Ok so i've searched and still have some questions.

I have a 2004 tacoma with about 80k miles on it. This past summer i did the front brakes. Recently i have started to have a problem with the brakes pulsating as i slow down and stop.

In my search i found that others have a similar problem BUT it only occurs when lightly pressing on the brakes. My problem exists regardless of how hard the brakes are applied.

I believe it is the fronts as i can feel it in the steering and if i use the e-brake (rear brakes only right?) there is no pulsing.

So are my rotors warped? I just popped both front tires off and my rotors SEEM smooth and flat....or are warped rotors subtle enough that you can't see/feel it? If they are warped do i just get them resurfaced or replace them?

A related question. What is the proper torque for the lug nuts? With just the oem lug wrench, how hard would it be to get them too tight? (i.e. i don't own a torque wrench yet)

thanks
RC

 

Sometimes they can be...did you replace the rotors last year?

If not, chances are they are warped. I've had this happen numerous times to me with my 4runner. That is, until I bought Brembo rotors...

If you're buying the cheap napa or autozone rotors, you will probably continue to suffer from this problem. Its been my experience that they don't work. The size of the 4runner is just too much for the brakes to handle. You may try searching for the tundra brake upgrade...

Just cut your losses and replace the rotors, chances are thats the culprit. Go with Brembo

 

No i did not do the rotors at the time. They appeared to be in pretty good shape from the information that i had found.

So they are the original rotors. I have never SEEN a warped rotor....what does it look like.....is it obvious? Or is it warped on a 'microscopic' level and you can't see/feel it?

Another observation to possibly help. Right before i stop, when i'm going very slow i can actually feel.....smoooooooth......pulse.....smooooooooth.. ...pulse. At higher speed it is obviously just rapid pulsing.

 

On some applications (don't know about our 4Runners), the max allowed runout is 0.001". That's what it was on my 280-Z.

The symptoms you describe are indicative of warped rotors. A new set really isnt all that much. I think you can get new Brembo's for about $60 each.

 

Warped rotors, replace the brakes to as they will have worn unevenly too.

The pads cannot grab properly b/c the pads are out of round,t hey try and grab and hit hi and lo spots and thats the pulsating.

 

you can just get your rotors turned at napa or a mechanic place or something like that. That should be pretty cheap though it seems you might be better off buying a higher quality rotor. If you just get them turned and your pads are still relatively new i wouldnt worry about replacing them. The pads will wear back even. If you do buy new rotors though then you should get new pads aswell.

 

what you have is warped rotors or rotors manufactured with runout... basically defective. if you did the front brakes last summer don't worry about the pads. you'll just need to replace the rotors. i wouldn't recommend taking the rotor in and having it turned because from what i hear in 6 months you'll be back in the same spot. plus for new rotors it isn't that expensive at all.

if you feel comfortable do the job yourself. you'll save a lot of money. i did mine in 30 mins if that. driven 12k since no problems.

 

Get the rotors from Autozone. Duralast rotors have a 2 year warranty on them, so if they warp in that period, you can just take them back in for new ones. You might be able to get cheaper rotors online, but if they end up warping, you have to mail them in and wait for the new ones to arrive. That means lots of down time.

For pad, I'd get some ceramic pads. I got mine at Autozone, but I heard Hawk LTS pads from tirerack were really good, too.

 

i would still recommend brembo's to the AAP or auto zone crap. but thats me..