I used to have a 2001 gs300 about 10 years ago.. I remember changing the brakes and pads every summer or so because the rotors kept warping and I got that bad shaking in the wheel when braking...

Now I have a 2004 LS430 and There is enormous shaking in the wheel when braking on the hi way... There is shaking in the steering wheel even when not braking so I probably need a wheel balance as well. I've changed rotors a million times (mostly on that GS300) no problem there.. the problem is where do I get rotors at a decent price that won't warp?.

The rotors I used on the GS300 were usually whatever they had on sale at pep boys. I don't know if those rotors warped because they could have been "discount" or if I had something else going on?

Thanks !!!!

 

Yeah that would do it!

People seem to have a good experience with Centric rotors on here as an alternative to oem without breaking the bank, a quick search should turn up some threads.
I personally have not had to touch my brakes yet so can't offer any personal advice.

 

Toyota OEM brake rotors, pads, shim and fitment kits, including new caliper stretch bolts, are not the lowest cost, but not excessively priced and of good quality.
Random aftermarket replacement brake parts installed by "counter guy" tend to be below OEM standards and fail in short order.
If you are not using a Toyota or Lexus dealer, then acquire necessary Toyota brake parts for install by indy...verify they have torque specifications (look up yourself and then ask them to recite) and (watch while they) use a torque wrench and not an impact wrench on caliper and lug nuts, to avoid warping rotors.
Unfortunately you cannot trust too many mechanics anymore... including some Dealer technicians.

 

summary: I would be willing to pay for OE if they were more reasonably priced out the door. Nobody sells them online with free shipping. And as we all know, brake rotors are heavy. So at the end of the day, I like Centric Premiums with Akebono ProActs. Right now, my car has OE rotors in front, Centric Premium rotors in the back, Akebono ProActs all corners, as I prematurely replaced the OE pads (could have pushed them further oh well).

To illustrate that rotors become unsmooth, and they do not warp, say you parked a car for 5 years by the ocean, and did not drive it. Rust would accumulate in the swept and portions of the discs, so much so, that driving the vehicle would not clear them, and there would be noises and vibration. Because the selling dealer at first proposed turning the rotors, to which I said no I would like replaced with Lexus OE, the tech had already turned them, so if I could find it I could also show what a turned or smoothed out rotor looks like. Actually, they look funny. Hats all rusted because they're cheap, but surfaces smooth as a baby's bottom.

My fronts are lexus OE, they are quiet and they do not vibrate, but after only 2 winters the rust like a ****. Look at the vaned portion and one would think they are off a 45 y.o. German car (German OE use zinc so 10 years in the northeast there's no rust). Lemme find pics to back up what I say it will take a while.

My issue with OE is there's no source that will do free shipping. So the rears I did the next best, Centric premium. They actually look like OE as they have cross hatching out of the box like OE does. Also, the vanes are painted so the vanes do not rust like OE, as well as the back of the hats are painted. And my rears cost $27, fronts $55. If it's looks that one cares about, Centrics do not rust. If it's noise that one cares about, Centrics do not squeal nor groan. The only people who knows they're not OE are people like myself. Why. Because Centrics have black paint, and OE has gray paint. That's my choice unless someone wants to do free shipping with OE, or maybe you know a local dealership in a tax free state that can close the gap.

Changing brake components 1/yr. I would question the parts that were used. For example, there is a such thing as < $20 rotors retail, and < $10 pads retail. Wholesale even less. The shops that have a sign "$59.95 brake job" use such parts. My uncle ran such a shop--a vendor named Mighty came every week to replenish the hardware. He put them on my Nissan and I got about 15,000 miles out of the pads. my .02

here's a BMW rotor after 3.5 years on the road




Here's a Lexus OE rotor after 3 years on the road--look at the way the vanes are totally rusted. Have not had the centrics on for 3 years yet, but have a feeling the vanes will not rust like that, who knows. As one can see, Germans pay attention to the details, look at how the entire surface of the disc is used by the pad. It dawned on me, brake rotor diameter is like HP, it sells. But a BMW using a 15" disc has more swept area than a Japanese car with the same diameter disc, made apparent by the rust at both edges which indicate the pads don't touch it there.

