As much as I have worked on cars over the years I have honestly only bled brakes maybe 3 times and that is when I have had to remove/swap a major portion of the brake system. I always just grabbed whatever was on sale at the local parts store and never gave much thought to it. Brake fluid is probably the most neglected part of my maintenance routine along with power steering fluid. Thinking I should remedy that.

The Tundra calls for DOT3 I got Brembo pads and rotors for this go round and Brembo only offers DOT4 and above in their fluids.

Is it fine to use DOT4? (Tire Rack lists a number of 4s when you apply your vehicle).

Is there a fluid you all prefer?

DOT 4 will be fine for you as it will meet or exceed the DOT 3 specifications. However if I remember correctly you do NOT want DOT 5 as that is synthetic and you would need to have your whole brake system flushed completely. Someone please correct me if I am wrong. God Bless !!!

Since it is a nominal cost, I follow the manufacturers recomendation.

You guys both got it right, Dot 4 is the preferred fluid and flushing a brake system every two years is a smart thing to do.

quote:

Originally posted by VBVAGUY:
DOT 4 will be fine for you as it will meet or exceed the DOT 3 specifications. However if I remember correctly you do NOT want DOT 5 as that is synthetic and you would need to have your whole brake system flushed completely. Someone please correct me if I am wrong. God Bless !!!

DOT 5 has silicone oil in it and is for some imported cars. DONT put it in a car that does not call for it. Flushing it out is expensive and time consuming. The two types aren’t compatible.

You'd be amazed most people think brake fluid is "dark" in color. It should look like a light brown bourbon, no don't drink it , and be clear.

If you did not replace the calipers or the master cylinder, personally I think you should go with the type of fluid set by your car manufacturer.

After all, the brake fluid is contained within your Tundra's stock system as it sounds like the non-stock items, the Brembo pads and rotors, have nothing to do with the fluid.

ATE make an excellent Brake Fluid. If it were me (and knowing your no-compromise propensity for upgrades whenever possible, even if it doesn't 'really' need it... ), I would flush the whole system and change to DOT 4. You can get tinted fluids so you know you've got fresh fluid all the way to the caliper.

Agree with the comments above.
If you want to start changing your brake fluid yourself get a Motive power bleeder. It will make the job much easier. Start by using a turkey baster (don’t tell your wife!) to siphon out the majority of the fluid there then start at the caliper that is furthest from the master cylinder and work your way to the last one closest to the MC.

You should be able to see when the color turns clear. In our Porsche race cars we use ATE blue and alternate to gold. These fluids are not DOT approved due to the color added which makes for a quick and easy fluid flush but any good DOT 4 fluid will work for you.

EDIT: I see NHracecraft beat me to it while I was typing…

quote:

ATE blue

Question: How do you flush ATE Blue aka silicon that has been in a car not driven for several years?

Once I started doing a better job of flushing every brake job or 2-3 years at least, surprising how much less caliper and other issues you have!

One of the reasons I hesitated is it's such a PITA, and takes a second set of feet. Always been told that a vacuum bleeder runs more chance of introducing air to the system, and I'm after as firm a pedal as I can get by doing this to begin with.

I've replaced bleed nipples in each car with Speedbleeder valves for an easy improvement to the job.

DOT 4 is fine and actually better then 3. I use DOT 3 exclusively these days.

As others have said do t use DOT 5. It’s silicone based and will cause problems for systems not made for it.

You used to be able to get ATE fluid in blue and amber. Made flushing the system easy as you just switch colors and could see the change at each caliber when flushing the entire system. The .gov decided blue would confuse people and now you can’t get it.

All three glycol based brake fluids Dot 3, 4, 5.1, are compatible with each other, the higher number having a higher boiling point. I use Dot 4 in everything I have now.
Dot 5 is a completely different silicone based fluid that is not hydroscopic and not compatible with 3, 4, or 5.1. (My 2000 Buell and 2004 Super Glide were the only vehicles I've owned that used Dot 5.)

