TL;DR - One of my 13WL brake calipers seized on the trail and had to be replaced. The issue was that Napa no longer carries a workable caliper, and the 13WL caliper really wants a hard brake line connection, which Tacoma banjo bolts don't offer. I'll be switching out my lines.
I'm a big proponent of the Tundra brake upgrade for a well-built 1st gen Tacoma. Our trucks get heavy, and being able to stop quickly is important. My 13WL Tundra calipers that I sourced from Napa have been working great since I installed them - I thought. But, one failed catastrophically on this trip, seizing up overnight on the trail.
The biggest problem was that Napa no longer carried the Napa Total Eclipse calipers anymore - at least not in-store - having switched to a new, and no-doubt cheaper, vendor (Adaptive One Brake Calipers).
These new calipers are not remanned as cleanly as the Total Eclipse brand, and have the fatal flaw of being powder coated on the surface where the brake line attaches; the Total Eclipse's being machined there. This powder coating makes it impossible for the crush washer between the banjo bolt and caliper to seal, and you get brake fluid leaking everywhere.
Just to be crystal clear - the following Napa calipers DO NOT WORK with Tacoma banjo bolts:
- Adaptive One Brake Calipers Front Left 13WL - part: ADC 1766XA
- Adaptive One Brake Calipers Front Right 13WL - part: ADC 1766XB
Note the orange peel texture (powder coating) on the donut shaped surface where the brake line connects. This is bad if you're using a banjo bolt.
The best solution is to spend a bit more money when converting to Tundra brakes, and install the a hard brake line conversion kit, which converts the Tacoma front brake lines to a combo soft+hard line - just like the Tundra (and 4Runner) ships from the factory.
Note: LCE Performance used to be the only game out there for a hard line conversion kit. I actually bought one from them. However, they charge way too much for what the kit is, and so now the best place to get a kit is from me - I've put together an essentially identical kit for substantially less money - like $60 or so less! Buy one today.)
An alternate solution (that I used to get home from this trip) is to find a 13WL caliper at a different parts store - I used O'Reilly - that is re manufactured well, and not powder coated on the mating surface. The part number that worked for me was:
- BrakeBest Left 13WL - part: 19-2712
- BrakeBest Right 13WL - part: 19-2713
I've already ordered my hard line kit, and will be installing that when it arrives.
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