'02 Toyota Tundra brakes?

[Jd110]

After 120k, brakes were due. It's seemed pretty straightforward, so I installed new rotors, pads, drums & shoes. Now the brakes have a new pulsating problem. I've got the service manual and have taken them off twice since to inspect what I did.
I bought aftermarket (Brembo). Could it be the factory shims on front pads are not needed with the new pads. It might be a long shot, but any advice is appreciated at this point. Thank you.


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[yaegerb]

you bought brembo rotors?

[Jd110]

Yes. Is that no good? It's been in my mind I should have bought oem.


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[yaegerb]

I don't know much about their rotors....I know their calipers are ok. I have done brakes on too many cars and what I have learned is go back with OEM. Aftermarket rotors, especially from o'reilly's/autozone/etc, will not perform to OEM (in my experience) and will typically warp within a few thousand miles. That being said, I would call a brembo tech and verify that you can swap OEM hardware to brembo calipers. That may be your issue.

[Jd110]

Brembo was recommended by a friend who has over 200k on his '03. The dealership has done a good job on my services but are a bit pricey. I bought the Brembo kit online @ new parts.com. My mistake. I've only got about 10 easy miles on these brakes. I can't drive it like this so the dealership is going to look at it Monday. Thanks for your feedback!



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[yaegerb]

Yeah i always thought you had to turn rotors new or not ?

I always have mine checked before I install just to make double sure. You can buy a lemon once in a while, even with OEM.

[Jd110]

Yeah i always thought you had to turn rotors new or not ?

I've never heard that..but I've wondered if they sent me ones with too much turn out.


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[oile]

Sounds to me you have warped rotors.

[barnett468]

yup, most likely what oile said . even though they are new, they may not have been mfg correctly . if the rotors are warped enough, it will always cause a pulsating problem.

brembo is high dollar stuff and "should" not be machined incorrectly but hard to say these days with poor to no quality control.

make certain the rotors/wheel bearings are not loose also . lift the wheels off the ground then grab the top and bottom of the wheel and try to wiggle it . there should be nearly zero play.



PREVIOUS KAWASAKI INTERNATIONAL R & D PROJECT ENGINEER AND ATV DEPARTMENT SUPERVISOR

[El Camexican]

Had this happen on an F150

Had the stock rotors turned in, Mexico, warped a few days later. Ran up to Laredo for new rotors at Pep Boys, started pulsating by the first stop light. By the time I got to I got to San Antonio the truck was shaking. Got another set on warrantee and while they were decent they were never as good as the stockers.

[Jd110]

I guess it's possible I bought a box of garbage. Hopefully it's something simple because there was a small glitch in my shipment and it took 4 days to speak with someone.

When the rotors and drums went on I clean the hubs with a wire wheel. Greased the back of pads, front/back of shim & the rear where the shoe rides. Bled the entire system. Pulsation upon medium breaking.

Thinking the pads were not sliding on pins , I took apart fronts again and wire wheeled/greased the caliper pins(even though they were easy out & in. Grease the top/bottom of pads. Lightly filed caliper on top/ bottom where the pads slide. Cleaned mating surface on cylinders(couple of them had some rust). Then I opened the rear and the drums came off too easy. So I tightened them until there was a little friction during wheel spin. Put it back together-seemed almost perfect for a bit then the pulsating came back.

About 20k miles ago I made an emergency stop on dry pavement-ABS all the way! After that stop my brakes pulsated upon hard stops, like when the traffic light changes & you just have enough time to stop. So my factory rotors are warped to a certain degree. Undersized pads on these trucks, toyota made them bigger in '03.

I wonder if I should put the factory rotors and drum back on after having them inspected/ turned and sell this stuff to my friend, since he likes it ha ha. I kinda suspect it to be in the rear since it's seems the entire vehicle shakes all the down to the foot pedal.
Here is a picture of the factory shoes before I got them apart. Still some life left. They seem to be about 50%.

[oile]

I bet it's the front rotors. Seen it a dozen times.

[Jd110]

I bet it's the front rotors. Seen it a dozen times.

Well, that'd be 11 more times than me. I hope you're right, oile, that's any easy fix---for a machinist. which I am not.
The folks at the dealership are nice but this crap probably doesn't really appeal to them.

[oile]

Ok if it was the back you could apply your e brake and that would only use your rear brakes and you could tell from there if that was your problem. I'd put money on it is front rotors just have them turned it will go away promise. Oh don't forget to torque your rims down in an star pattern. I've seen idiots just tighten in an circle with an impact that is an big no no.

[barnett468]

When the rotors and drums went on I clean the hubs with a wire wheel. Greased the back of pads, front/back of shim & the rear where the shoe rides. Bled the entire system. Pulsation upon medium breaking.

As was mentioned, this is typically a warped rotor problem.

Then I opened the rear and the drums came off too easy . So I tightened them until there was a little friction during wheel spin. Put it back together-seemed almost perfect for a bit then the pulsating came back.

These should have zero drag . Tighten them until there is a little drag then step on the brake pedal to center the shoes . If they still drag, loosen them slightly . If they do not drag, tighten them slightly until they do then step on the pedal again . If they still drag, loosen them until they just stop dragging.

About 20k miles ago I made an emergency stop on dry pavement-ABS all the way! After that stop my brakes pulsated upon hard stops, like when the traffic light changes & you just have enough time to stop.

This may or may not have warped the rotors . They need to be machined to tell or be checked with a dial indicator to be certain . I t is also possible that the pads you used were not broken in ("bedded in") properly and/or they are crap or not matched for your particular driving and they left uneven deposits of material on the rotors . This typically causes more of a "shudder" in the front end under moderate to hard braking than a pedal that pulses in height.

I wonder if I should put the factory rotors and drum back on after having them inspected/ turned and sell this stuff to my friend, since he likes it ha ha.

If you drive normally, I would do that and never would have switched to anything else if they are still good.



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