MHB1535

I recently had my car at the dealer for service. They told me that my front pads would need replacement and also said that they have to change the rotors as well because they "just can't swap in new pads, even if the rotors are fine." After pushing them on replacing rotors for a simple pad swap, they then told me that my rotors had very little life left, "about 3mm of material left." I have never tracked the car. My commute is 85% highway. They also said my front tires have about 30% tread while the rears are at 70%. Does this seem like normal wear and tear or does something not add up?

Davew77

I just had my oil changed today at 27k miles. My factory pads still have 8mm on them. I drive the car like I stole it, but I don't slam the brakes a lot. I go fast, but I anticipate stops/slowdowns and let off of the gas and downshift before I get there.

Also, how do the rotors only have xxx material left? Do you mean the brakes? The rotors shouldn't be resurfaced and shouldn't be missing any significant amount of material from non-track use on the factory pads.

YMMV

MHB1535

I'm pretty sure they meant the pads and not the rotors. I just don't get why the rotors have to be replaced and not just the pads.

mjeds

to milk you for more money.

you can do the pads yourself, takes about an hour if you have basic mechanical skills.

the OEM pads are high performance pads, 20K is about right for them, I've owned 4 cars with these Brembo brakes and 18K-20K is about it on the OEM pads. Several companies make some decent street pads that you can get 30K out of, but they do advise not to use them for track use.

Unless the rotors are warped or showing signs of heat damage, they shouldn't need to be replaced.


here is a basic video on how to change the pads on the Brembo calipers.. while this is a different car, all Brembo Calipers are basically the same: the one thing I do different, is I do not use a hammer as the video shows, I use a rubber mallet.. as not to scratch or damage the powder coating on the calipers.

ISFPOWER

iTrader: (20)

there could be some truth to it. the rc-f is a heavy car with an auto transmission. Front inner tire wear is apparent with soft lower oem bushings. i can see the pads going at 25k miles.

Davew77

I can see the pads being worn. That's dependent on driving habits. The rotors are another story...

If the rotors need resurfaced/replaced then you will know it. If the rotors are warped by less than the thickness of a sheet of paper then you will feel the pulsations at various speeds/braking pressures. The same is true for hotspots and buildup (which are far more common issues). If they are grooved bad enough to require resurfacing/replacement, then you can visually see it.

Rotor resurfacing is a money making scam. A shop makes a lot more money to resurface your rotors than they do by swapping them out for new rotors. Slotted rotors can be resurfaced, by not by the normal resurfacing tools most shops possess. In any case, if a rotor is bad then get a new one. I wouldn't resurface rotors on a family cruiser, and certainly not on a high performance vehicle. But you are free to do as you wish. In most cases if you get them resurfaced you will be back in 4 months getting them done again or getting new rotors.

If the OP is not mechanically inclined, I recommend getting a 2nd opinion at another shop.

flowrider

iTrader: (9)

The first thing I would do is pull of the wheel and measure the rotor thickness. I don't know what the minimum thickness is on an RCF, but it will be stamped on the rotor. If the OP doesn't have the proper caliper, any decent brake shop should. For pads, I would look to Speedfreeks, a forum sponsor.

http://speedfreaksusa.com/search.html?q=lexus+rcf

Give them a call or send Matt of SpeedFreaks a PM:

https://www.clublexus.com/forums/pri...newpm&u=195117

Lou

MHB1535

Thanks guys with the suggestions. I'll probably take it to another shop once the weather gets warmer here. Not really driving it too much in sub 30° temps. I'll keep you all updated if anything changes. Cheers.

JB5674

Chiming in -

I recently did brakes around 21-22K. I ONLY did pads, due to my the rotors being more than sufficient to take me to my next pads change. I opted to endless mx-72 pads which are great for street and track use. I have tracked my RCF A few times, so a little more wear is normal. Likewise, the MX-72 dont dust. The stock brakes ( non-tsb) are ok, but they dirty a wheel too fast and they loose their stopping power when really heated up. I wasnt too much a fan, but the pad change was a nice performance upgrade and it wasnt too much more to replace with a performance upgrade. Coming from a master lexus tech ( my friend ) rotors are fine for more than 20 K more miles. The slotted rotors cant be machined, but again the thickness is there.

~JB

MHB1535

Quick update.

I went to the dealer for the corrosion recall/limited campaign. While there, the service advisor brought up my brakes again. This time I pushed him on why the rotors need to be replaced. He said that because the pads and rotors are high performance you just can't swap out the pads because of the surface of the rotors. LOL. I'm going to a second shop tomorrow to figure out how worn the brakes actually are. Don't drive too hard and never tracked.

paulwall4

iTrader: (1)

What corrosion recall?

MHB1535

It was for 2015 RC and RC F plus 2014-2015 IS cars

paulwall4

iTrader: (1)

Oh okay thanks!

Davew77

It's called a grinder. How do you think the rotors were surfaced before they were put on your car? They don't come out of the mold ready to be mounted. Most shops don't posses the right tools to resurface slotted/drilled rotors. But they can be resurfaced. Heck, even a pedestal grinder mounted on the compound rest of a lathe can do the job.

I wouldn't resurface any rotor on any of my vehicles... I'm just saying.

I'd bet the rotors are fine for another set of pads. Do they feel "wrong" when you use the brakes? If there's no pulsating or vibrations in the pedal or chassis while braking then I seriously doubt they need replaced. But can't say for sure without having inspected them in person.

Deanrcf

iTrader: (1)

This. One thing I had to do differently is use a channel lock or something of that nature to compress the brake pistons. Basically, use the channels and a towel and use gentle force on brake pad and outside of brake caliper. I do this because chances are the new brake pads will be way thicker than the ones you take out and you will definitely need the extra room. The guy in the video essentially put in the same pads and didn't have to deal with this. These are racing brakes and built to be changed out quickly at the track. I have no plans to replace my rotors when I do my pads. Eventually, I will be look for aftermarket non-slotted replacements that can be turned.