bagsbie

Thanks for the detailed write-up on the rotors replacement, OP.

To add, I used the allen M8 bolts to assist in prying off the rotors. Get the longer ones if you have a choice. The front rotors on my '06 RX330 were caked onto the hub pretty good. I had to hit the areas were they sit on the hub with PB Blaster as well just to get some of the rust to come loose.

I also used PB Blaster and a breaker bar on the caliper holding bracket to get off those 17mm bolts.

rmk9785e

One more suggestion - Before pressing the caliper piston back with the C=Clamp and old brake pad, open the brake liquid reservoir cap under the hood. This eases the piston movement and also lets us see if there is enough room for the brake fluid to return without spilling over.

Drcoffee

If you flush/bleed the brakes first, you can press the pistons back in without concern of contamination.
And you dont want to compress the piston in from the edge like you show in the picture. Place one of the old pads back in the calpier in front of the piston and then compress with the c-clamp from the center of the piston. This keeps the piston from binding in the caliper. Mentioned previously.
lastly, I take the new rotors to a parts store and have them cut again on the lathe to make sure the are not warped. In the past, I would say that over half of the new rotors I bought were not true. They take so little off but if you dont, the brakes will pulse. Dont bother truing old rotors. If they are warped already, it will just warp again, even if you cut them. Rotors are so cheap to buy these days. Check out rockauto.com. I try to avoid chinese rotors and prefer those from Canada.

fastnoypi

Lots of these store branded rotors are made from recycled chinese scrap metal with questionable foundry processes when casting. They may work in a pinch but longevity and wear characteristics are usually inconsistent. You definitely have an odd experience with warped new rotors. I haven't had that experience yet with new rotors, all seem to be cut true and ready to use out of the box after degreasing. Problems will arise if your hub surface hasn't been prepped clean so the rotor will sit flush as possible. Also pad break-in is also another factor to consider. If the new rotor is not completely degreased prior to use, the transferred pad material will not apply evenly causing high spots in material.

Drcoffee

Fast,

save it for the newbies. Im 52 and been working on cars longer than youve been alive. I get the same reaction from the parts store until they cut the rotors and see how they were not actually true from the supplier. The rotors are probably still hot and cooling when they do the final cut. I dont know why exactly but I found it saves me doing the job twice. Maybe I am more sensitive to subtle brake pedal pulsation where others dont notice it. But the minor pulsation will grow over time.

bedding the pads correctly is also just a important.

fastnoypi

Looks like you took my comment personally. Maybe you need a nap, even though you're not much older than me. I simply stated your experience was odd. The rest of my statement was to the newbies that aren't as experienced to replace rotors with confidence or think its just a straight forward remove/replace and pad slap. The finer details i've mentioned were not part of the OP's DIY to consider.

salimshah

Gents, give the keyboard a rest.
Please stop offending and defending.

Salim