2006 IS250 AWD - Rear Brake Replacement - Read Before Performing!
05-12-14, 07:38 AM
#1
Driver School Candidate
Thread Starter
2006 IS250 AWD - Rear Brake Replacement - Read Before Performing!
This serves as your warning before you tackle this job! I want to help you anticipate the problems so you have the tools and parts on-hand.
I just finished the rear brakes on my 2006 IS250 AWD. I have owned the car CPO for 5. This is Midwest car so you can imagine the exposure. I bought the OEM pads, rotors, OEM shim kit, and OEM “fit kit”. Buy your parts from Sewell Lexus with our Club Lexus discount the deals are great!
Problem 1: Trying to detach the caliper from the lower stud.
The caliper is attached with one 1 low torque bolt on top and the bottom just slides on to a post. Top bolt is easily accessible and worst case scenario a breaker bar get the job done with ease. The lower post was frozen. I banged the caliper with a dead blow up and down for 2 hours, in combination with lubricating, and using a torch to free the caliper from the lower post. I cut the lower dust boot off originally to provide more access for lubricant and the torch. I did this knowing I could buy new ones.
I walked into the dealer asking for new gaskets. I showed him the part and he came back with a much smaller gasket. He confirmed with the computer and 2 mechanics I was getting the correct part. There are only two types of dust boots on the rear brakes and they are way different. The mechanics and parts guy said they don’t even recognize the gasket I brought in. They questioned that the part I brought in came off my car and that it had not expanded due to lubricant absorption. I later find out per the dealer, the car had a TSB or recall type situation due to the rear brake lower dust boot being replaced.
Problem 2: Removing the pins from the caliper to release the brake pads.
The rear brake design uses glide pins that enter from the outside of the caliper, through the outside pad, through a retaining clip, through the inside pad, and out the inside part of the caliper. The pin is exposed to the elements and does not have a dust boot protecting it. These pins have a rectangular shaped head and they are recessed into the caliper design. My point is you can’t use a tool like a wrench our pliers to get ahold of them. The pin only hangs out approximately ˝” on the inside of the caliper. There is no Special Service Tool (SST) for this task.
It is difficult to use a torch here because your burning brake pads, pad lube, and possibly hitting the piston dust boot which is expensive to replace because it comes in a “rebuild kit” and is not sold alone. You also cannot get a wrench on the head of the odd shaped bolt. I also tried to use punch to bang out the pins. The pins started to flatten out and I realized at this point no matter if I get the pins out they would be too warped from removal to be inserted back in properly.
Enter the sawzalls! I cut the pins out. The dealer sells the “fit kit” with 4 pins and my car also came with a newer version of the brake pad retaining clips. Mind you I never removed the brake line, because I could see that would open another can of worms.
I find it completely impractical if you are trying to salvage the pins and re-use them. It is a project you may only need to perform one time in the entire time you own the car. The time you save cutting them out is tremendous.
I would not tackle this job unless you have access to the following tools, in a worst case scenario:
-Breaker bar
-Torch
-Sawzall or other compact cutting tool that can handle a harden steel bolt approximately the girth of a pencil.
Have all your parts on-hand before starting! Buy “just in case parts like gaskets”, you can always return them if things work out well.
Cut the lower gaskets if you need more access! They can be purchased individually and your car may have needed the revise part anyways. Bang up and down on the caliper with a dead blow, hammering inward to slowly back the caliper off the post.
This job requires no Special Service Tools (SST) for this task.
Be ready to cut the guide pins out! You can replace these and the retaining clips and the time saved will be well worth it.
I hope this helps someone out there. Let me know if you need any more directions!
I just finished the rear brakes on my 2006 IS250 AWD. I have owned the car CPO for 5. This is Midwest car so you can imagine the exposure. I bought the OEM pads, rotors, OEM shim kit, and OEM “fit kit”. Buy your parts from Sewell Lexus with our Club Lexus discount the deals are great!
Problem 1: Trying to detach the caliper from the lower stud.
The caliper is attached with one 1 low torque bolt on top and the bottom just slides on to a post. Top bolt is easily accessible and worst case scenario a breaker bar get the job done with ease. The lower post was frozen. I banged the caliper with a dead blow up and down for 2 hours, in combination with lubricating, and using a torch to free the caliper from the lower post. I cut the lower dust boot off originally to provide more access for lubricant and the torch. I did this knowing I could buy new ones.
I walked into the dealer asking for new gaskets. I showed him the part and he came back with a much smaller gasket. He confirmed with the computer and 2 mechanics I was getting the correct part. There are only two types of dust boots on the rear brakes and they are way different. The mechanics and parts guy said they don’t even recognize the gasket I brought in. They questioned that the part I brought in came off my car and that it had not expanded due to lubricant absorption. I later find out per the dealer, the car had a TSB or recall type situation due to the rear brake lower dust boot being replaced.
Problem 2: Removing the pins from the caliper to release the brake pads.
The rear brake design uses glide pins that enter from the outside of the caliper, through the outside pad, through a retaining clip, through the inside pad, and out the inside part of the caliper. The pin is exposed to the elements and does not have a dust boot protecting it. These pins have a rectangular shaped head and they are recessed into the caliper design. My point is you can’t use a tool like a wrench our pliers to get ahold of them. The pin only hangs out approximately ˝” on the inside of the caliper. There is no Special Service Tool (SST) for this task.
