2GR

I used Akebono Performance Ceramic Pads on two Infiniti Sport Sedans and the dust is barely noticeable and the stopping power is same as OEM.
Will probably try them on the GS

bclexus

So, why would the car maker use brake pads that make more dust yet doesn't stop any better?

azipod

Many reasons..... Could be cost, supplier availability, or simply Toyota wanting to work with their established OEM supplier as oppose to some other aftermarket "performance" brand.

bclexus

I think Toyota/Lexus has the means to duplicate (and improve upon) whatever low dust aftermarket brake pad that currently exists if they wish...and I'm pretty sure it's not because of cost or supplier availability. In other words, Toyota/Lexus thinks their choice of brake pad is best [compared to low dust aftermarket pads].

Also, for whatever it's worth - BMW is well-known to have OE brake pads that produce huge amounts of brake dust. The same applies to BMW (as it does Toyota/Lexus) - BMW thinks their choice of brake pad is best [compared to low dust aftermarket pads]. And, don't think for a second that BMW doesn't [also like Toyota/Lexus] have the means to duplicate whatever low dust aftermarket brake pad that currently exists if they wish...

azipod

What does best really mean? Isn't that subjective? Best could mean anything...... price, cost, availability, noise, life, reliability, dust.... etc.

Saying Toyota brake pads are Toyota's finest is like saying the Bridgestone tires they equipped with some cars are the best..... and we all know that is not true.
Same for the stock springs. Many have chose to "upgrade" their suspension by changing out the springs.... because the factory springs are not neccessarily the best... it's just the best compromise between comfort, cost, performance, and reliability in the eyes of Toyota.

It's a business decision that they use to include a certain brand of part on the car. Obviously, the part needs to meet their specs and the general framework of what the car is intended for. But that doesn't mean that they put the best of everything in the car...

As great as this car is ......The GS is not a "spare no expense" car. There are indeed compromises. Otherwise, they will have no room to make a profit!

bclexus

The Toyota/Lexus engineers have chosen not to give choices when it comes to OE brake pads like they do with multiple choices for tires for the same vehicle. The car maker has decided through numerous, exhaustive tests over a prolonged period of time, what they think is best based on a wide assortment of criteria.

Same goes for springs - aftermarket springs may lower the body an inch or so which appease some owners with a smaller wheel gap, but that does not mean the aftermarket springs make the car handle any better. In most cases changing to aftermarket springs ends up damaging the chassis' dynamic loading, alignment and handling characteristics and makes for premature tire wear and eventual damage to struts. In other words, the Toyota/Lexus engineers know a bit more about what is best for a street driven vehicle.

2GR

I think the OE GS brake pads stop very nicely, are quiet, and have very good bite when cold or at low speeds. I'll change to the Akebono Performance pads because they are more linear (less grabby) while being "less dusty."

Brake pad life and brake dust has a lot to do with the driver. My neighbor's GS eats thru pads every 15k while I still have about 40% at 30k miles.
On the other side of the spectrum, I changed out a '13 Camry's front pads at 30k miles and it still had 70%+ pad material remaining. Owner hated the lack of stopping power and dusty wheels. Loves the Akebono ProActs I put on

azipod

bclexus

Well, I think we're getting somewhere...or at least we're getting closer to agreement. Let me rephrase what I said previously by adding a handful of words - something that really should be common sense. 'The car maker has decided through numerous, exhaustive tests over a prolonged period of time, what they think is best to use on their cars based on a wide assortment of criteria.'

Have you ever wondered why the brakes on BMW, Mercedes-Benz, Porsche, Audi, McLaren, Lamborghini, etc. produce a lot of dust? The answer is really very simple - because the brakes are made to stop better than a brake that doesn't produce a lot of dust. Less dust equals less stopping power. Many car enthusiasts accept brake dust on a performance car as a necessary evil, much like accepting not such good fuel mileage, a louder exhaust, a loping idle due to cam lobe separation, stiffer suspension, etc. from their performance car. Would you use low dust aftermarket brake pads on a name your performance car? I'll bet the answer would be 'no'! I assume you bought your Lexus GS 350 for both its looks and performance, among other things such as reliability. Then why would you use low dust aftermarket brake pads on your Lexus GS 350 luxury performance sedan?

azipod

Agree. The "criteria" includes choosing parts that will fit the price-point of what consumers would pay for a particular model. Like I said before, the GS is not a no spare no expense car. Toyota did consider the cost when they decided what to put in the car.

In the past, I've owned (2) BMW 7-series, (1) BMW 5-series (1) BMW 3-series, and the Acura NSX. I did indeed put aftermarket performance "low-dust" pads on all (5) of those cars..... and to me, they were much better pads than the factory (personal subjective opinion.... not a fact). And yes, all of these cars are NOT spare no expense cars as well. They too came with compromises from the factory to fit into the target price point.

bclexus

Your justification of saying that these cars are not 'spare no expense cars' is a weak excuse. The same could be said for practically any line assembly mass-produced automobile, including the 2019 Chevrolet Corvette ZR1 with a 755 horsepower 6.2-liter supercharged engine that has a top speed of 210 miles an hour, or any number of other performance cars.

I find it a bit funny when I see that someone has bought a GS 350 F-Sport with 19" wheels and high-performance tires complaining about tire ride and tire noise. Did they buy the wrong car?

azipod

bclexus

azipod

bclexus

Come on man, you're better than that!