jdanielca

So I understand that a car's brake system is hydraulic right so depending on the pump/ or brake fluid reservoir whatever you call it, it will only be able to operate callipers/pad of a certain size. So anyone done any upgrades here before? Maybe not the callipers that is probably unnecessary, but rotors and pads. What is a good size, brand and upgrades to what is currently on the car. Mine came with stock 18" wheels (19" in ukraine is a BAD idea lol, the roads are horrible)

Mbodall

The 460 already comes with some pretty big and beefy 4 piston caliper front brakes and 2 piston caliper rear brakes. Are you driving your car on a track or anything? Or experiencing brake fade during daily driving? I know some people just like to upgrade things for the sake of upgrading... I'm just curious.

Also, pads/rotors/calipers are matched for size - the pads are an exact fit for the calipers. Similarly, if you put bigger rotors on, you'd need bigger calipers. Even if you could put bigger rotors on, since the pads can only accept pads that are as big as they are, you'd not have any better braking with larger rotors if the pads are the same size. Then there's the problem of clearance. Even with large 18" wheels, the already decently large rotors don't have a whole lot of clearance, so you'd have to look at bigger wheels to go much bigger (or any bigger at all... not sure exactly how much clearance there is with everything stock).

jdanielca

this is the first car of this size ive been driving there is some fade but I am not sure if it because of the tires or anything else and if i am going to be taking the tires off and having them changed i might as well change the rotors and pads. do not have to be bigger but what brands should I be going with. brembo makes pads for this car but not rotors.

LuvmyLS

Mbodall

jdanielca

guys... I am looking to replace the pads and rotors and I wont be doing it at Lexus... so the initial question aside, I want to know what are decent brands to replace them with.. they can be the same size, that is not the main point of the post, but merely asking what people have done and what options, stock size replacements are just fine I need a starting point when it comes to sizes. Did the sport package cars not come with bigger rims/tires and brakes? I remember reading about it... but again not the main point. The brakes need to be serviced so I am going to change them just need some brand options.

jdanielca

I am not a car expert, all I can tell you is sometimes it takes quite a bit of brake pressure to stop the car, other than using a process of elimination it is hard to say what is causing it. and i prefer to just change them out when doing my tires.

Spudo769

To answer. most people here like Centric Rotors and Akebono Ceramic pads. Rock Auto has the best pricing. The coated rotors will not rust as fast.

Mbodall

Ok. It's possible that a previous owner just slapped on some really crappy pads which perform terribly when they get hot, and/or rotors which are awful at dissipating heat, thus causing brake fade. You're on the right track now that you know you just need to replace with good brand pads and rotors and that the size isn't a concern, and that your tires are not related to occasional increased braking effort.

The other possibility is that your brake fluid is old and watery. Brake fluid is hygroscopic meaning it absorbs moisture. When brake fluid gets old, nasty, and watery, the boiling point drops drastically. After 3 years, it can drop by 25% (or more). If you're driving in city traffic, using the brakes a lot, and not getting up to speed for long enough between stops for the heat to dissipate from the system, you very may well be boiling your brake fluid. This creates vapor pockets (essentially air pockets) in the brake lines... problem is, air compresses; fluid does not. If your fluid is at or near boiling point and you hit the brakes, those vapor pockets will compress causing you to apply more pressure to the pedal to achieve the desired braking effect. Moral of this automotive science lesson: check your brake fluid condition (and level) and change it if necessary.

Less likely, but you may just have air in your lines not related to brake fluid condition, and bleeding the brakes would eliminate that. However, having air in your lines is usually results in a consistently mushy brake pedal and not a sporadic one.

As for good brands, check out this thread: Brake Pad and Rotor Thread

yyymmm31

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A simple and cost-effective way to restore braking power on your LS460 is to do the following:
1. Replace the rotors and pads with Centric Premium rotors and Posi Quiet ceramic pads, and
2. Do a full brake bleeding by the book (i.e., by Lexus brake bleeding procedure with Techstream).
Your brake system will be very responsive, assuring, smooth, and quiet.
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jdanielca

thanks guys I will do all of it Let you guys know after.

jdanielca

"Do a full brake bleeding by the book (i.e., by Lexus brake bleeding procedure with Techstream)." what do you mean by that exactly, I'm asking because if I have a non lexus place do my brakes I need to know if I need to have this procedure re-done else where or?

Mbodall

He's referring to using the Toyota software called TechStream and having the brake system bleed itself. It activates part of the ABS system and uses it to pump the fluid out, which is more thorough since manual bleeding doesn't flush that part of the system out. Your non-Lexus place very likely (guaranteed??) doesn't have or use a TechStream, and I'm pretty sure you can't replicate the same procedure using any other software or methods.

jdanielca

Ah noted I shall get Lexus/Toyota to do it then.

Mbodall

You can buy a copy of the software online and a mini VCI cable to do it yourself. There are many different versions of the software, and 2 main different versions of the cable, so do some research before purchasing. The only type of cable that can do 'active tests' like the brake bleed is the V2 (I think it's 2.0.4??). I just bought a copy of it from Amazon for $30 which I'm about to return since I didn't realize it came with the V1 cable... cheapest price I found to buy a V2 cable and software was about $50-$60.