aprlleung Posted August 8, 2004 Share Posted August 8, 2004 I've 97 ES300. I went to Toyota service center for oil change and tire rotation, they told me I need to change all the rotors which were in bad shape for $1k. When I drive my car, everything seems normal. I'm not sure if the dealer tries to rip me. Can anyone please tell me what's the symtoms for bad rotors? How dangerous would it be for driving with bad rotors? Thanks very much. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SKperformance Posted August 8, 2004 Share Posted August 8, 2004 if your wheel vibrates when braking at high speeds then it is warped if it is older and has worn down or badly it will have gouges and be thinner than the min spec for them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lexusk8 Posted August 8, 2004 Share Posted August 8, 2004 If you're worried about dealership costs for the parts, you can purchase similar parts at http://www.irontoad.com. They're operated by Thompson Lexus in PA, and known to inventory factory Toyota/Lexus parts at much cheaper prices than at local dealerships. I ordered front brake pads and rotors from them a while ago for my '01 ES, and they arrived at my door the very next day after I placed my order (talk about fast service!). I'm very pleased with the way they handled the transaction, and would definitely do business with them again Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
m2pc Posted August 8, 2004 Share Posted August 8, 2004 I've ordered from them as well and had great experiences with them. Had a problem with one of my orders one time and they took care of it right away hassle free. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
steviej Posted August 8, 2004 Share Posted August 8, 2004 I've 97 ES300. I went to Toyota service center for oil change and tire rotation, they told me I need to change all the rotors which were in bad shape for $1k. When I drive my car, everything seems normal. I'm not sure if the dealer tries to rip me. Can anyone please tell me what's the symtoms for bad rotors? How dangerous would it be for driving with bad rotors? Thanks very much. when in doubt, always get a second opinion. Go somewhere where they will not charge you for the diagnostic. As stated previously, if you don't have any vibration when applying the brakes at any speed or pressure, then I would say you are pretty much set. steviej Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hammer008 Posted August 8, 2004 Share Posted August 8, 2004 if your wheel vibrates when braking at high speeds then it is warpedif it is older and has worn down or badly it will have gouges and be thinner than the min spec for them. Can wheels can also vibrate because of... glazed rotors and wet road? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aprlleung Posted August 9, 2004 Author Share Posted August 9, 2004 thanks for the info. can i do it myself? how? where else i can get instructions/manual for changing rotors? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SKperformance Posted August 9, 2004 Share Posted August 9, 2004 I made a post in the workshop tutorials Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
byohzrd Posted August 9, 2004 Share Posted August 9, 2004 Along the same lines... when can rotors be turned, and when do they need to be changed? I had a bad vibration in my steering wheel last November and had the rotors turned. Now, nine months later, the vibration is back. Is it normal to have rotor problems so often? (I haven't had the problem diagnosed, but I'm 99% sure that's what it is... it's the same vibration that was there before.) I had the first repair done at the dealership... do they guarantee their work? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hammer008 Posted August 9, 2004 Share Posted August 9, 2004 The rotor has minimum width number written on it. If it is thick enough you can resurface it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SKperformance Posted August 10, 2004 Share Posted August 10, 2004 rotors warp due to heat being diffused unevenly or over heating such as a bad way of braking or having hot rotors running through water each time you turn/lathe/resurface a rotor it removes metal which causes the rotor to warp even faster again Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SpeedRacer959 Posted August 10, 2004 Share Posted August 10, 2004 Replacing your rotors/pads is extremely simple. I would highly recommend doing it yourself. Pick yourself up a hanes manual for $13.95 or go to your library and borrow one. The whole job will take you about 2 hours and cost you about $200 if you do it right. Check ebay, they have lots of cheap parts there for your car. Here's a start: Front rotors: $50 shipped http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAP...&category=33564 Rear rotors: $50 shipped http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAP...&category=33564 Then you can buy stock brake pads from www.iroantoad.com or whereever for ~$100. Beyond that, just make sure you read the manual first and you have everything all set such as two cans of brake cleaner etc. They are no special tools required, just a socket/wrench and a floor jack. I just replaced the rotors/pads on my wifes Sienna XLE which is strickingly similar to the ES300. It only took me about 2 hours front and rear. Even if you decide to not do it yourself, you can buy all the parts and take it somewhere to have them put on. Good luck. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lexusk8 Posted August 10, 2004 Share Posted August 10, 2004 I couldn't agree more on the simplicity of the process of changing the rotors/pads. I composed a semi-brief write-up of the brake change on ClubLexus, and included a couple pictures of the process. Here's the link: http://www.clublexus.com/forums/showthread...threadid=129706 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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