pup

Hello,

I just bought an '02 Sportcross Automatic/E-Shift with ABS and wanted to get some feedback on the IS300's brakes. I also own a '00 RX that I bought new and my IS brakes feel nothing like my RX brakes - hence my question.

The brakes on my IS have much more tactile and even audible feedback than my RX. I can definitely feel the braking in my foot and there seems to be a very low tone when applied. My RX, in comparison, as well as other RXs and ESs that I have driven, all have a very soft and quiet braking feel. There is almost zero feel when applying the brakes on the RX and there is definitely nothing audible.

As far as the performance of the IS's brakes, they are great. They are smooth and responsive with no pulsations. I've already had a chance to test out the ABS and they reacted flawlessly. The car is a CPO car and I've brought this up with the dealer. They claim it passed inspection and even put it back on the rack at my request - the pads and rotors checked out just fine.

So my question is, do these brakes just feel different than those on the other Lexus cars? Is it a higher performance brake that is designed to have more tactile feedback in them?

Thanks for any info.

rominl

iTrader: (4)

welcome to the forum

i have gs400, is300, and i have driven sc430, ls430, rx330, rx300, and es300 quite extensively.

from my experience, if i have to be really picky, i do have to say that the is300 brakes give me the "most" feedback, meaning i can feel the brake working the most. however though, it's not noticeable enough for me to feel annoying. i don't know how bad it is in your case so i can't say....?

when you say audible, you hear and feel it through the brake pedal only? or elsewhere?

Bruinette

I can definitely "feel" the is300 brakes more than I can in our ES330. The performance of the brakes on the IS no doubt out performs the ES. I don't know what you mean by sound, but I don't hear much of anything when braking the IS (and I've made some abrupt stops). I dunno, anyone else want to chime in on this?

pup

Thanks for the response.

> when you say audible, you hear and feel it through the brake pedal only? or elsewhere?

By audible, I mean a very low frequency bass-y sort of sound. Not loud, but definitely not something I have heard in other Lexi. And I only feel it through the brake pedal.

rominl

iTrader: (4)

umm...... that's weird, i don't relaly feel it that much.... if the pads are good, i suppose that's really "normal"

TRD-bB

Does it sounds like a low-pitch drone? Maybe more pronounce at low speed stop and go traffic?
I have the same thing on my Volvo, and it goes away with new brake pads.

As long as there are no vibrations, I think it will be an easy fix. You mentioned your sportcross is an 02.
Maybe its time to change the pads.

Good luck!! btw, welcome to the VERY exclusive club of Sportcross owners

pup

> Does it sounds like a low-pitch drone? Maybe more pronounce at low speed stop and go traffic?

Yes, that's a very good description of the problem.

> As long as there are no vibrations

None.

> Maybe its time to change the pads.

According to the dealer (taken with a grain of salt), the pads are in good shape after they checked them twice - once at certification and once at my request. Sounds like I don't need to be concerned.

> Good luck!! btw, welcome to the VERY exclusive club of Sportcross owners

Thanks! I love the rarity of the Sportcross.

BTW, getting a new front windshield today - would you believe I got hit with a huge rock on the freeway in my 2nd week?

jst2sic

Wow I thought mine was the only one with that problem. I was thinking cheap break pads.

wjbertrand

Tires maybe?

mmarshall

Here's the most likely explanation for the difference in feel between the IS300 and ES330 / RX330 brakes:

When the ABS (Anti-Lock-Brakes) are inactive, most (but not all) of what you you actually feel through the brake pedal comes from the car's front wheels, not rear. The IS, being a classic rear-driver, does not have front drive shafts and CV joints that spin with the front wheels. The wheels, and the rotors attached to them, pretty much spin by themselves, so there is nothing else in the wheel assemblies to dampen the feel you actually get from the braking action back up through the hydraulic lines and linkage to the brake pedal itself. Add to this is the fact that a rear-driver tends to have more weight, proportionally, in the rear of the car compared to a front-driver, and the lower weight over the front wheels also gives more of a direct pedal feeling.

Such is not the case with the ES which is front-drive, or the RX, which is either front-drive or All-Wheel-Drive. These vehicles, of course, are not only proportionaly heavier in front, but also have the added weight and momentum of the spinning drive shafts and CV joints with the front wheels tending to dampen the direct feel you get through the pedal.

Now....if you want to experience brakes that will REALLY drive you nuts and have virtually NO feel at all, drop by the Mercedes dealer and test-drive a M-B product with the new electronic system they use. It is SO bad, and customers have complained SO much, that dealers are actually yanking the system out of some cars (with M-B approval) and just running the cars on the emergency hydraulic back-up systems.