Brake Pad Question
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Pit Crew
Joined: Aug 2008
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From: IL
Brake Pad Question
2008 RX350 purchased new March 2008
I'm about at 45,000 miles and still on the original pads. I pulled the RF wheel off yesterday to get a look at how things are doing. The outboard pad has about 5 or 6 mm of friction material left. The inboard was hard to see but about the same; maybe very slightly less.
My question is whether there are rivets or anything embedded in the friction material or if it's just bonded to the backing plate. I realize I can't wear them down to nothing but I'm wondering if there's anything jutting up from the plate that would start damaging the rotor even when it seems like there is friction material left.
Also, what is the thickness of the friction material on the OEM pads? From this I'd be able to calculate how much has worn away in 45K miles and how many more miles (given how I drive) I have before it gets down to just a few mm (assuming no embedded rivets etc.).
If I'm close to the end I'll take care of it now while the weather is favorable and maybe I can DIY. (I did all my own brake work on my Jeep GC over 160K miles.)
Steve
Chicago Area
I'm about at 45,000 miles and still on the original pads. I pulled the RF wheel off yesterday to get a look at how things are doing. The outboard pad has about 5 or 6 mm of friction material left. The inboard was hard to see but about the same; maybe very slightly less.
My question is whether there are rivets or anything embedded in the friction material or if it's just bonded to the backing plate. I realize I can't wear them down to nothing but I'm wondering if there's anything jutting up from the plate that would start damaging the rotor even when it seems like there is friction material left.
Also, what is the thickness of the friction material on the OEM pads? From this I'd be able to calculate how much has worn away in 45K miles and how many more miles (given how I drive) I have before it gets down to just a few mm (assuming no embedded rivets etc.).
If I'm close to the end I'll take care of it now while the weather is favorable and maybe I can DIY. (I did all my own brake work on my Jeep GC over 160K miles.)
Steve
Chicago Area
Lead Lap
Joined: Jul 2009
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From: Montreal, QC
new they are about 10-12 mm.
also, the inside pad (should) have a squealer. once you get down to 2mmish it will contact the rotor letting you know you are due immediatly for new pads, this will not damage the rotor as long as its changed right away.
also, the inside pad (should) have a squealer. once you get down to 2mmish it will contact the rotor letting you know you are due immediatly for new pads, this will not damage the rotor as long as its changed right away.
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Pit Crew
Joined: Aug 2008
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From: IL
Why would I change them if it doesn't appear that they are even close to being due?
Worst case is that they started at 12 and are down to 5 (inboard)...or let's say I was off and it's really only 4mm there...that's 8mm reduction. That's about 5600 miles per mm. With 3mm that's (hypothetically) almost 17K left to go.
Frankly, I don't really believe that I have that many miles left. As was said above, maybe the pads wear faster as they get thinner. But it doesn't sound like it's due for a few more miles.
Maybe I will order some genuine pads from Sewell now and if I feel like doing it I will but otherwise wait until spring. Thus far the disks are very smooth and no feelings of warpage when I step on the brakes so I may just change pads and let them wear into each other.
Steve
Worst case is that they started at 12 and are down to 5 (inboard)...or let's say I was off and it's really only 4mm there...that's 8mm reduction. That's about 5600 miles per mm. With 3mm that's (hypothetically) almost 17K left to go.
Frankly, I don't really believe that I have that many miles left. As was said above, maybe the pads wear faster as they get thinner. But it doesn't sound like it's due for a few more miles.
Maybe I will order some genuine pads from Sewell now and if I feel like doing it I will but otherwise wait until spring. Thus far the disks are very smooth and no feelings of warpage when I step on the brakes so I may just change pads and let them wear into each other.
Steve
Lead Lap
Joined: May 2006
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From: FL
You cannot go only by mileage to determine when one needs to replace brake pads. Can only be done by inspection, which is exactly what the OP had done.
One can easily go down to 2-3 mm without concerns on the pads. No rivets these days that I am aware of in production. If you really want to push things, you could easily go several thousand more miles as long as you are not hard on the brakes. Just keep an eye on the pads and check both sides on each as the insides and outsides tend to wear at slightly different rates from my observations.
Recently did the rear brakes on my '04. As there is only a single jack point on the rear which allows you to raise the entire back end of the vehicle using a floor jack, it only took me 35-40 minutes to replace the rear brakes from the time I moved the jack into place until I was inside washing my hands. The fronts take a little longer as you have to jack the car up twice, or at least that was what I felt needed to be done.
One can easily go down to 2-3 mm without concerns on the pads. No rivets these days that I am aware of in production. If you really want to push things, you could easily go several thousand more miles as long as you are not hard on the brakes. Just keep an eye on the pads and check both sides on each as the insides and outsides tend to wear at slightly different rates from my observations.
Recently did the rear brakes on my '04. As there is only a single jack point on the rear which allows you to raise the entire back end of the vehicle using a floor jack, it only took me 35-40 minutes to replace the rear brakes from the time I moved the jack into place until I was inside washing my hands. The fronts take a little longer as you have to jack the car up twice, or at least that was what I felt needed to be done.
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Lead Lap
Joined: May 2006
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From: FL
Am wondering how the '10 will do on brake pads weighing some 600 lbs. more than my '04. Not sure if the pads for those are bigger than mine or not. Not talking about thickness, rather, length and width.
CL Community Team
Joined: Apr 2004
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From: Miami, Florida
I used to burn through my brake pads in 6 to 8 months on my RX300 in Mexico City, but my current pads have lasted nearly 3 years, and my last year in Mexico (one of those years) I didn't push my RX as much down the track.
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Pit Crew
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From: IL
Thanks for all the information. When I get a chance I will take a good look at LF to make sure it's similar. If the hypothetical is 17K more it's probably not unreasonable to expect maybe 5K which would give me until spring.
Rookie
Joined: Feb 2010
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From: TX
There should be one single lifting point for the front of rx330 as well. I might be wrong.
You cannot go only by mileage to determine when one needs to replace brake pads. Can only be done by inspection, which is exactly what the OP had done.
One can easily go down to 2-3 mm without concerns on the pads. No rivets these days that I am aware of in production. If you really want to push things, you could easily go several thousand more miles as long as you are not hard on the brakes. Just keep an eye on the pads and check both sides on each as the insides and outsides tend to wear at slightly different rates from my observations.
Recently did the rear brakes on my '04. As there is only a single jack point on the rear which allows you to raise the entire back end of the vehicle using a floor jack, it only took me 35-40 minutes to replace the rear brakes from the time I moved the jack into place until I was inside washing my hands. The fronts take a little longer as you have to jack the car up twice, or at least that was what I felt needed to be done.
One can easily go down to 2-3 mm without concerns on the pads. No rivets these days that I am aware of in production. If you really want to push things, you could easily go several thousand more miles as long as you are not hard on the brakes. Just keep an eye on the pads and check both sides on each as the insides and outsides tend to wear at slightly different rates from my observations.
Recently did the rear brakes on my '04. As there is only a single jack point on the rear which allows you to raise the entire back end of the vehicle using a floor jack, it only took me 35-40 minutes to replace the rear brakes from the time I moved the jack into place until I was inside washing my hands. The fronts take a little longer as you have to jack the car up twice, or at least that was what I felt needed to be done.
Lead Lap
Joined: May 2006
Posts: 3,999
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From: FL
Very well might be. To be honest, I do not remember why I did what I did when I changed out the fronts. Was several years ago. Probably never looked at the manual like I did when I installed the rear brakes.
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