loco4diy

Many thanks to mandyfig for posting pictures and the exploded diagram views of the front and rear brakes.

They were extremely helpful in replacing the rear brakes on our 2006 rx330.
Also thanks to my neighbor Tony who lent me the hydraulic jack, jack stands and tools.
I also want to share the experience with any new diy "brake replacement virgin".
These are meant for newbies I do not want to bore the experts and experienced folks who have done this many times.
BEFORE ATTEMPTING REAR PAD REPLACEMENT I studied and I read all(and I mean all) posts related to brake pad replacement. I also viewed many you tube videos on the subject. From the most inexperienced and downright dangerous to the most careful and professional.
LESSONS LEARNED:
Loosen the lugnuts on both wheels before raising car. (obvious but easily overlooked).
Use breaker bar to loosen the appropiate bolts.
Use 17mm "short socket" a long one will not work( limited space)
Large 1/2 inch torque wrench is better than 3/8 torque wrench.(more leverage)
Apply blue loctite (small amount on treads)
Clean and lubricate(very well) rubber boot and outside caliper piston.(else rubber boot will not retract to flush position). (It took me 7 tries until I realized this).
Notes: The rear pads were the original ones. (bought the car new) Current mileage: 64,247
even wear on all pads, rotors were smooth. (no need to change).
Cost as of May 8, 2014 : Rear pads ($54) Sewell. Chemicals :$ 20.67 Labor: Free +Sweat =TOTAL:$74.67
Lexus Dealership cost: Appr. $300++ (Labor+ parts+incidentals +tax).
Money saved about $250. Learning experience: PRICELESS.
Next Front pads

mandyfig

Good deal!!

mandyfig

A friend of mine has requested that we replace his rotors and pads, just like I did. He has a 2006 RX330. Pads from Sewell and Rotors from Advanced Auto.

iluvny

I saw those rotors at Advanced and it kind of turned me off that they were made in China. Went with oem from Park Place Lexus, Plano, TX.

mandyfig

Kind of thinking the same, might get it from Sewell this time. But the ones I have, they are ok for now.

RX330inFL

In this case I think you would have been fine. Who knows where OEM is made these days. With Advance Auto if there is a problem at least they are local for many to work with in regards to any warranty issues if it got to that point. Also, with discounts those rotors come in at around $75 plus taxes for two.

FWIW, I have more than 90K miles now on my 2004 RX330 and measured my rotors not long ago after a conversation I had on this topic with mandyfig at the beginning of the year. They were showing little wear, I measured them at 27.5mm, after all that time and I am preparing to put a third set of pads (OEM plus one additional set so far) on in the near future. Last time I did the rear brakes it took me about 45 minutes from the time I was dragging the jack outside until I was inside cleaning up.

loco4diy

Thnks RX330inFl for the advice on how much brake grease to apply to the pad shims.
WOW 45 minutes to replace the rear pads. It took me practically all day to do this. I hope my timing improves. Btw how much silicone do you apply to the slide bolts. Is it a thin film or do pile it on. Thanks again,.

RX330inFL

Again, just a thin film, IMO. Too much just globs up and collects dirt. Work it in.

No need to worry about how long it takes. It takes what it does to do the job correct. There is no rush and there should be no rush.

As for the amount of time it took me for the rear brake pads, there are single jack points front and rear. So, I only need to block the wheels, loosen the lugs on both sides, and jack the vehicle up once. I have an extra large breaker bar with extension for the job which allows me some space that I do not accidentally bang against the vehicle. Teamed with a star lug wrench (4-way), which is probably older than yourself, I can spin the lugs off and pull the tires in just a couple of minutes.

In his day, I think my father could easily take 5-10 minutes off my time without breaking a sweat. I'd swear he need only look at the brake piston and it would retract on its own. So, the lesson is that there is always someone better, there is always someone faster. But this is not a competition. Taking pride in your work is all that matters and what we hope for here at CL.

loco4diy

Great. Thanks again. I did just that for the rears. I feel confident I did everything correctly.
I will post my experience when I do the front pads next weekend. Cannot thank you guys enough.

BBJdriver

Does anyone happen to know the wear limit for the rotor thickness for the front and rear of a 2009 RX350?
If the brakes are not pulsating at what point of thickness do the rotors need to be replaced?
Thank you.

tlex1026

does the screw on the calipers turn clockwise to remove or counter

Zacapp

Thanks to mandyfig for posting pictures as well as diagrams of the front and rear brakes. Also, thanks to all contributors to this thread. Today, I replaced front and rear brakes along with rotors, though I broke front caliper slider pin bolt! Over tighten. Next time, I used torque wrench(25 ft-lbs). This thread made this job very easy ! Thanks.

loco4diy

Yes, the torque wrench is very important. I did the front brakes yesterday. The correct torque gives me peace of mind. Many thanks again to mandiyfig for posting all those pictures and the exploded view diagrams. Your posts were priceless. Does anyone know the correct torque setting for the bolt that holds the tie rod in place.? Is there a video or pictures on replacing the boot on the rack and steering, mine is torn practically in half and I have to replace it. Thanking anyone and everybody ahead of time.

LophatRX

I replaced my rotors and pads in the front last month, using the upgraded stuff from R1-concepts. I liked the ones I have on my XB, so I went with some slotted rotors for the RX. One question though, any of you bleed your own brakes? I picked up one of those air assisted bleeding kits from harbor freight, but haven't jumped into it yet because I read somewhere that bleeding ABS brake systems is different from standard brake systems. Any advice would be helpful.

txt

I didn't do anything special to bleed the brakes on my 2009 RX350.
Engine is off.
One person opens/closes the bleeding valve.
One person presses/releases the brake pedal.
I start bleeding rear passenger side, then passenger driver side, then front passenger side, then front driver side.
Replenish the reservoir as I go along.