Newbie here. Been lurking for a while but just decided to register. My wife drives a 2000 RX 300 (50K on the clock) which I will now be maintaining for her. I drive a 98 Ford Explorer and have been a member of the explorer site for some time now. I do all my own repair work on the explorer but I'm just beginning with the RX.

The inspection on the RX expires next week and my first order of business is to replace the brakes. My local mechanic (non-Lexus) says he has seen nothing but problems with aftermarket brake pads on the RX....he says the material if harder than the softer OEM brake pads and that brake squeal and rotor warping is common. Now, I have tried the search function and didn't come up with a lot of info on after market pads. Is the consensus here to stick with OEM or is there a recommended aftermarket pad that you all have had success with?

Also, what are there preferred online sites for ordering OEM or aftermarket parts?

Sorry for the newbie questions....I'm sure I get the flow as I use this site more. Thanks in advance for your help.

Lee

 

Welcome to Club Lexus!

Yeah, You should stick with OEM brake pads and get some anti squeal. The softer pads are quieter, but they wear out a lot faster, however with harder pads, they are a lot louder.

 

Thanks for the welcome. Can you recommend a good website for ordering OEM brake pads on line?

Lee

 

You can always get OEM brake pads from CL's premier vendor: www.l-tunedparts.com

If aftermarket pads suit you, Tire Rack has some available as well: www.tirerack.com

 

Thanks for the links.

Anyone know the part numbers for the front and rear brake pads?

I'm figuring I'll save on shipping and time and just go to the dealer and pick them up. Are these the same stock pads that are put in Toyotas? If so, which models (ie: Camry???). If I knew this I could go to the Toyota dealer instead of the Lexus dealer for the pads.

Thanks,

Lee

 

Front pads are 04465-48060 and rear pads are 04466-33050. I just received a set from irontoad.com. I see no reason to get anything but factory pads. They work great and also wear great plus they are quiet. Most RXs get 70k + on a set. If you only have 50k on yours I would inspect the pads before ordering. I bet you have another 20k on them, unless you are a taxicab.

 

Thanks guys.

Mikey....did your pads come with shims? Not sure if shims are necessary but if they are it would really help if anyone knows the part # for the shim kit as well.

Lee

 

Shims don't come with the Lexus pads but you should be able to use the existing ones. Here is a link to the whole procedure.
https://www.clublexus.com/forums/sho...695#post551695

 

Thanks for the link Mikey....Should be all set to do this once I get the pads. BTW, I already know that I need the pads even though it's only got 50K....Mechanic has indicated it's got 1500 miles left on the pads.....I wouldn't let him do the brakes since I know it's an easy job...can't imagine it taking me more than an hour. This the wife's daily driver and it's 100% around town mileage....more wear and tear on the brakes than on the highway.

Thanks again for your help.

Lee

 

Are these part numbers (Front pads are 04465-48060 and rear pads are 04466-33050) the Lexus part numbers? Will a Toyota dealer stock these same brake pads with these part numbers?

I have a Toyota dealer 1 block away from my office, and the Lexus dealer is a 30 minute drive on the freeway in traffic, so I'd rather just go to the Toyota dealer, since my warranty has already expired...

 

It's hard to tell. I thought they were Lexus part #s. But the box only has Toyota and the numbers printed on it. No reference to Lexus. Give the parts dept a call at the Toyota dealer. They will should know.

 

Okay, I finally got my butt over to the Toyota dealer today. These part numbers (Front pads 04465-48060 and rear pads 04466-33050) are Lexus Part Numbers only. The Toyota dealer was not able to give me corresponding Toyota part numbers....Apparently they (Toyota and Lexus) work with two different parts systems.

So, does anyone know the Toyota part numbers.

Mikey....if you still have the 'Toyota Box' that your pads came in would you please post whatever numbers are on it...I may be able to use this info to get the correct pad from the Toyota dealer.

Thanks,

Lee

 

I still have both boxes. It's a red box with "Toyota Genuine Parts" all over it. There is also a white sticker that reads: Pad, Kit Disc Brake with the number 04465-48060 below it and then a barcode below it. Below the barcode is another number: 4X04Y and another mention of "Genuine Toyota Parts" on this sticker. No mention of Lexus anywhere. That was for the fronts. The rears are the same with the 2 numbers being 04466-33050 and 3X034. You may have some luck with the 4x and 3x numbers at the Toyota dealer. They really don't cost enough to make these trips to the Toyota dealer worthwhile. Irontoad discounts 25% and only charged 9.98 for shipping and they came in 2 days. No sales tax. Local dealer would have charged 5.40 in tax. Thats for NJ, you will pay more for tax in NY.

 

Thanks again Mikey...You are absolutly right about Irontoad...After I posted earlier today I thought about it again and decided it was a no-brainer ($45 vs $75 per axle). So, I ordered them from Irontoad. Got some oil filters and drain plug gaskets too and shipping was like $10 with no tax. While I was at the Toyota dealer, I did pick up a case (12 Qts.) of type IV ATF...I plan on doing a tranny pan drain along with the pads. Cost me $49.85 including tax...I think that was cheaper than Irontoad and shipping would have been expensive. BTW, I was probably looking at something in the neighborhood of $50 plus tax for the pads at Toyota, assuming I could identify the correct pads... so you really can't beat Irontoad anyway.

Glad to hear you got them in 2 days...Maybe I'll get them in time to pop them in before the Jets game on Saturday.

I just don't see much of a reason to buy Toyota parts from a Lexus dealer at higher prices just because Lexus/Toyota wants to play a game with the part #'s....besides, the Toyota dealer is about 5 miles closer to me. So for now, as far as the pads are concerned...Irontoad wins.

Appreciate all you help Mikey...a little knowledge goes a long way and that's what makes sites like this a good thing...When I walked into the Toytota dealer with my printouts and part #'s etc, he started giving me discounts before I could even figure out what I needed. He even said he discounted the ATF but who knows.

Happy New Year.

Lee

 

When you get around to changing the pads carefully compare your old ones to the new ones. The inside pad on all 4 wheels had a wear indicator (squeeler) on my original pads. On the new pads the wear indicators were only on the rear. Let me know if you find the same. Being that the Lexus pads wear evenly front to rear this isn't a big deal. My pads also get an eyeball check every 5k at oil change. I would also measure the thickness of old to new and do the math to determine how many more miles you could have gone. I know you said the last guy to check the pads said about 1500 miles. This is often an eyeball check and sometimes does not take into account the extra long life of these pads.
If you follow the directions in the link above you shouldn't have any problems. Remember to pick up some brake grease before hand. Auto parts store have little tear open packets for about $1 each. You will need one for each wheel. The directions only have you greasing the shims. I also do the sliding pin/ bolt (inside the rubber boot). Some anti seize would also be nice on the bolts threads if you have some around.
Good Luck,
Mike