Brake calipers seized. NF

[captpierre]

Had my 2013 4Runner brakes done at the dealer. All 4 wheels. Rotors/pads.

98k km.

Said front calipers seized. Had to be replaced.

$1600.

Looked on line. Seems to be a common problem on 4Runners, Sequoias and Tundras.

Toyota recommends brake service every 32k Kms. I declined it once.

I'm easy on brakes when driving. Coast a lot.

Is there anything I can do to prevent seizing?

Maybe I should brake harder regularly?

[irishfield]

Have told my kids for years that at least once a month to look in their rear view... make sure nobody is behind them and hammer the brake pedal to the floor and make the ABS pulse away on every wheel. That and I inspect, clean and lube the caliper guide shafts/pins at spring and fall tire change overs. Never a seized caliper in our house.

[FloatnFly]

The spray they use on the roads in winter is horrible for brakes

[ch312]

Braking harder or regularly engaging the ABS will do nothing to prevent calipers from seizing as there is such a minuscule amount of movement within the caliper in the first place. Hard braking does not create more movement within the caliper to "free thing's up". Some vehicles just have poorly designed calipers which require more attention than others.

 

Cleaning and lubing the calipers every year or two can go a long way with preventing seizing along with extending the life of your pads and rotors.

[irishfield]

The hard braking keeps caliper pistons from seizing not sliders. Lazy / light braking has which ever caliper piston that moves the easiest stopping your vehicle and doing so all the time you end up with a seized piston due to it's lack of movement. The only help for sliders and pins is clean and lube a couple times a year.

[John]

Hard braking every now and again will help. I see a lot of vehicles where pads and rotors were replaced say 10K ago at another shop and come in with calipers seized. A lot of shops will just slap a set of pads and rotors on and not do a caliper service. In some cases these brakes will fail prematurely. Make sure that the shop that you use services and lubes calipers as part of a brake job. In my humble opinion it is worth having a brake service (inspection and service, not necessarily replacement) done once a year as part of an oil change service and general inspection, in many cases your brakes will almost double their life depending on how and where you drive.

[porkpie]

My F150 gets new pad clips, and a serious scrubbing on the calipers as well as the sliders cleaned and lubed every year. If I don't do this they will get sticky. The rears I never seem to have to worry about but I do it just the same.

[ecmilley]

In most cases with dual piston calipers it's the pad sticking in the caliper saddle that causes those smaller pistons to get uneven in there bores and stick seen it many times on Toyota and ford trucks inner pads worn on angle.

Rust build up in saddle reducing clearance on clips is a easy fix with regular servicing.

Proper inspections with qualified techs that can indentify early problems ie need a c clamp to compress a caliper it's pretty much seized

[kickingfrog]

I have a 2012 highlander and it's done everything that I expected, except the breaks. They just don't "last" the way any other vehicle I've had and I don't think my driving habits have changed that much? Maybe it's a toyota "big" vehicle thing?

[KLINKER]

Doesn't take much rust between the cylinder and piston to seize them, probably water gets in the cylinder when you put air under pressure when you bleed them.

[Mister G]

Doesn't take much rust between the cylinder and piston to seize them, probably water gets in the cylinder when you put air under pressure when you bleed them.

[AKRISONER]

little better now with sealed sliders, but back on the 02 proteges, they simply had a boot over the sliders. I used to take them apart and lube them up twice year.

 

Braking hard isnt going to do anything, you have to take the brakes apart and clean any rust out and then lube them regularly.

[Mister G]

 

 

Braking hard isnt going to do anything, you have to take the brakes apart and clean any rust out and then lube them regularly.

All braking hard does is bring all that junk stored under the back seat of my truck forward . . . . lol

 

Cleaning and lubricating properly is the key.

[Tom S]

FYI Doge Caravans are known for having this issue.

[spyder3g]

The caliper (good one) is around $150 X 2 = $300

http://www.rockauto.com/en/catalog/toyota,2013,4runner,4.0l+v6,1504997,brake+&+wheel+hub,caliper,1704

Labour around $300

Do not go to your mechanic anymore

[misfish]

Have told my kids for years that at least once a month to look in their rear view... make sure nobody is behind them and hammer the brake pedal to the floor and make the ABS pulse away on every wheel. That and I inspect, clean and lube the caliper guide shafts/pins at spring and fall tire change overs. Never a seized caliper in our house.

 

 

Wayne

 

Im off mid week November. Will be in your area, FISHING. Will you have a hoist free for an inspection?

 

After 10 am of course.

Edited October 23, 2017 by Misfish

[ketchenany]

Wayne

 

Im off mid week November. Will be in your area, FISHING. Will you have a hoist free for an inspection?

 

After 10 am of course.

Does the toon have brakes? You must brake hard at fish crossings!

[irishfield]

That would be a NOPE Brian, the Bee is kinda stuck on it for now.

[misfish]

Well then, I will just drop by for a look see and a hell ya, I got to have a look see. If ya dont mind.

 

After 10 am of course.

[Bass Tard]

Your 4runner has 4piston calipers, there's no sliders to service. I've had a 4runner for 8 years, I've done all 4 calipers, and maybe 2 twice. As you said, its a very common issue on 4runners, though there's a lot of speculation that they improved from mine (4th gen) to your body style (5th gen).

 

I also regularly let mine sit for up to a month at a time, not great for it, but I don't always need it and I tend to just forget to stretch its legs every once in a while.