Verified it held pressure, pulled a vacuum, filled the coolant.

 

Vacuum holds, system is full, didn't get hot YET.....

 

Welcome to my last 20 years.

Sitting overnight, ambient was 101.



Got up to 187 & stayed there, gauge stays in the middle up to 220.

 

Meanwhile, back at the Sequoia, I'm down a BBK rabbit hole.....

Bought these:





Sent them directly to a company in Chicago to rebuild & Powdercoat to look like this:


They are based on Stoptech ST-65 calipers & use 406x35 Toyota specific rotors no one else makes that are 650 retail from Toyota only drilled (I prefer slotted) and I most likely will need 20" wheels ( I am happy with my 18" TRD PROS)

​​​​​​​So there's that.

 

Found the rotors on eBay, asked about the right one, they said they are NLA and people use 2 left's. WTF? It's a DIRECTIONAL rotor.




I ordered the right from Toyota.

 

That is really weird to run the same rotor on both sides


They do make a knockoff of the TRD Pro in a 20in wheel.
https://www.wheeloutletnj.com/produc...d-pro-wheels-1

 

No, I would not do it.

 

Damn! I needed to order 2.

 

Adios 20 bucks!

 

Just got an email from the local dealer canceling the bolts, I assume because they are TRD Nazis & need a TRD VIN for anything TRD.

Called the other dealer to see if they would add a second set of bolts to the rotor, no, it comes from the distro center directly OH & it's on backorder. Ok, no problem, how long say I?

Uh no ETA she says as if it's perfectly normal to have an open-ended backorder. I say there is no ballpark? Could be a week, could be 10 years, that gets an annoyed 2-12 weeks.

So many unpleasant responses run through my head, I remind myself it's not her fault and say thanks for your time, have a great day. click.





GRRRR

 

Left rotor came, I had no clue how big 406mm was.

I'm a size 10.

 

406mm is just shy of 16 inches. In other words, a size 25 shoe would still be smaller than that rotor.

 

 

Spoke to Stoptech, right rotor has been BO for 5 months, they have no knowledge of when it will be available. Cancelled & ordered another left, pads & I’m getting 2 free bolts! woot!


Also, got this history lesson from a vendor:

StopTech manufactured the TRD big brake kit for Toyota, but Toyota owned the tooling for all TRD-specific parts. Thus, the 1-piece 406mm rotors were never made available to StopTech dealers. They must be obtained from a TRD dealer. It's also complicated by the fact that StopTech went out of business at the end of December 2023, so none of these parts will be manufactured going forward. You'll need to find rotors on the shelf at a TRD warehouse or on the 2nd hand market.

The caliper-to-truck mounting bolts are probably the same factory Toyota bolts that were used to attach the OEM Toyota calipers to the Tundra. Almost all StopTech big brake kits reuse the factory bolts to mount the StopTech caliper adapter brackets to the vehicle. Or in the case of the TRD kit, the adapter bracket is actually part of the StopTech/TRD ST-66 caliper casting.

 

I also enjoy brake system components that are no longer available

For that alone I would bail on that project and go with a non-TRD BBK.

I also had no idea that StopTech is no more. I liked their rotors

 

I crossed the Rubicon, Abandon hope, all ye who enter here!”

lol

 

This.

Sounds like stick with stock or find something else.

 

No more StopTech?! Well, I guess the rotors I have on the 335i will be the last of those I put on there. I'll have to look for an alternative in the future.

 

But OEM is your jam so not really a question for you, right?

lol

 

My jam is parts availability.

 

Since the Airstream dream vaporized when availability became similar to this back ordered rotor, we'll not be driving the Tree much so If I put another 50k on it in my lifetime that will be a lot. These will be forever brakes.

 

Wasn't aware Airstreams had become in short supply? Assuming you mean the silver Twinkie RV

 

We ordered one during covid, there were issues. We moved on.

 

buy a used one...
then complain about it.

 

I would never complain.

 

Calipers will be delivered Thursday assuming UPS doesn't mess up.

 

Wait what now? StopTech is no more so replacement blanks for their big brake 2pc rotors are no more? Damn I need to find some stock still for the NSX quick then.

I hate to hear that as well cause I really wanted to upgrade to the new Nickel plated Trophy kit. It looks sick.

 

When I started the BBK quest, I had no inkling Stoptech was defunct. I certainly didn't think Toyota had abandoned the parts.

Worst case, I should be able to make a few bucks selling them seeing as I got the calipers for 300 shipped and rebuilt and powder coated them for 500.

They are 950 each new. And shame on Toyota available to buy.

 

Second rotor, pads & second caliper bolts arrived.

 

It appears UPS messed up, calipers haven't moved in 41 hours.

 

Looks like I'm fucked supposed to deliver today, hasn't moved in over 60 hours in Illinois....

 

UPS has no timeframe on finding or declaring my calipers lost except 5-8 BUSINESS days!

 

After much debating, transferring and arguing, I got the number to the last center there was a physical scan, for my trouble, I was told it IS in a trailer, would have left today BUT the investigation forces it be found, removed & verified, therefore it will move Monday at best.

Currently on hold with a supervisor trying to get it expedited so at least it leaves today.

 

Bluetooth fuse.

Movement is from cutting into it.

 

Calipers still have no movement.

So, I did this. At least I got the right rotor!

 

It appears I am 850 fucked.

 

man, I feel like you’re good at making lemonade these days!

 

Getting mad won't change the reality.

Hopefully the rebuilt calipers show up.

 

DD catback, bought in '22 had a failure at a few joints, Keith replaced it no trouble, he's a stand up guy!

While it was going in, I finally had the driver side bung welded in.

 

Calipers seem to be lost, UPS is "getting back to me" with settlement info. Second full kit should be out for delivery after giving me a scare being where the calipers disappeared for a while.