Based on a recent experience, please make sure you torque the caliper bolts (the ones that attach the caliper to the hub, not the caliper piston bolts) to the right torque. If they are not (means less) it can be your cause for slight shimmy.

 

In this case, the caliper bolt, it is the 77 ft-lbs.

 

Don't forget the shim grease. Not always included with the pads.

 

Oh yes, the shim grease. Put some on the clips, too. Where the pad slides. Just be careful, do not get the grease into the pad.

 

And use brake cleaner for the NEW pads and the rotor.

 

mandyfig, based on you diy thread on the breaks for the rx330 im am ready to start. do you happen to have the part number for the breaks if i purchase them from toyota?

 

Get Lexus brake pads from Sewell, you will get a discount, as if you bought the Toyota pads. Can not go wrong.

 

Mandyfig (or anyone else) - I have searched quite a bit on here and have not seen any detail on how to get the rotors off. Can you provide any tips? I have a 2007 RX350. I actually changed my front and back pads following your guide and had no issues. Tried to skip the rotors, but now that I have the new pads on there, I have a small vibration when applying the brakes at a high speed. I should have known better than try to shortcut and skip the rotors. Now I get to spend time doing most of it all over again! Are there a couple bolts that hold the bracket the calipers attach to? Are the front and back completed the same way? Any gotchas to watch out for?
Many thanks!

 

If you look at the front of the rotors, you will see there are two threaded holes that you can fit a bolt into (a number 4 or 6 if I recall correctly). Get yourself 2 bolts and then start threading them in evenly - they will push against the hub and pop the rotor free without needing excessive force (I.e. like a big rubber mallet or sledge hammer). Once they are off, putting new ones on is a matter of putting them on and reinstalling your caliper and pads.

Incidentally, I recently changed front rotors because they became warped. I found a set of Mountain OEM rotors from Japan that Napa was able to order for me. So far after a couple months the brakes still feel great with th enew rotors and a brake fluid flush and bleed.

Hope this helps

 

Most of the time rotors are corroded on. A frew light taps around the rotor with a rubber mallet will pop it off.

I just did all my pads at 52000 miles. Fronts were 3mm, rears pretty good at 5. 1 beer job (1.5 hrs). Way too easy to pay some high school dropout grease monkey for.

 

Removing rear rotors: 2 holes are provided so you can thread a bolt to push the rotors from the hub. Is it 10 mm HEX, I do not remember.

 

I noticed you mentioned you'd get the shim kits in an earlier post. I'm buying new pads and rotors all the way around (all Lexus parts) so I will add the shim kits also. Is there anything else you'd want to add? When I searched the Lexus parts list and then a couple of Lexus parts sites, it seems like there are a lot of things one might purchase - but I'm not sure they're really required for example:

FITTING KIT, DISC BRAKE, FRONT VIN BEGINS WITH 2T
Part #: 0494748050
$16.06 $13.35 $13.35

PLATE, PAD SUPPORT, NO.1FOR FRONT DISC BRAKE VIN BEGINS WITH 2T
Part #: 4771648120
$9.56 $7.96 $15.92

PLATE, PAD SUPPORT, NO.2FOR FRONT DISC BRAKE VIN BEGINS WITH 2T
Part #: 4771748050
$7.36 $6.12 $12.24

PLATE, PAD WEAR INDICATOR, NO.1 VIN BEGINS WITH 2T
Part #: 477710E010
$2.64 $2.19 $4.38

I'm having a local performance shop I trust do the work and flush the fluid as well - bad back prevents me from doing it any more, but I've done a lot of brake work on my other cars (pads, rotors, braided lines, caliper rebuilds, etc.), and I know that on one of my cars, the pad supports/clips should really be replaced with the pads, for instance, they are pretty cheap thin metal from the factory and the heat cycling will make them tough to work with. Other cars - not so much, just pretty much pads, some anti squeal grease, and rotors.

I guess I'm asking - you did your brakes - besides rotors, pads, wear indicators, and the shim kit - did you think any of the other smaller bits should have been replaced? If it helps, it's a 2005 RX330 with 80k - it's garaged in sunny South Florida - no salt, snow, etc. - visual inspection from the outside seems like no corrosion.

Thanks in advance - your DIY post was excellent, too.

 

Thanks for the photos mandyfig. I am going to change out my front pads today and was a little intimidated since the last car I replaced brake pads on was a 80's mazda b2000 in high school! Seeing your pictures put me at ease as the technology at the brake pad level is pretty much the same. Thanks again

Arj

 

Quite welcome.

And welcome to CL.

Lots of reading catching up to do on your RX (what year is it?).

 

I'll answer my own post, sort of - hopefully it helps someone else. I ordered new rotors, pads, and shim kits (front and rear) from lexuspartsnow.com, and they were packaged so poorly that my decision was almost made for me. It all came in one large box (much larger than it should have been), the pads and shim kits were unprotected - no boxes of their own, and the heavy rotors slid around and did exactly what any normal person would think - destroy anything in its path. Missing one rear pad, too.

After a less than satisfying and speedy process dealing with their customer service, and being pressed for time, I kept the Lexus rotors (2 of which had a bit more surface rust than I'd like to see, too), since they were functionally fine and had the shop owner supply aftermarket pads and reuse any other hardware needed (like shims). I'm quite happy with the brakes so far, not so happy with lexuspartsnow.com.

I've ordered brakes (and parts in general) online for a lot of my cars...never had them shipped in that fashion (one box). Lexuspartsnow.com claims it was UPS's fault, and while UPS may have thrown the box around, common sense would dictate shipping rotors separately from smaller and/or lighter (and more fragile) parts - every other seller has done that previously in my experience.

Still - thanks for all the informative posts here.