callmekurt

Stupid questions, I know, but I couldn't find anything in the searches..:

1. On my wife's 02 Highlander, she got new rotors because the service guy said the old were rusted (we just bought this car). So she had them replaced, but now she's got brake squeal. After a week of it, she went back and he said it's normal and will go away soon. But we're into week 2.5 and still squealing. Is this normal? Or is this indicative of something else?

2. I've had brake/rotor issues myself. Between the same above auto shop and the dealer where I bought my 99 4runner, I've had my 4runner in the shop 7-8 times in the last year. What gives? It's the same issue - thumping brakes. I've had a new ebrake, rotors upfront, and pads and some sort of pivot pin on the ebrake replaced (yes, I'm showing my ignorance..). And yet, I'm still getting some pulsing.

Any thoughts on either one of these?

thanks!

Kurt

callmekurt

So reading around more, it seems like brakes/rotors are big issues for Toys, no? Is this a Toy thing? I've never had so many brake issues with any other cars.

So, should I go back to the shop and ask them to put into anti-squeal compound, or is it too late (after the fact)?

04 Rocko Taco

they probably won't do it without charging you again, cause Ic an garuntee they will say they did it the first time.
You could do it, Toy brakes are EASY, but if you must take it back to the shop, be prepared for $$.

tom_mag

[QUOTE=callmekurt]I've never had so many brake issues with any other cars.
QUOTE]

I'll second that. No car is perfect and one thing that is poorly engineered on 4runners is the brakes.

Squealing brakes are a problem on a lot of cars. Volvos from the 80s were nororious for that. You had to run factory or IPD pads on those to keep them from squealing. I think the same may be true for Toyota. However I rebuilt my rear drums on my 2000, I used toyota shoes, new wheel cylinders, and even new springs and they still throb. I can tell its the rears because when I pull the ebrake with the car moving I can feel the same throb. Its not that bad when I'm by myself, but its scarry when the vehicle is loaded. They should have let GM design their brakes, I have never had problems with the ones on my 1971 Buick Riviera.

Roadtripr

The thumping could stem from warped rotors. It seems to be an issue on some 4runner model years. I warped my rotors and replaced them with rotors made by Brembo, which solved it so far.

profuse007

replacing the rotor is one thing, but did you replace the pads(front wheels) and also clean and re-grease the caliper rail? those things should be a protocol for a brake job, but mechanic wont do it unless you tell them to. thats how you find a sorry mechanic.

that caliper rail is important, a shady mechanic will skip those steps cause it can get a lil messy.

the squeal can cause by diff things, i.e. pads not bedded properly or rail is seized to one side.

994RNR

Did they replace the brake pads as well or just the rotors? Is the braking OK or is the squealing the only problem?

callmekurt

For my wife's (the 02 Highlander) - this is the squealer...(the Highlander that is), they only replaced the rotors, which they claimed were rusted. They said they could reuse the pads. It seems to brake OK, just squealing. It only started squealing after they did the work...so I assumed it was the rotors. But maybe not?

Personally, I'd love to DIY on the brakes/rotors, but I've always been a bit intimidated by them - esp. since it's obviously an important safety feature - not like redoing the stereo system, or exhausts..

So, this is do-able even if I'm not a hard-core wrencher? What guides would you suggest buying/using to aid in the process?

thanks,
Kurt

Rick F.

For the 4Runner, replace the OEM rotors. They're garbage. A lot of the forum members have switched to Brembo rotors... Use the search engine. This is an often-discussed topic.

04 Rocko Taco

Here ya go Kurt! http://www.deserted1.com/FSM/Repair_...4wdpr/repl.pdf
Its for the Taco, but it should be very close.

994RNR

It could be the brake pads. If they were glazed at all from the old rotors that could cause them to squeal (if they didn't scuff up the old pads with some sand paper). I always replace both the pads and rotors. I went with Autozone's Duralast pads (lifetime war.) & rotors (2yr war.) You could pick up a Haynes or Chilton manual for less than $20 which have alot of step-by-step info in them.

emptypockets

I can't believe the shop didn't replace the pads at the same time they did the rotors. Your pads could be grooved to match your old rotors, which would make your brakes squeal. If nothing else, it's just cheap insurance to replace the rotors and pads together.

FWIW, many people on the forum are running Brembo rotors with much success in helping avoid future warping issues.

petros

I was having pulsing in my brakes so I took the front rotors off and had them re-turned and got new pads, and it did the trick. I stood there while the guy was turning them and could totally hear how warped they were, and haven't had any problems since. Cost me $20 to get them turned and another $35 for new pads, which is a must if you get your rotors returned like that. It's cheaper than new Brembo rotors, and I don't know how long it will last, but I'm just putting it out there.

PeteV

Squealing of the brakes is usually caused by the pads. You need to put in the anti-squeal shims when you replace the pads, as well as, for lack of a better way to describe it, the "anti-squeal goop" behind the pads, between the pads and the calipers. If the shop did not do these two things, then your squeal will likely never go away.

If you ever tried to replace the brake pads yourself, you would see how easy it is. You literally pull the wheel off, pull the retaining pins out of the pads, pull the pads out, and put it all back in. It's like replacing a razor in the old style shaving kits.

You could pull the pads out yourself very easily, lube up the back of the pads with some anti-squeal (available at any auto parts store), and see if it fixes it. It would take you 45 minutes to do both front wheels, at the most.

As far as the pulsing of the brakes on the 4Runner, this is a common problem. I replaced my rotors and calipers via the Tundra brake upgrade. You can find info. here.

https://www.yotatech.com/forums/f2/3rd-gen-brake-upgrade-no-more-warped-rotors-50309/

Here is a little guide to replacing pads yourself. I can tell you that you do not need to remove the calipers to replace the pads, so take that step out. Also, since you are not actually replacing worn out pads, if you just want to put the goop behind them, then you won't need to push the pistons back in the calipers.

You can do it man!

http://www.advanceautoparts.com/engl...021101db.html#

callmekurt

Thanks man. I appreciate all the useful information and the motivation! I want to give this a whirl!

Kurt

Rick F.

Turning the OEM rotors is a short-term fix, as they will warp again soon. The dealer replaced my original warped rotors at about 20k, then had to turn the "new " ones 20k miles later which again warped. I finally trashed them and have had NO problems with the Brembos in over 40k miles. I'm not hard on brakes and most of my driving is country backroads, otherwise the OEM's would have fared even worse...