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The other common sound which is different (pad shift aka clunk--tapping on that pin that holds the pads recreates the sound), is supposedly solved by putting the factory OE shims back in place, as these are often tossed by garages that do brake pads along the way.
I have them, but have not installed. Again, my indie drove the vehicle extensively, heard the sound, and suggested them. This forum, although not discussed as often as LCA bushings, supports the notion behind the shims (note, they are not what come with say Akebono pads--there are 2 per pad, or 8 per axle, meaning 2 kinds of shims go between the pad backing and piston, and the 2 shims are of diffrent materials--hey, engineers put them in there for a reason!).
The other common sound which is different (pad shift aka clunk--tapping on that pin that holds the pads recreates the sound), is supposedly solved by putting the factory OE shims back in place, as these are often tossed by garages that do brake pads along the way.
I have them, but have not installed. Again, my indie drove the vehicle extensively, heard the sound, and suggested them. This forum, although not discussed as often as LCA bushings, supports the notion behind the shims (note, they are not what come with say Akebono pads--there are 2 per pad, or 8 per axle, meaning 2 kinds of shims go between the pad backing and piston, and the 2 shims are of diffrent materials--hey, engineers put them in there for a reason!).
Maybe they changed recently but the Akebono pads I put on about a week ago came with the shims already on them. Luckily I knew to check for them because of the forum posts.
Maybe they changed recently but the Akebono pads I put on about a week ago came with the shims already on them. Luckily I knew to check for them because of the forum posts.
Just saying that each caliper came with 4 shims from the factory. Akebono will only have one per pad, not two.
Well you know how crazy engineers can get if you let them (well not you and I, but the bean counters). The ones that come from Toyota, cost about 2/3 the cost of the pads themselves (then again, not disposable). I once saw a GM report where they analyzed frequencies and attempted to explain the difference between a squeal and a groan, and when noises are caused by pad to rotor, or piston to pad backing. Long story short is it seems most cars are ok without the OE shims which are about $50 an axle discount. But they do serve a purpose...
Speaking of crazy engineers, please note that the repair manual specifies to put a layer of disc brake grease between the 2 shims (Anti-squeal shim and Inner Anti-squeal shim) for the front brake. For the rear, you have to put disc brake grease on both sides of the Inner Anti-squeal shim in order to be effective. Please also note the difference in design of the front and rear Inner Anti-squeal shim. The ones for the rear brakes have a hole to allow grease to flow through while the front Inner Anti-squeal shim keep the grease from reaching the brake pad.
Hmmm....luckily no noise from my Akebono pads and I did not add the supplied grease (didn't think or see the grease until I already had them installed) and so far no issues with shims. I don't remember if the Akebono had one or two shims, I just remember looking for a least a shim which it had.
First I just want to say thanks to everyone who contributes to this site - I frequently use it when I have a question about my 2006 LS430 (78K).
I have had an intermittent rattling noise from the front end - took it to my independent mechanic and asked him to do a complete check-up of the suspension. I was rewarded for my diligence with a estimate for over $3K worth of repairs, including (1) replacing front and rear lower control arms, (b) both ball joints and all four struts & mounts. I'm looking to reduce that amount but still keep things in good shape. He will do work with parts I purchase and I already found the struts/mounts/bellows on Rock Auto - still working on the ball joints.
My question relates to the control arms, for which my mechanic wants $320 each for the front and $120 for the rear. After reviewing the threads on this subject, it appears that one way to go is to replace the bushings that connect to the front lower control arms (not sure about the rear b/c I didn't see any thread on those). I found part #48655-50012 on Amazon for $65/each. Is there a reason to replace the lower control arms even of they are not bent rather than just replace the bushing? I realize there is another non-replaceable bushing, but does that one cause any particular problems -especially at on a car with less than 100K miles on it?
Thanks!
I heard KYB is equivalent to OEM but don't know for sure. The other suspension parts can be had fairly inexpensive. If you are supplying all the parts then labor to replace all the parts shouldn't come to more than $1500.00.
