dealership says mine needs replacing after only 15K (which is BS)

anywhere i can buy replacement rotors that are either slotted or cross drilled? I dont really want to spend $3k on a BBK...

 

They have to be replaced because our rotors can't be refinished. To many problems with rotors coming out warped when they try to refinish them when they replace the pads. Same thing happened on mine after 13.5k miles. If the rotor surface isn't too bad, I say just replace the pads.

 

Hmmm that's different advise than what I got from my Oakland dealer. I was having a brake squeak problem at around 7k miles and the dealer solved it by changing all my front pads and cutting the front rotors. They said that the rotors on the IS350 can be cut at least 2-3 times. Its been 13k miles and I've had no problems with about the same stopping power.

I do have experience with some manufactureres (99-04 BMW 3-series) that had rotors too thin to properly cut/shave, and you'd have to change the pads and rotors all at the same time.

 

This is horse ****! I am not going to be happy when I have to shell out 1k for new rotors and pads next year.

 

im waiting on replacement rotors from rotora. they are scheduled to be out dec/jan. i think you can place preorders with them too. they said about $600 for the set of drilled/slotted rotors although i'm trying to get it cheaper from someone connected to them. do you guys think $600 is too much? i was hoping it would be no more than $500.

 

I'd like to know why the IS rotors are so much more expensive than TT Supra rotors. The designs are feature identical, the only difference is the IS rotor is 20mm larger in diameter. TT Supra rotors are ~$75 each for the front, not $195 as I've heard the IS rotors are.

It's also disappointing to hear so many dealerships are recommending replacing the rotors. I've never seen pads as soft as the IS350's wear rotors fast. I was unhappy when the OEM pads killed my Supra rotors in 64k miles. Needless to say, I won't be depending on any dealer to advise me on brakes. I can measure them myself pretty easily.

Besides all that, they're 30mm thick new, and minimum thickness is 27mm. It takes a LOT of braking to remove 3mm of cast iron. I would ask to see the measurements, and I mean not what the tech wrote on the service order, but I'd want to see a micrometer on the discs and the pads themselves to make my own determination.

It's extremely difficult to believe the brakes are wearing out at only 15k on anything, especially a car that only weighs 3600 lbs with 335mm rotors. Unless the driver is driving with both feet - then all bets are off.

 

They Have A Couple Of Sweet Rotors For The 2nd Gen is250/350 In The Yahoo Japan Auction!

 

Just curious, anyone know the total cost split out by labor and parts to replace pads and rotors? I'm wondering how much I'd save by doing this myself. Can't be too hard. Hiroshima has a great DIY over at my.is on his 60K maintenance thread on replacing rotors and pads.

 

Forgot to add this:

Seriously, ask to see the pads and rotors. Ask for the measurements. I'd really like to know what people are doing to these brakes if they really are wearing this quickly.

 

What is Lexus doing different with the IS350? I have a SC430 and members report that they get 80K miles out of the front brakes. That just means they have to change the pads at 80K miles not replace the front rotors. Why would Lexus change the quality of the rotors they are using to this extreme?? I wonder if Lexus has been going with the low cost bid versus looking for the quality product?

 

Great question, but it's difficult to screw up cast iron. There's nothing fancy about brake materials.

FWIW the SC430 curb weight is 3840 lbs, and the rotors are much smaller - 296mm diameter and 32mm thickness vs. 335mm and 30mm for the IS. The SC also has EBFD and brake assist, so there are no feature differences between the two platforms. It doesn't make sense the SC would go 80k, and the IS only 15k.

 

Sounds like something is different.

 

Yes, but smaller rotors and heavier car would tend to indicate faster wear, not vise-versa. The SC's curb weight is nearly the same as my IS350 with me in it (car weighs 3620, as measured at Sac Raceway, I weigh 230.) If you are getting 80k miles on a set of brakes with the SC, we should be getting something similar with the ISx50, not the 15k some people are apparently getting.

 

I've got over 17K miles on my 350 and I'm an above average braker.

I dont ahve a micrometer to measure, but I do see significant wear on my rotors. I can clearly see an edge of wear.

I am beginning to think if all the dust problems we are having is because of the rotors wearing and not the pads :P

 

Good question, easy answer. The early rotor replacement on the IS is simply a fluke or possibly a manufacturer defect or maybe even driver abuse. Not ALL SC's will go 80k and not ALL IS's will only last 15k. I believe, that under normal driving conditions, the IS rotor should last 80k or more. The brake pads, however, are a different story. The IS pads use a material that is made to increase braking force (think high performance). Unfortunately, the drawback is a soft, dusty pad that doesn't last very long.