Thread: Hilux brakes

I have a recently purchased 2005 4WD SR Hilux and I’m less than impressed with the brakes.

Not sure if it’s the norm for this model/year but it’s passed a recent WOF and I’ve had it inspected by a brake specialist who confirms that the system is working as it should. The vehicle is unmodified.

Brakes are O.K when the vehicle is unloaded but that’s not what these vehicles are designed for. When towing or loaded I’m struggling to get it to pull up and the distance is greater than id like it to be.

What can be done to improve braking? Pad upgrade?

Cheers,

Hayden

Yep braking is not great. I've got a 202 SR5 4wd double cab.

Learn to brake earlier or park it in someone's arse (as I did).

Guess u just need a better truck, like a landcruiser.... Newer isnt always better

Check your brake booster vacuum level against factory specs

Inlet manifold vacuum in a diesel is virtually nonexistent so they use a vacuum pump, often piggybacked to the back of the alternator.

The amount of vacuum can be increased to help with brake assist.

Check there is not a restriction/reduction of vacuum from pump to booster.

Front pads would be worth inspecting as well as a proper replacement of the brake system fluid.

Often a Hilux tows so well that your unaware of the weight that your pulling along and the speed that your doing it, until you need to stop within a shorter than expected stopping distance.

I could/can easily lock all four wheels in any hilux 4x4 d/cab sr5 i have owned from 2000 to present day exempting the anti lock brake models.

Any chance you just have pukeko legs

Change out all the brake fluid as previously mentioned

They are very hard on rear brake shoes.

I have a funny story involving one of these utes and its brakes.... We have one on the farm here, we are also drumming it into the staff, especially the overseas ones that all have basically zero mechanical ability to maintain vehicles, keep them clean, grease where it needs grease, oil where it needs oil etc etc.
Couple of Filipino blokes were using said hilux, and it had a squeak in the front brakes somewhere, they took it upon themselves to absolutely coat the crap out of the brake rotors and the rear drums with grease before parking it away in the workshop....
Now I agree that these utes have never been the flashest, but f**k me they are terrible when you unknowingly take the ute out of the workshop in the morning, hook on a horsefloat to go pick up a calved cow from the runoff and you come to the end of the driveway doing about 65km/h and despite your best efforts you end up straight across the road and halfway up the neighbours across the road driveway before the bloody thing comes to a halt, thank goodness for his driveway and not a line of trees or a ditch.
Asked the boys if they had any trouble with the ute the day before and that's when they told me it was making a funny sound so they covered everything in grease!

Wow

if the pads and or shoes have been cooked at some stage they wont work as well

Thanks guys that gives me a starting point.

Sometimes I feel if I push any harder ill pop a hernia or my foot will go through the floor!

Originally Posted by Hayden C

Thanks guys that gives me a starting point.

Sometimes I feel if I push any harder ill pop a hernia or my foot will go through the floor!

First move, remove all the grease from your brakes

Originally Posted by Ryan_Songhurst

I have a funny story involving one of these utes and its brakes.... We have one on the farm here, we are also drumming it into the staff, especially the overseas ones that all have basically zero mechanical ability to maintain vehicles, keep them clean, grease where it needs grease, oil where it needs oil etc etc.
Couple of Filipino blokes were using said hilux, and it had a squeak in the front brakes somewhere, they took it upon themselves to absolutely coat the crap out of the brake rotors and the rear drums with grease before parking it away in the workshop....
Now I agree that these utes have never been the flashest, but f**k me they are terrible when you unknowingly take the ute out of the workshop in the morning, hook on a horsefloat to go pick up a calved cow from the runoff and you come to the end of the driveway doing about 65km/h and despite your best efforts you end up straight across the road and halfway up the neighbours across the road driveway before the bloody thing comes to a halt, thank goodness for his driveway and not a line of trees or a ditch.
Asked the boys if they had any trouble with the ute the day before and that's when they told me it was making a funny sound so they covered everything in grease!

Had a lady come into shop a bit white-faced. Her brakes were squeaking so she popped into Repco, wandered around looking at the various products (no assistance from staff obviously), and ended up buying some brake fluid, which had the little lid like a bottle of dishwash. This (to her anyway) was so it could be squirted onto the brakes, to cure the squeak. Scared the fuck out of her hahahaha

Originally Posted by northdude

if the pads and or shoes have been cooked at some stage they wont work as well

Yup, new pads for a Hilux owner aye @Toby.

Originally Posted by 223nut

Guess u just need a better truck, like a landcruiser.... Newer isnt always better

My 80 series was shit. Hilux brakes with another tonne of vehicle going faster.
Completely rebuilt them at great expense and they were still shit.
Ok it was on 33s but so was my hilux.

My rav stops with a loaded trailer better.

Sent from my GT-I9300 using Tapatalk

Originally Posted by Kiwi Greg

Change out all the brake fluid as previously mentioned

They are very hard on rear brake shoes.

How true if you tow trailer with bike on it and other large things over 3 hours over 2 big hills quite a few times a year interspersed with towing a large trailer loaded with firewood.

Originally Posted by TeRei

How true if you tow trailer with bike on it and other large things over 3 hours over 2 big hills quite a few times a year interspersed with towing a large trailer loaded with firewood.

The brake proportioning valve above the rear diff allows more brake pressure to the rears when a load is carried.