It is difficult to use a torch here because your burning brake pads, pad lube, and possibly hitting the piston dust boot which is expensive to replace because it comes in a “rebuild kit” and is not sold alone. You also cannot get a wrench on the head of the odd shaped bolt. I also tried to use punch to bang out the pins. The pins started to flatten out and I realized at this point no matter if I get the pins out they would be too warped from removal to be inserted back in properly.
Enter the sawzalls! I cut the pins out. The dealer sells the “fit kit” with 4 pins and my car also came with a newer version of the brake pad retaining clips. Mind you I never removed the brake line, because I could see that would open another can of worms.
I find it completely impractical if you are trying to salvage the pins and re-use them. It is a project you may only need to perform one time in the entire time you own the car. The time you save cutting them out is tremendous.
I would not tackle this job unless you have access to the following tools, in a worst case scenario:
-Breaker bar
-Torch
-Sawzall or other compact cutting tool that can handle a harden steel bolt approximately the girth of a pencil.
Have all your parts on-hand before starting! Buy “just in case parts like gaskets”, you can always return them if things work out well.
Cut the lower gaskets if you need more access! They can be purchased individually and your car may have needed the revise part anyways. Bang up and down on the caliper with a dead blow, hammering inward to slowly back the caliper off the post.
This job requires no Special Service Tools (SST) for this task.
Be ready to cut the guide pins out! You can replace these and the retaining clips and the time saved will be well worth it.
I hope this helps someone out there. Let me know if you need any more directions!
05-12-14, 10:00 AM
#2
Wow what an ordeal. I did the rears recently and did not see your issues. Granting corrosion was a part of it. Hence some PB blaster could have helped?
05-12-14, 11:58 AM
#5
Perhaps lesson learned on this would be periodic inspection and cleaning of the brakes and its components. Preventing corrosion in essence. There are coatings out there which can be used to prevent this type of failure.
05-12-14, 01:41 PM
#7
Lexus Test Driver
From reading this, I see you did two things wrong
Problem 1: you should have removed the whole caliper from the hub instead of just the outer assembly. There are 2 17mm (or 18 one of those) that hold it into the hub. You should have just took these bolts off and take the whole brake caliper off and work from there.
Problem 2: If you used a needle nose plyers, you could have gotten the retainers off and the pins slide right out. The retainers bend easily so even of they are rusted you could have cut them or bend them out of place to remove them
Sounds like you tackled this job before reading the DIY Rear Brake Change IS250 OR tried to do the job with out ever doing a brake change before. It could have saved you hours of time and money
Problem 1: you should have removed the whole caliper from the hub instead of just the outer assembly. There are 2 17mm (or 18 one of those) that hold it into the hub. You should have just took these bolts off and take the whole brake caliper off and work from there.
Problem 2: If you used a needle nose plyers, you could have gotten the retainers off and the pins slide right out. The retainers bend easily so even of they are rusted you could have cut them or bend them out of place to remove them
Sounds like you tackled this job before reading the DIY Rear Brake Change IS250 OR tried to do the job with out ever doing a brake change before. It could have saved you hours of time and money
Last edited by NYKnick101; 05-12-14 at 01:47 PM.
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05-19-14, 05:26 PM
#10
Driver School Candidate
Thread Starter
Thanks for your input
You will notice in the tutorial the guy reused the glide pins which you can tell are bent upon reinstallation. This would likely be an issue on the next brake job as he wrestles his pins out. Also he did not address any other parts that needed lubrication such as the cyclinder slide bushing and the bushing dust boot. He removed everything by the caliper support bracket. If you look in his photo you can see the two other areas that require lubrication. One is the rear disc brake cyclinder pin next to his first arrow pointing at the caliper bracket bolts. The other is opposite which is where a post lands and allows the caliper to swing downward from the rotor. This is where everything was seized on my car even though the dust boots were in good shape. Also there is minimal to no oxidation in his application...damn you Califorinia guys...I envy you all and your sports cars.
I could tell a previous brake job was performed on my vehicle because the presence of an anti vibration type of lubricant on the pads. The retaining clip is no issue. However pulling a glide pin, with no head, still attached to the car by the brake line, through two ends of caliper and two pads having been exposed to the Midwest elements for 9 years was the issue. There was no lubricant presence in the areas that required it.
It was about my 4th brake job on various cars. I own the factory service manual, the right tools, read the posted tutorial, and watched a mechanic perform the same job. I felt I was well prepared.
The OEM pads from Sewell come pre packaged with a lubricant. I also used anti seize on any threads.
Bad luck and a learning experience. Let me know if any needs torque specs.
I could tell a previous brake job was performed on my vehicle because the presence of an anti vibration type of lubricant on the pads. The retaining clip is no issue. However pulling a glide pin, with no head, still attached to the car by the brake line, through two ends of caliper and two pads having been exposed to the Midwest elements for 9 years was the issue. There was no lubricant presence in the areas that required it.
It was about my 4th brake job on various cars. I own the factory service manual, the right tools, read the posted tutorial, and watched a mechanic perform the same job. I felt I was well prepared.
The OEM pads from Sewell come pre packaged with a lubricant. I also used anti seize on any threads.
Bad luck and a learning experience. Let me know if any needs torque specs.
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