Brakes or rotors freeze/stick overnight?

I've been noticing this funny issue. After the truck sits for a day, when I start it up, it's like I've got God's Parking Brake on or something. I'll put it in drive, rev it up and it won't move, just really stuck. You can feel it fighting something. And then with enough power CRACK it's like the rotors just got rust welded together and needed to get broken loose, except it just happens so fast. I mean a day and the rotors start sticking? Or is it something else? Caliper piston? I don't know. Truck brakes fine otherwise. I have been putting the boat into saltwater. The noise feels like it's coming from the front brakes when it finally jolts free.

 

Could be...Toyota is notorious for freezing calipers.

 

Calipers and slide pins etc freezing is a common issue on old vehicles. Just a regular item to be replaced. I've changed out a lot of them on my fleet of 20+ year old cars and did the rear pistons on my Tundra when one stuck.

Usually you notice one rotor or the other overheating though....your symptoms are a little odd. If it was me, I would try leaving it overnight in Neutral instead of Park (on a level spot, with wheel chocked) just to make sure its not the transmission sticking in park or something strange like that.

I've also never gotten my truck in salt water....maybe your rotors literally are rusting to the pads overnight. I have no idea what actual immersion in salt water would do to a vehicle (shudder), I don't even have salt on my roads here.

 

It's something else. Surface rust on the rotors would never get that bad overnight even with some salt water thrown in.

Calipers is probably a solid guess.

 

I'll definitely try leaving it in Neutral.

I use my parking brake religiously.

Yeah, salt ain't good, but its just the rear a little bit. Water stops below the tailpipe, so its not going into the dunk tank.

It has been pretty humid this summer, maybe that's why its been happening more. First time I noticed was after coming back from a long trip 3+ weeks.

 

Thanks for the feedback gents

 

I'm guessing either the slide pins need to be pulled, cleaned, lubed reinstalled, or one or more caliper pistons are gummed up and seized. Not that it's any indicator, but how does the fluid look when you hold a flashlight up to the reservoir? Is it opaque? Have you changed or flushed fluid even once in the last 5-10 years? Have you bled the brakes are all in that period, if not?

 

My buddy and I did the front brakes 4 months ago and bled them. So, it's got all new fluid... I don't remember if he lubed anything good. I'll pull em off and take a peak asap!

 

Like, you replaced the calipers completely, or just the pads?

Videos are for the slides, don't miss the 2nd video. I personally prefer Syl-Glide, but ... the Permatex stuff isn't a bad all-around product.

I'd start with greasing the slides. If it continues, you may have a stuck piston. May want to adjust the rears just to confirm they're working correctly, since you redid those too.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oWFczu03rpA

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xrqCMaCz-Gs​

 

Okay, I just left it in neutral overnight. It wouldn't let me take the key out if it wasn't in park, so I just left it in and used my cheat code disconnect battery switch. I never lock my doors anyways, Fingers crossed! I have a feeling it's the slide pins or caliper pistons but it'll be good to know it aint the transmission.

 

When it does break loose & you drive, do the brakes drag?

 

It won’t be seized caliper slide pins, since your truck doesn’t have any of those. It has fixed 4 piston calipers instead. It’s not really a symptom of stuck caliper piston(s) either.

Since you use your parking brake religiously, I take that to mean that you’ve been using it when you’ve had the issue at hand. It’s pretty common to have shoes (especially semi-metallic shoes) stick to the drum if the parking brake is applied with wet brakes, and salt isn’t going to make that any better.

A few good brake applications to dry the brakes before parking should prevent this altogether.

 

Something else to check in regards to the parking brake, is the little arms on the backside of the backing plate, those can seize up, as can the 'splitting lever' where the parking brake divides in two to go to either side.

 

Not that I cant tell. I'll cook them a bit (drive with the has and brake held a bit) to burn off any shit, but it doesn't really matter. Truck brakes good.

 

I got the truck 25k ago. I've used the parking brake since I got it... 15k ago? It was snapped before then lol. Ever since.. always.

I also put in new rear drum pivots and slide pins n shit. So hopefully it aint the drums acting up again.

 

Perform visusl insp per manual. Inspect / clean/lube. Have someone ( you trust) apply pb while you watch pb mechanism. Preferabbly with truck off the ground for safety.

 

Ah, I thought the earlier trucks (with non-13WL calipers) had slide pins in their calipers for some reason.

If he does have 13WL calipers, that's awesome, I'd consider a rebuild, you can do each caliper in 30-45 minutes and the OEM kit is only $13 (p/n: 04479-60081), rebuild can be done with basic tools.

Just checked YT, there's a great video on 13WL rebuild for the 3G T4R that has year overlap with our 1G Tundras:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qoQlAW4DPnA​

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As others have said, grease your caliper pins, brah.

They're a nightmare if they freeze from rust; I had to drill out my first set. Never again.

 

@RustyMcTee can you confirm whether or not your calipers have slide pins? Now I'm really curious.

 

Those are brake pad retaining pins.

Caliper slide pins are for a different style of caliper than we have (we, wl or upgraded wa).

Caliper slide pins let the whole caliper move left and right in relation to the rotor, as they are used on calipers with 1 or 2 pistons on one side. The caliper itself bolts to the pins usually. This lets it self center and wear more evenly. Even in non-rusty areas these should be lubed.

Where as in CA I don't have the lube the brake pad pins at all...

 

I bet this is it. My mechanic replaced a lot of the drum hardware because I had a rusted pivot. I got a new cable and pivots and stuff a year ago.

They do not. I remember hammering out those "retaining pins." Yeah, calling them slide pins is a mistake.

 

I guess I've called them the wrong thing my whole life. If it's what @Jack McCarthy posted, I always called those slide pins too, with both, either the caliper slides back/forth on the pins or the pad plates do ... and they're clevis pins. If they get rusty, the pad no longer slides back and forth, as @Jack McCarthy found, and now they're freeze pins. But we can call them pad retainer pins if you guys want