How to upgrade Toyota HiLux brakes on a budget

A modification that’s often overlooked by those upgrading their 4x4s is brakes.

With the added weight of accessories and gear, or when towing, most owners tend to focus on improving horsepower and torque, and while some more enlightened drivers will throw a set of upgraded pads in at their next service, in reality OEM brakes are barely adequate, especially on the trusty N70 HiLux.

There’s OEM and then there’s OEM

I have a 2006 KUN26 HiLux that I use as a daily driver, workhorse and tow rig.

I’ve always thought its stopping power was severely lacking, and I’ve jumped behind the wheel of other N70s and wondered how they’d survived as long as they had with brakes that were even worse.

With Toyota being the largest vehicle manufacturer in the world come some perks, like a huge model range accompanied by an equally large parts bin. In this case, when looking for stopping power, the 120 Series Prado can be pilfered for its front brake rotors and callipers, along with a suitable compound of brake pad to give the ol’ HiLux a bigger anchor when needed. The best news? It all bolts straight on.

10

Size matters

The first pre-facelift version of the N70 HiLux ran from 2005 to around 2012, and had the smallest brake rotors of the series at 297mm in diameter and 25mm thick.

When Toyota brought out the facelifted version (2012-2015) it upgraded the front rotors to a beefier 319mm diameter and 28mm thick. I’d managed to get my hands on a second hand set of these along the way, and after fitting them found them to be better, but they still fell short of providing decent stopping power. When they started to show wear I decided it was time for the Prado upgrade.

10

The 120 Prado ran from 2003 to 2009, but was blessed with decent-sized 338mm diameter brake discs that were 28mm thick. This represents a 41mm increase over the original rotors fitted to my HiLux. Why does rotor diameter matter? Think of it like using a normal sized ratchet, and then getting out the breaker bar. The extra leverage means less force needs to be exerted at the outside arc for the same twisting force at the socket. This equates to easier braking, or in the case of applying even more force, shorter stopping distances.

Taller tyres further inhibit braking performance as the extra distance from centre to tread requires even more force than the standard tyre did to slow it down. Of course, inner wheel diameter comes into play when upgrading rotor size, but in this case I already had 17-inch wheels fitted to my HiLux, giving plenty of room for the new calliper position.

What you'll need

As soon as you start throwing on upgrades from another vehicle, simply having your rego on hand will be of no use when ordering parts, so check out the accompanying ‘Part Numbers’ below for the relevant part numbers that matter, which include brake callipers, disc rotors and brake dust covers.

On my HiLux I chose to bend back the duct cover to clear the larger rotor, so ordering those parts wasn’t necessary. While I was at it, I upgraded to some DBA 2700S Street Series slotted rotors and Bendix 4WD/SUV pads.

10

How to do it

Changing over rotors, callipers and pads is relatively straightforward.

In a nutshell, clamp the rubber brake lines, take off the callipers and the rotors, replace with new rotors and callipers, and drop in your new brake pads with the anti-squeal plates facing the calliper pistons. If you have a pre-facelift HiLux you’ll also have to fit the newer style anti-rattle clips, and at around $14 a side from Toyota it’s well worth the effort. The later facelift HiLux came with the correct clips.

Once all bolts are torqued to spec and brake lines re-attached to the callipers, release the hose clamps and bleed the system. Sometimes the ABS module can retain air in the system so it’s a good idea to cycle the ABS motor or have a workshop bleed the brakes for you.

10

As far as braking performance goes, once bedded in the new brakes stood the HiLux on its nose, even with 33-inch tyres fitted. A good hard stab on bitumen had the front tyres howling and the ABS chattering away to prevent them from locking up, something both previous iterations of standard HiLux brakes could never do. Braking is now light and effortless, with far better initial bite and a lot less pressure needed to pull the 4X4 up, even when loaded or when towing, proving this simple modification is well worth the effort.

Part numbers

RHF Prado Brake Calliper: 4775060261
LHF Prado Brake Calliper: 4773060261
Prado Disc Rotors: 4351260151
RHF Brake Duct Cover: 4778160120
LHF Brake Dust Cover: 4778260120