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Retrofit better 13WL front calipers for original S13WE ones?

Discussion in '1st Gen Tundras (2000-2006)' started by 02SWFLSR5, Mar 18, 2015.

  1. Mar 18, 2015 at 7:17 PM
    #1
    02SWFLSR5

    02SWFLSR5 [OP] New Member

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    Hello Everyone,

    New member to the Tundras.com community, with a new-to-me '02 Tundra SR5 V6 with 130k miles this week, bought to be a "running errands and going fishing" facilitator, also plan to do some light trailering. (Price was right, too.)
    Have found out through research of various sources that this is an early production 1st generation truck, with the less-desirable and lesser-performing S13WE front brake calipers.
    Does anyone know if the better, larger, newer production 13WL calipers can be retrofitted without changing the mounting hardware/backing plate/rotor/etc.? In other words, are they a simple bolt-on? Has anyone done this and if so was it worth it? Thanks, any insight or suggestions much appreciated!
     
    DaWhiteTundra likes this.
  2. Mar 18, 2015 at 9:34 PM
    #2
    T-Rex266

    T-Rex266 Elon approved Staff Member

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    Welcome! There's a few first gen guys here who will chime in.
     
  3. Mar 19, 2015 at 12:22 PM
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    Mike

    Mike Tread lightly.

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    quick read up on this https://www.tundras.com/threads/warping-brake-rotors.130/



    I have a 03 i plan on doing the big brake upgrade this summer to it... I have heard ( not seen) where you can just replace the caliper and pads and the rotor is fine in place. Its a straight bolt on so no problems with calipers. ( got to love toyota) ... If your planning on do a upgrade why not replace the rotors with more up to date ones? calipers are only the half the work rotors are other half...

    I have read on other boards some guys say the brakes feel funny but it stops like a car now with the brakes.
     
  4. Mar 19, 2015 at 7:45 PM
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    02SWFLSR5

    02SWFLSR5 [OP] New Member

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    Hey thank for the reply, Mike!
    A big brake upgrade, huh? What does that consist of? Bolt-ons from later-year Tundras, or a aftermarket package deal?
    I was thinking of new rotors...Brembo disks have always been pretty good for me in other applications, and somewhere I stumbled across some trick drilled/chamfered and slotted rotors but now I can't find their site again...
    Maybe if there is someone out there who has the better 13WL calipers, they could measure center-to-center on the mounting holes, and i could compare to my S13WE mounting bolt measurements....
    Thanks for the suggestions!
    Sam
     
  5. Mar 20, 2015 at 3:03 PM
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    Mike

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    toyota had problems with 2000 to 2004 tundras with them baking brakes and rotors badly.. The only thing toyota could solve the problem was a bigger caliper and bigger set of pads to get rid of the heat faster in turn keeping the rotors from warping... Its a direct BOLT ON for the calipers ( toyota knew us older trucks would do it) plus toyota doesnt like to retool for some things this is one..

    http://www.cquence.net/toyota-tundr...GXm0TfIen8A13-GfHQ3VZhuydmJysTB64vRoCvwbw_wcB

    IF you want to compare get the measurement off yours and goto like a autozone, and compare those to the reman ones there..

    That said you must run min of 16" wheels for the caliper to clear it is alittle taller if my memory is correct and alittle wider...

    If your planning on doing this, replace the brake line with braided lines..
     
  6. Mar 20, 2015 at 7:13 PM
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    02SWFLSR5

    02SWFLSR5 [OP] New Member

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    Thank you very much for the info Mike, I will proceed as you suggested. Thanks also for the link, those look very nice.
    Perhaps I'll post some pics when I do it; there wasn't much turned up by a search on this topic...
     
  7. Mar 20, 2015 at 9:54 PM
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    Mike

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    please do. i will be doing mine this year maybe next few months ( job permitting).
     
  8. Mar 22, 2015 at 6:51 PM
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    Rkcruza

    Rkcruza New Member

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    De Badged / Decaled, Firestone Ride Rite Air Bags w/ Daystar Cups, 17" Rims, Big Brake kit w/ slotted & drilled rotors, plus lots of work related stuff.
    Not sure about the bigger calipers only (may work). I was lucky in that I screamed and yelled a lot and got Toyota to do all of the brake TSB's on my 02 Tundra. I didn't know about the brakes until after I bought the truck...then I found out that the brakes had issues. The brakes were changed for the 03 model year and I got the whole works...basically all new from the backing plates out....installed at 5600 miles. Went from brakes being shot at 5600 mi to getting about 15k out of a set of pads (Truck weighs in close to max gvw at all times). This last time around I went with slotted and drilled rotors and at 15k the pads still look almost new, so the idea of drilled / slotted rotors seems to be a good one. Mine are pretty generic ones, not any big fancy named rotors, but they work better than the stock big ones. The big issue with doing the whole kit is that they change unit bearings, hubs, everything from the backing plate out so it was about a 3k fix when it was done. They also used different rear drums that are supposed to be the same size but more metal (I think the same as used on the early V-8 4-runners). Seems if you simply drive the truck the stock brakes did OK, it was when you actually used it as a truck that they started to have serious issues. Being mine is a work truck it is sitting around 6k all the time and I'm in the mountains so the brakes get serious use. As to wheels, the stock 16" alloy Carl's Junior Star 5 spoke wheels do clear the bigger brakes as I didn't go to 17" wheels until about 10k. Except for the unit bearings, you might be able to get some used stuff pretty cheap from a wrecker or a pick n pull which would give you cores to swap out for rebuilt stuff at the auto parts store. There is a guy on Tacoma World who does rebuilt hubs for Tacos for a very fair price, not sure, but he may have ones for Tundra's also. Then if you want to get a few $$$ back, go to a 4-runner forum and sell your stock stuff as the early 1st gen Tundra stuff (Rotors & Calipers) is a direct swap on 2000ish era 4-runners (maybe Tacos, not sure on them), but we swapped Tundra stuff to my nephews 02 4-runner.
     
    02SWFLSR5[OP] likes this.
  9. Apr 22, 2015 at 4:53 PM
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    02SWFLSR5

    02SWFLSR5 [OP] New Member

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    Wow, thanks Rkcuza! A lot of great info to digest there...like the idea of junkyard cores and/or sell swap to 4-funner guys, I'll check that out...
     
  10. May 21, 2017 at 11:18 AM
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    Raj

    Raj New Member

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    i have a quick question, does the rear also have an option to be changed into a slightly bigger set up or is it the same? i plan on replacing my front brakes completely, kind of want to do all the brakes at once.
     
  11. May 21, 2017 at 6:31 PM
    #11
    Mike

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    Sosperformance..

    They have a conversion to rear disk I plan on doing in the near future.
     

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