GSPete Posted October 27, 2007 Share Posted October 27, 2007 Hello all, New to the forum here so wanted to chime in with a few questions regarding my 2005 GS300's brakes... I currently have about 53k miles on my car, and have just recently started experiencing brake judder when breaking at highway speeds. My rotor thickness and condition is still good, so I am going ahead with pad replacement (pretty thin) for all four wheels. Thinking I may just replace with factory pads from Irontoad, but wondering if anyone here would recommend anything that is still priced within $70/pair but is a step up from factory? Also, I never did like the spongy-like feel of the brakes and have read that stainless steel brake lines, since it does not flex like factory rubber lines, may be a solution to this annoyance. Just wondering what other parts I would need to finish the brake line replacement job other than the brake lines themselves, what size I need to get since I've seen so many, and what I need to watch out for when replacing these lines. I will have a friend who used to be a brake mechanic replace these parts for me, but just in case I would like recommendations from this forum. Thank you all! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SRK Posted October 27, 2007 Share Posted October 27, 2007 My advice is to stick with the factory pads. There isn't much of a step up anywhere compared to them. The rotors should be turned carefully on a late model brake lathe however. That's the source of the juddering. As to the pedal feel, others may have a different experience, but I have found that the feel on the GS is due to the rather complex brake master cylinder, and has little to do with the hoses, which on your 2005 are in far better shape than those on my 98, and the ones on my 98 are perfect. My 92 LS has a much firmer pedal because it has the usual vacuum assist booster. The brake feel on the GS is really my only complaint about the car, and more than likely it is normal. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GSPete Posted October 27, 2007 Author Share Posted October 27, 2007 My advice is to stick with the factory pads. There isn't much of a step up anywhere compared to them. The rotors should be turned carefully on a late model brake lathe however. That's the source of the juddering. As to the pedal feel, others may have a different experience, but I have found that the feel on the GS is due to the rather complex brake master cylinder, and has little to do with the hoses, which on your 2005 are in far better shape than those on my 98, and the ones on my 98 are perfect. My 92 LS has a much firmer pedal because it has the usual vacuum assist booster. The brake feel on the GS is really my only complaint about the car, and more than likely it is normal. Thank you SRK for the fast reply! I will stick with factory pads and look for a reputable shop around my area that will do rotor resurfacing. It is tough deciding which shop to do it with since there are so many, and it is so easy to pick the wrong "guy" and end up with a poor job done. I hope I won't end up with a need to purchase new rotors, but the AutoZone near me has Dura-last rotors that are rather cheap, which may not be good, but I figure with a 2-year warranty it should be doable. Thanks again! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lenore Posted October 27, 2007 Share Posted October 27, 2007 Just dont use the duralast pads, they have lifetime warranty, but wear extremely fast....I put them on my daughters Toyota, and quite frankly they do not brake well, and the dust is terrible. stick with stock or Akebono.... or if they have them Wagner thermo quiets. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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