Tlutrick

Hey guys,

New to the site by a couple of weeks and love reading everyone's posts. I've purchased my Dad's 2007 LS460L with 62K miles. LOVE THE CAR! Noticed that the rotors needed to be turned, but I went one step further and had my guy put drilled/slotted PowerStop rotors on. Part vanity, Part faster stopping. They work really well. Problem now, is that I start to get a slight vibration in the seat and steering as I get to 60-70mph. Took it in an had the tires balanced. My guy said that one had a little "run out", but overall they were balanced fine.

So my question...What should I look for as the culprit now?

bigsherv

Did you bed the new pads with the rotors? I just got new pads and rotors and the shop handled me the bedding procedure. Car sounded funny at first backing up but after I did the bedding it was smooth sailing from then on.

I just added power stop drilled and slotted rotors all around yesterday.

https://www.powerstop.com/brake-pad-break-in-procedure/

Tlutrick

Tlutrick

Lots of advice on Lexus sites overseas, but not here in U.S. Hmmm? If my problem is so trivial, would appreciate a point to the link.

Here's the latest data... So I pulled the front brakes apart myself. Measured for run-out on the rotors using a stationary pencil, was in spec. Noticed that my mechanic had not put all the shim pads back in with the new brake pads. When I called him on it, he said that they were "dragging" with the shims. Hmmm? There was plenty of space to place the shims as the manufacturer prescribes, so I became more curious. I put everything back together as it should be. I was getting some "dragging" in the morning when cold, but it would go away. The intermittent vibration at 60mph+ would stay consistent at higher speeds, but would come and go. When I say intermittent, sometimes I would hit a bump or make a turn and the vibration may become more pronounced, but then it may go away completely a few miles later. I tried to check for play in the wheel bearings, with no discernible indications. Both calipers seemed to moved fine. A mystery...

Despite better judgement, I elected to drive to a wedding a couple of hours away and closely looking for any changes. The only thing that was different, was when I was slowing down looking for a parking spot in the hotel parking lot (driving 10-15mph at different times), WITHOUT MY FOOT ON THE BRAKE PEDAL, and I would feel the brake grab ever so slightly. I would not stop the car, but would slow it down considerably, then release. I had checked run out on the rotor, so my kneed jerk is a sticking caliper. Opinions?

Biggotis06

What part of Louisiana my friend?

Tlutrick

Monroe, and you?

Tlutrick

So for those who care. With help from Brian Eslick from How to Automotive via YouTube, I figured out on my own what was going on with my vibration. Come to find out my "mechanic" who originally put in the brakes for me (because my wife wanted me to have some free time instead of working on projects all the time), installed them incomplete. When I say incomplete, the shims were removed and most of the anti-rattle and tension pins were missing. My steps to solve the vibration problem...

1) Used brake clean to throughly clean the caliper pistons of any dirt accumulated and re-greased the rubber boots. (Several have indicated that as the pads wear an the pistons extend, they can accumulate dirt/grim/rocks/etc...and can mimic a stuck piston or drag). Either way it was good maintenance to clean them up before installation
2) Installed the shims throughly greasing the back of each piece
3) Installed the brake pad top/bottom springs
4) Greased and reinstalled the brake pads pins, along with the safety pin
5) Installed the brake pad tension pin/spring, this one ended up being the most important
6) Installed the brake pad anti-rattle pin.

These springs and pins provide the necessary movement and separation to allow the brake pads to float and not rattle/vibrate at high speeds. In my case, they gave the illusion of a tire out of balance.

Lesson learned...find a better mechanic or do it yourself!

zapola6

Just lurking around from the 430 side, starting to look for my 460



I also put the Power Stop Slotted Rotor kit on my 01 LS430 (dyi), thinking 8,000 miles ago or so, reasonably priced and I didn’t necessary want to spend big bucks on a car with 240,000 miles on it. This was the first time I had used slotted rotors on a car.

I have no complaints with the PowerStop, they stop great, no brake dust, one thing that I still notice is that when braking I do hear the noise from the slotted rotors and to get a slight (I don’t want to call it a vibration) but I do feel the friction of the pads going over the on the slotted rotors. Just asking are you feeling the slotted rotors?

I have PowerStop Slotted on my Excursion as well, but there is no feeling or hearing anything slight in that thing. Based on the slight feel and noise that I get with the slotted rotors in my LS, I probably won’t put slotted on a car where I have high expectations of quietness and ride.

Would like to hear what other have to say about slotted rotors, noise and being able to feel the slots during braking.

