Brake Rotor Question

[Wheel2]

Hi to all I'm looking at all the info on brakes and since I have just taken the front brakes apart and wondering about the rotor's This is

a 02 Ls with 90,000 I have not had any pulsating but took the car to a GM dealer that I bought it from last November because there was a lot of free play before braking took place. I asked them to check it out $50.00 later they told me I needed new brakes and the rotors needed turning. I have taken both the front's apart about 1/8 to 3/16 of shoe left . I have had no indication of the need for new brakes and taking the sensor off it looks okay to me. I ordered and received both front and rear from Irontoad.com I'm wondering about the rotors I donot see the centering screws as mentioned in several posts only two threaded holes about 6mm for removal allthough the rotor's just fell off when I removed the calipers. Question are they OEM or other wise? also the bolts that hold the calipers on have some kind of white material on them paste ,paint , not on the threads but unthreaded part anyone know what that is all about. Many posts say forget about turning if not pulsating. I cannot tell if they have been turned or not I see no numbers for min. thickness. Anyone for original thickness numbers and finally the torque for caliper bolts sorry this is so long B) They also wanted 450.00 for the brake job.

[TexasLexus94]

I fiddled with my '94 LS trying to get the best brakes for about 6 months before I realized that the rotors can be a royal pain-that dealers love to "turn" them, because they know that you'll be back in a short while due to "shimmy" and "squeak" and the like. Loss of wearing surface from grinding, I believe. Since the car weighs 4,800 lbs, it's obvious that the brakes are under a lot of stress.

I recommend new rotors with new pads. Unless you're a speed freak, you don't need vented or slotted rotors. Just regular parts-I use Raybestos. Costs $105 if you do it yourself. As you mentioned, my old rotors did not have the screws in the holes. I went to Lowe's, and bought 4 screws for 2 bucks. Smoothest brakes in town now. Best of luck.

[UCF3]

You can look at the rotors for blemishes(like burn marks, discoloration, and dings). If you see large blemishes with deep scratch marks along the pads then you should consider replacing them. If the dealer replaced them or turned them, you can look at the rotors and see if they look new or do they still have road grime of them.

I stopped considering whether they're OEM or otherwise because they are wear and tear items. I've bought rotors and pads from NAPA and Brakeplanet.com before and they do the job.

I couldn't find this center screw you're referring to. I don't think the LS430 is a six or eight piston caliper system so there shouldn't be the need for a center screw. Can you go over this one more time, and post some pictures on the forum so that I can look at what you're talking about?

It sounds like the rear shoes need to be replaced. I would go ahead and replace that.

The paint issue I wouldn't worry about it that much. It could have been road debree or something of that nature.

[nc211]

I find this stuff interesting these days, as we're now at the point where the 430's are starting to show up with maintenance questions. I recommend "if reasonably possible" that the 400 and 430 series be seperated in the thread menu, if we come to find several differences between the two...

Easy way to determine if your rotors should have the centering screws is to remove the rotor and look at the hub. If you see two threaded holes on the hub, then you should have those screws. The piston count on the caliper, I think, shouldn't have an effect on how the rotor sits on the hub, i think?

If you see the screw holes, then you need them. If your rotors don't have them, then they're not OEM. However, I'm suprised that you're not feeling vibration from the front wheels without them, which makes me wonder if they did-away with the screws on the 430.

What color is your LS? Is it white as well? If so, could that white stuff on the caliper bolts be overspray? If it's not white, then I guess possible white lithium grease to make them easier to remove. Obviously done by the previous owner.

But my guess, if you see the holes on the hub, but not on the rotor, and you're already due for some new rotors, then you've probably got some cheapo's on there. Since you say they just fell off the hub once you removed the caliper, then you obvioulsy have different rotors on there then the originals. At 90k of use, the rotors aren't just sitting there, they're usually "stuck" on there, requiring a little bump n' force to free them.

I won't go into my opinion on what rotors to use, as I'm sure you've already seen the threads "since you already know about the centering screws". Just pick as you wish! oem ;)

[python]

u had better know what u r doing when attempting a brake job on a car with ABS brakes.....u have to put a clamp on the hose when compressing the caliper(s) so the fluid doesnt run back into the ABS unit.....if u ruin this unit u r looking at some major money

[Randy&Bonnie]

..

[nc211]

u had better know what u r doing when attempting a brake job on a car with ABS brakes.....u have to put a clamp on the hose when compressing the caliper(s) so the fluid doesnt run back into the ABS unit.....if u ruin this unit u r looking at some major money

Wouldn't this type of information be in the factory service manuals?

Sure, assuming Wheel2 has them?? Another great question about the 430's....anyone downloaded one of those PdF from that Toyota Service site yet?

[SRK]

One thing one does NOT do is clamp a high pressure brake hose. That will damage it for sure. One can open a bleeder screw and vent fluid as the caliper piston is pushed back in the bore. The problem with used fluid returning to the ABS unit is that it MIGHT be contaminated with rust particles if the fluid is very old, but if it has been flushed or changed regularly the danger is no more to the ABS unit than it would be to the master cylinder itself.

[Lex2001]

Wheel2,

I did a lot of research on brakes and it is DIY job. I have an LS430 and replaced front and rears on it and a friends SC430. There are two camps on rotors. One side says replace or have them turned every time. The other side says if there are no deep grooves or warping just replace the pads. After reading comments from both sides I went with the do not replace camp.

Here is my reasoning. You are looking for maximum pad and rotor contact to stop your car. You will definitely get that when the rotors are turned or replaced. The pads are softer than the rotors. Under normal driving conditions the pads will be the only part that wears. If you replace the pads before you get down to the metal backing there will not be any scoring of the rotor so no need to replace them. I ran my fingernail across my rotors and found no discernible damage. I then bedded the pads. This was done by driving at 40 mph and quickly braking to 20 mph 4-5 times. You then drive at 55 mph and brake to 10 mph 4-5 times never coming to a complete stop. Drive around for ten minutes to let the brakes cool. There are probably minor blemishes on the rotors and this gets the pads to conform to them.

If you have a lot of hilly driving or you are always coming to quick stops from high speed that would stress the rotors. I completed my brake job about 3,000 miles ago and they feel great. Cost me $110 in OEM parts.