety precautions and if you feel unsafe bring your car to the dealership or independent mechanic.