Tlutrick

I too hear the noise you mention, but what I thought was a caliper or brake pad install as I noted above in previous posts, was wrong. The vibration came back and got to be too much. Like you, I was sold on the edgy performance, price, and styling coupled with the touted improvement in longevity and stopping power of the Power Stop Drilled/Slotted rotors. Just what I desired on a great car, like my 2007 Lexus LS460L with only 62,237 miles. But here's where I differ in our perception of PowerStop Rotors.

What seemed to be a simple install, has become a problem that has me quite frustrated and upset. I spent $337.13 on RockAuto order#1, only to find out the rotors were the wrong size. Ok, I feel the Rockauto website was misleading, but OK my bad. Spent another $37 to send them back for refund and kept the brake pads. Then spent $310.74 on RockAuto order#2 to get the right size.

Since they were installed, the vibration problems that I was chasing would go from light to excessive and emailing Power Stop Customer Service, calling mechanics, and every Lexus help forum I could find. Lots of ideas, but no resolution. I would get a vibration beginning around 60mph and it would progress up to around 80mph. Everyone agreed that it couldn’t be the New Power Stop Rotors, because these were True Performance Rotors that would have been quality control tested before being sent out. But after several attempts to solve the issue as indicated below in my charges, I decided to have my old rotors turned and put back on the car. I personally replaced them in order to be sure that I could see firsthand any discrepancies or variations that may stick out. I could find no obvious visual problems. I drove the car with the old rotors that I had turned and it performed like brand new, without a hint of vibration.

Here's what I’m out chasing this problem, not counting the cost of the rotors.
$274.73 – Install of New Rotors (Mechanic installed)
$55.50 – Basic Tire Balance (mechanics, forums, and friends recommended as it had to be a tire problem)
$124.31 – Road Force Balance (everyone still felt it was tires and it just had to be a broken belt, that normal balance may not show.) (Hunter machine showed the tires/balance as good)
$162.50 – Turn Old Rotors

At least the brake pads worked fine.

All I can surmise is that there has to be some balancing DEFECT issue with these rotors. What I do know is that I have spent a lot of money and time on these PowerStop Rotors and feel some remuneration is in order. I hope either RockAuto or Power Stop will do right by me, but we'll see. I have little faith in either coming through due to the time that has passed in me chasing this problem, but we'll see.

Tlutrick

So here's an update and a question for the forum...

PowerStop emails resulted in them sending me replacement drilled/slotted rotors and pads. I wanted to send back the ones I originally purchased for them to tell me if they were defective, as I don't have any equipment to evaluate and have no intentions of paying for the testing. I've paid enough for this. I wanted a refund, but that didn't happen. My logic is this...if there is nothing wrong with the rotors, then what am I solving by putting the same type of rotor back on the car? It would say to me that the rotor from an engineering aspect is the problem. Turning my OEM rotors solved 90-95% of the previous vibration fiasco when driving (not braking). Haven't gotten a response from PowerStop.

But I'm still experiencing a slight vibration in the car between 60-75mph. Tires check out, wheels check out, road force balance tested fine, but still can't find it. Read where Tec80 was discussing an alignment for differential front mount shims in another post. Will continue to evaluate...

Tlutrick

So been on airplanes for awhile and just getting back to this. Without looking like I'm drunk, I tried to veer left/right in my lane on the highway, and couldn't tell much difference. Then, I noticed that when I went around a long sweeping right curve, that the vibration went away in the curve. As the vehicle straightened out, the vibration returned. I'm not getting any noise that I can discern from road noise, but maybe I do have a bearing issue. Don't know, so quickly jacked up the car and did the 12/6 pull/push and couldn't tell any play.

So this is part I hate...If I pull the hub assembly off and do find some problem with the hub (say metal grindings), then I'd really like to have the replacement handy to fix it right then. Shopping RockAuto, shows a wide variety of manufacturers ranging from $75, $98, $143, up to $281 for the same hub assembly. How much real difference can there really be? I want the problem to go away, but don't want to throw money away either. Any advice? Centric, Moog, Raybestos, Timken, are all good companies...I think.

3GSShoe

achadha100

i am having the same issues at highway speeds of 70-80. The wierd part is above 80 i do not feel it at all and under 70 i have felt it here and there. with

I am getting the rotors replaced this weekend as well..

let me know if you guys find a solution its driving me nuts as i drive alot on highways..

3GSShoe

1WILLY1

iTrader: (9)

replaced my oem rotors and pads with centric and that fixed my vibration 100%, sadly it came back about 6 months later

I think these cars are prone too it for some reason