Do you need to use TOYOTA BRAKE PARTS in a TACOMA?

Question

OR do aftermarket ( good quality) works as well?
I get conflicting answers depending on who I ask.
Theres a HUGE $$ difference !

Answer 1

You are probably refering to rotors and pads when you say brake parts but i'm not sure. You do not have to use Toyota brand parts when replacing these items. The pads you can acquire from your local parts dealer will do the same job and sometimes even better. The parts from your local parts store are required to meet or exceed OEM (original equipment manufacturer) specifications. There are different types of pads though. Semi-metallic, organic, metallic, and a few others. The organic is usually cheapest and wears out faster but the generally do not cause as much damage to the rotors therefore the rotors do not have to be replaced as often but the pads have to be replaced more often. The other tend to last longer but cause increasingly more damage to the rotors so they have to be replaced more often and so on. There are some that do not cause as much dust on your wheels, which would be called ceramic pads. There are several different types but all have to meet oem specifications and all have different high and low points to them. Yes, unless it is under factory warranty, the parts from your parts store will do fine

Answer 2

No, you don't need to use original Toyota parts.

Check the February issue of Car & Driver magazine. The editors drove a Tacoma for 40,000 miles and their main complaint was spongey brakes. They installed a set of StopTech Axxis ULT pads on the front for $82 and that helped a lot.

Answer 3

No, unless it is still under warranty. Most "stealerships" will give you problems if something fails during the warranty period if someone other than a Factory Certified Technician uses non-Factory or non-OEM parts on a covered or related repair.

This is not just Toyota.

Answer 4

Do you want to change pads and rotors every three years or just your pads. Stick with Toyota pads, they are less likely to chew up your stock rotors. If you haven't beat your stock rotors to death yet you'll please notice there's stock on the OEM's to face them off. If you elect to toss on the cheap Chinese discs. you'll be changing the whole works within two yrs. These "off shore" discs can't be faced their strictly a throw away unit. American company's, Wagner AC Delco the top shelf NAPA & Car Quest rotors are more than sufficient.

Answer 5

Which brake parts are you talking about?

Pads? they will squeak like crazy but they will be fine
I've had excellent luck with rotors ( discs )

but if you're talking about, say, a master cylinder? I would use Toyota parts.