 

Frozenrotors.com is where I would go, but I went with lexus rotors.

 

Get powerstop from rockauto, the z28 package will not warp or rust even if you attempt to get it to fail. I did 18+ stops from 80-20 without warping them and they went 6 years with no rust forming, expensive but they do work.

 

Centric Premiums. Run them on my LS and my GX and they are great when combined with a solid pad.

 

They're so affordable I have both fronts and rears in my basement, and won't need them for a very long time (I sneak them into rockauto orders to take advantage of what I already have to pay for shipping, if I can align the warehouses--I got 2 fronts included for $12.95 FedEx shipping on stuff I was already buying). If anyone needs to be convinced that they look like OE, I can snap pics of new ones, but they're in plastic bags and oiled, hate to rip them open. Other than the paint being black, and not gray, nobody would ever know they are not toyota parts imho. and the proof is in what you say, I say, and tons of others who slap them on their Lexus....no noise, no problems, set it and forget it for less...

 

I replaced all my rotors and pads a number of years ago with OEM from Lexus. The last time they were checked (3-4 months ago) the pads are about 50% worn. I currently have some slight pedal shudder on hard braking which I know is the rear rotors. So, even with OEM rotors, they eventually will get warped. When the time comes for new pads, I'll get the rotors turned. Right now it is very slight, but I'm aware of it.

 

I've been pleased with the Centric Premium rotors as well. Hard stops require cool down and some pad material may be left behind under on the rotor after a really hard stop. Allow some added space if possible to roll forward and let the rotors cool. Dad and mo-in-law are the types that brake last moment and hard, that type of driving the rotors would warp. Depends on driving style how fast braking components will wear too.

 

So no one mentioned using front rotors from GS350 with spacers and a little bit of caliper cutting? They are bigger than oem - (334mm vs 315). This is a solution.

 

Also, when you have the rotors off, make certain that you clean the face of the hub and the back of the rotor so that the mating surface is spotlessly clean.
Even the slightest bit of crud between the hub and rotor will give you that vibration.
OEM rotors tend to be made from mild steel, so they will rust everywhere except the swept area, and even there if you leave it standing for long enough.
Stainless steel rotors shouldn't rust but don't always give the bite that mild steel ones do.

As for the difference in swept area between different cars, that is due different brake designs.
W.r.t. brake performance I have never found my LS to be lacking in that department, quite the opposite in fact.
Find an empty road, accelerate to 50Mph and then slam your foot on the brake. It's quite violent but totally controllable.

 

Seems to go by country of origin, i.e. Europe v. Asia. From an AMG to a RS to a base A3, German cars sweep their rotors from edge to edge. All I can do is post a pic from my sample of 1 car in the driveway, but I've looked at many cars at the gym through the rims. VW is like a European, Hyundai is like an Asian.

It's uncanny that when a car is 10 y.o., despite having a set screw, rotors have no rust and fall off with a slap from the palm of one's hand (with zinc coated rotors). For a clean look I would prefer that. The LS430's also fall off but they're not even held in place by anything but the pads/calipers--I don't mind makes for no problem in removing them. And Lexus OE do look rusty, that's why my money is on Centric Premiums.

Japanese, from Corolla to performance models, they leave a massive stripe on the interior near the hat. Other people here (not that many) have noticed and said they paint it because they don't like that orange rust stripe. I get it, the audience doesn't generally care and the cost of doing what the Germans do is a lot more for a little benefit. Germans tend to do a lot in theory hence it's said they overengineer....but sometimes doing things in theory is what makes something the best in class. What would the Italians do? The same thing, Europe...

edit maybe a way to describe the stripe is when a person only replaces pads and they do this maybe 3-4X....there is a distinct "lip" on the outer and inner edges....it's significant on Japanese cars, especially towards the hat. You can see it on my pic and that's only 3 years of use < 40k. The rears would be more prominent.

 

No one has mentioned R1 Concepts yet...anyone with experience with their products?

 

Thanks for the replies.. a quick look at rockauto shows several Centric rotors..

CENTRIC 12044122

I assume these are ones being recommended at $53.79 ?? That's reasonable enough..