Brake fluid changes are often ignored, sort of out of sight out of mind I guess but I change it on my bikes every 2-3 years and the larger quantity in my car/truck every 4 to flush out the moisture. If you look into people with brake problems (brakes dragging, sticking, corroded calipers needing replaced) they almost always have neglected to have the fluid changed.

quote:

Originally posted by nhracecraft:
ATE make an excellent Brake Fluid. If it were me (and knowing your no-compromise propensity for upgrades whenever possible, even if it doesn't 'really' need it... ), I would flush the whole system and change to DOT 4. You can get tinted fluids so you know you've got fresh fluid all the way to the caliper.

Where are you finding tinted(blue) ATE these days. I haven’t been able to find it In years.

DOT 4 and put some speed bleeders in the calipers while you're at it. I had speed bleeders for my brakes and clutch fluid on my 2003 Z06. Made changing so easy.

DOT4 is totally safe and has a higher boiling point. You can NOT use DOT5 as they don't mix. DOT4 is good to go for any daily driver. I use RBF600 or RBF660 for racing my VR-4.

quote:

Originally posted by Calif Phil:
You guys both got it right, Dot 4 is the preferred fluid and flushing a brake system every two years is a smart thing to do.

Came to recommend exactly this.

The DOT system is not based on each succeeding generation getting a better grade with a higher number, it's just a designator. 4 is better than 3, 5 is silicone for a Corvette and few others, it's guaranteed to ruin your rubber seals. It will induce a catastrophic failure in short order when misapplied.

The bigger issue is flushing the system regularly. It was commonly ignored for decades, but brake fluid absorbs water and it reduces the boiling point, first, causing reduced pressure and less friction at the brake pad, plus, it's the source of all the corrosion. Flushing every two years is pretty often, at least five years or whenever pads are changed at the very minimum. And its a complete flush - start at the back until clear fluid comes out, work forward. Its a process best done by a shop familiar with keeping it topped off and how to do it for the specific ABS system, which can complicate things.

There are testers on the market, the problem is, what is the baseline number for that fluid and what is the tester showing as a difference? The range of results is pretty broad and someone using a tester on a freshly flushed system could still recommend a flush as his numbers don't necessarily relate to your fluid. There is no standard - the tester is just measuring electrical resistance and the fluid composition isn't always the same. Higher water content will show higher numbers, yes. Start off checking a new can of your fluid first to get a notion of what you are reading.

quote:

Originally posted by ridewv:
All three glycol based brake fluids Dot 3, 4, 5.1, are compatible with each other, the higher number having a higher boiling point. I use Dot 4 in everything I have now.
Dot 5 is a completely different silicone based fluid that is not hydroscopic and not compatible with 3, 4, or 5.1. (My 2000 Buell and 2004 Super Glide were the only vehicles I've owned that used Dot 5.)

Brake fluid changes are often ignored, sort of out of sight out of mind I guess but I change it on my bikes every 2-3 years and the larger quantity in my car/truck every 4 to flush out the moisture. If you look into people with brake problems (brakes dragging, sticking, corroded calipers needing replaced) they almost always have neglected to have the fluid changed.

^^^ this is all exactly spot on; don't confuse DOT 5 and DOT 5.1! ^^^

For those interested and to avoid you thinking we're just tossing around some random term of art.

Speed Bleeder

Their website used to suck, now seems improved application chart functionality -- call or email them and they should be able to match if not shown on site. If not, you can identify the thread and depth and they can get you set up.

As mentioned above, the primary difference in these fluids is boiling point. I started tracking my Corvette years ago with stock brakes and Dot 3. As I got faster, the Dot 3 would start to boil and produced brake fade. Switching to Dot 4 eliminated that.

Castrol GT LMA. I've been using it for decades and it's inexpensive and available locally and online.