Last summer my tundra started doing a horrible vibration on the highway after several miles. It would shake the whole truck like I had a flat! It went away for a while but one day coming home from work (4 miles away) it started doing it. When I got home I got out and all I could smell was burnt clutch that did not seem to ever go away. I pinpointed it to my rear driver side wheel, where the smell was coming from the strongest. I started looking at tundra forums and read the parking brake cable has a funky adapter where it splits the cable to both wheels. I generously lubed it as the information I read told to do so. I got new hankook dynapro at’s put on in the fall and haven’t had a problem in the cold temps. Well today on a nice 60* day on the highway the dreaded shake was back. Although not nearly as bad, it was there. Felt like it was coming from my seat, shaking the whole truck. I was worried as I had a truck full of family and my precious little 14 month girl. I started playing with the parking brake and brake pedal and it seemed to have come out of it. I’m guessing I have a warped rotor at the least. Do calipers warp if they get hot enough? Is it ok to replace just one caliper? If I replace the rotor, should I slap on new pads also? I’m budget conscious so I’m looking at eBay for a pad and rotor kit (all 4) for $160. Rockauto has a caliper for $40
Tundra vibration
- Thread starter pda1122
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I should also add that I noticed during emergency stopping, it feels like the abs comes on and its like I have no brakes. Not entirely sure but it could be brake shutter instead. Really hard to tell. Maybe I’m not used to a heavy truck but I still think it should stop better than it does...
25k miles on the truck
25k miles on the truck
I'm wondering if you have a caliper hanging up. Had one hang up on my Jeep once and it felt like you were riding over rumble strips. One of the give aways was that wheel had far more brake dust on it compared to the others.
At 25k miles, is this truck still under warranty? If not, it may help to take it to a local brake shop to discuss the problem and get their opinion on what it needs. Otherwise you may be throwing parts at it in hopes of hitting the right thing
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Sounds to me like a hung up caliper.
Usually they are fine on my pickup all winter but the first warm day is when they start hanging if they are bad.
Usually they are fine on my pickup all winter but the first warm day is when they start hanging if they are bad.
What are the odds!
On my way home from work yesterday, had one hang up on the F350!
On my way home from work yesterday, had one hang up on the F350!
Originally Posted By: pda1122
I’m guessing I have a warped rotor at the least. Do calipers warp if they get hot enough? Is it ok to replace just one caliper? If I replace the rotor, should I slap on new pads also? I’m budget conscious so I’m looking at eBay for a pad and rotor kit (all 4) for $160. Rockauto has a caliper for $40
Never seen a warped caliper, but I'm with the others on a seized caliper.
You'll be fine replacing the caliper in question, but all other brake parts are usually done in pairs (rotor, pads). Never reused old pads from a suspected warped rotor. You're just relocating a problem.
This is one of those situations where being frugal will cost you more in the long run, not to mention your family's safety.
I’m guessing I have a warped rotor at the least. Do calipers warp if they get hot enough? Is it ok to replace just one caliper? If I replace the rotor, should I slap on new pads also? I’m budget conscious so I’m looking at eBay for a pad and rotor kit (all 4) for $160. Rockauto has a caliper for $40
Never seen a warped caliper, but I'm with the others on a seized caliper.
You'll be fine replacing the caliper in question, but all other brake parts are usually done in pairs (rotor, pads). Never reused old pads from a suspected warped rotor. You're just relocating a problem.
This is one of those situations where being frugal will cost you more in the long run, not to mention your family's safety.
I had a caliper on my 2010 Tundra sieze up. It's apparently not that uncommon on this truck. Probably need new pads by now, but perhaps the rotor is just fine. Don't recall it being a real problem to change, wound up with a reman from Autozone (only place to have one on the weekend), but I went to do both sides and it turns out the reman for the good side was junk.
I ran a few quarts of brake fluid through it, trying to bleed it. Pedal only fixed itself once I moved the truck. By all means, bleed before moving, but don't be surprised if the pedal never feels right--move it a few feet, bleed again, then take a spin and done one more bleed (last bit might not be required but that's what I did).
I ran a few quarts of brake fluid through it, trying to bleed it. Pedal only fixed itself once I moved the truck. By all means, bleed before moving, but don't be surprised if the pedal never feels right--move it a few feet, bleed again, then take a spin and done one more bleed (last bit might not be required but that's what I did).
Toyota uses fixed calipers on the Tundra - same 4-pot Sumitomo/Advics design used on the 4Runner/FJ/LC and their Lexus sisters. One member here said the OEM brake pads were known for heavy rotor deposits which would contribute to the vibration and shimmy.
Were the brakes ever replaced and if so, was it an aftermarket compound? I wouldn't cheap out on pads or rotors - don't get the eBay stuff. At the absolute minimum, I'd get Wagner's QS series pads(or even AutoZone/O'Reilly's premium lines or Bendix) and mid-level rotors. Tundras are big and porky compared to their Detroit competition.
Calipers don't warp, especially not a fixed caliper but the piston boots will burn up if they get hot enough. A sliding or floating caliper that sits on a bracket bolted to the axle/steering knuckle can freeze up - the sliding pins can seize up if they are starved for lubricant of if the wrong lube is used. Rotors can warp if they get hot enough.
If you have corroded pistons in any brake caliper, you can also have seized pistons. This is why changing brake fluid to keep the amount of water/moisture in the system to a minimum is important. DOT glycol ester-based fluids are hygroscopic and absorb moisture which is a little better than having water pool(like in silicone-based fluid systems used in Harleys and Humvees or mineral oil-based systems used in old Rolls-Royces and on mountain bikes) at the low point in the system but you still have corrosion and the risk of vapor lock to worry about.
Were the brakes ever replaced and if so, was it an aftermarket compound? I wouldn't cheap out on pads or rotors - don't get the eBay stuff. At the absolute minimum, I'd get Wagner's QS series pads(or even AutoZone/O'Reilly's premium lines or Bendix) and mid-level rotors. Tundras are big and porky compared to their Detroit competition.
Calipers don't warp, especially not a fixed caliper but the piston boots will burn up if they get hot enough. A sliding or floating caliper that sits on a bracket bolted to the axle/steering knuckle can freeze up - the sliding pins can seize up if they are starved for lubricant of if the wrong lube is used. Rotors can warp if they get hot enough.
If you have corroded pistons in any brake caliper, you can also have seized pistons. This is why changing brake fluid to keep the amount of water/moisture in the system to a minimum is important. DOT glycol ester-based fluids are hygroscopic and absorb moisture which is a little better than having water pool(like in silicone-based fluid systems used in Harleys and Humvees or mineral oil-based systems used in old Rolls-Royces and on mountain bikes) at the low point in the system but you still have corrosion and the risk of vapor lock to worry about.
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