msray

Is anyone else unhappy with the stock gs400 brakes? Ive tryed stopping fast from 120 to 65 (Highway Patrol spotting) and the freaking car started shaking really bad and even for like an hour after. It seems like its to easy to warp the rotors. Would the brembo cross drilled really help performance so much that you would notice a difference? If so that is my next upgrade. What else could be done besides buying a $1000-5000 brake upgrade?

Mike

GS4Will

mike,

i would suggest you to either start from the basic of upgrading to the trd japan break pads+s/s lines(~$225 from steve.

or, if your 18s would clear the supra tt break caliper, steve also offer the complete front pkg of :

supra tt caliper, tt rotors, tt pads, and 4 s/s lines for $700. this is the best value for break upgrade.

as far as i know, brembo does not make cross-drilled rotors for the gs(you can call brembo and find out, i tried). plus, while it is true cross-drilled rotors do dissipate heat from extreme breaking, you also need the above mentioned parts to work in sync, particularly the 4-piston caliper for optimal feel and stability in breaking. this is why major tuners always emphasize the importance of caliper+rotor together. and often the calipers are more expensive than the rotors.

will

CheetahSpeed

This is probably no help at all but, I brake like a maniac all the time, and I've never had ANY problems or shaking at all.

Maybe you should get your dealer to take a look at it.

gs300haltech

whose this steve character. I am new to the board and wondering out. He seems to sell good stuff from what i can tell so far.

RON430

Man, I agree with CheetahSpeed. At least on a GS430 the brakes are about the best I have experienced in a street car. In fact, I can almost make an argument that they are a little too strong. Moron in a pickup couldn't see a dark blue GS and splurged into our lane. Didn't hit the brakes hard enough to get into ABS but had just picked my wife up and she hadn't put her belt on yet. She wound up with a very close encounter with the windshield and of course her purse and all its contents emptied in the front foot well. You might need an upgrade but you also might want to have someone check out the stock system first.

Kaban

Well, I am very happy with my Gs430's stock brake. I've stoped from 110mph to 60 a couple times on the freeway and it is just as smooth as the engine.

This is not directed at anyone and is just my Opinion, but I must emphasize on the good break in and maintaince everyone should do on their lexus. I remember a while ago some guy posted he took his brand new GS or SC to the track with only 200 miles on the ODO. Ouch!!
I can already hear him complaining about how he got a lemon and all kinds of problem on his new car that "Mysteriously" appeared for no reason.

My point is...take good care of maintaince. Use common sense...redline the engine at cold start will not make it go faster; etc. Do all the major care at Dealer or a good place. Don't go the cheap way and take it to a hack shop to save a few bucks.

David GS400

iTrader: (1)

Mike: Don't know how you drive, but the stock GS brakes are pretty damn good. I personally am thinking about a brake upgrade, probably more for looks than anything else. But my GS stops better than my Bimmer did; even all the mags say the brakes are good. If you're hard on your brakes, consider an upgrade. I've been getting information from Manaray on his AP Brakes, Miguel on his Brembo set-up, and waiting for info on the Supra set-up Steve is selling for $889.00.

I think Brent Bliu had some warping problems with his rotors and TRD pads. Talk with him and see what he did.

whitediamond

I brake like a savage crazy man from high speeds. No problems. But.... I did warp them very quickly when I fist picked up the car. They were already a little warped and once it gets there.....So turned them myself (trust noone Sculley), installed them with new pads , caliper hardware and TORQUED the bolts. Since then I have over 6000K miles of super high velocity aircraft carrier stops in hot sunny So Ca. and still not a hint of warpage. Torquing does make a difference.
One thing. A lowered GS feels CONSIDERABLY better in hard stops vrs stock. Much more drivable and controllable. A bit scarry in a stock GS.

tinygs

I dont mean to be dis-agreeable, but the stock brakes on our cars are absolutely not very good...Those of you who consider our stock brakes to be of high quality are the exception....I had a 93' Maxima with stock brakes that I had much more confidence in from 100-120 down to 60-80.....
Dont even begin to get me wrong, my GS is immensly superior to any car Ive ever owned, but, if there is ONE area where it falls short(and there arent many I would have to say its the brakes....This was apparent to me from the day I bought this car...
Maybe thats why I have the SupraTT calipers, cross drilled rotors, and ss lines sitting in my garage awaiting installation......
This thread caught my attention because just about an hour ago (around 3 am central), I was on a beautiful stretch of open well lit highway. It was one of those times when as your easing up through 4th... 80,90,100, and then even 110 felt soooo easy on both car and driver...so as I reached 120mph, I sat there for about four exits just loving the feel. I was exiting a huge sweeping turn(safely, the road was a well lit 4-laner with not a sole in site) and caught the lights from a fire truck parked in the far left shoulder about 1/4 mile in front of me.....I broke hard but controlled, not knowing if it was a cop. It was smooth, with no real shimmy but definitely not the 120mph-60mph distance that I would like our cars to have... When I am braking from those speeds is when I can tell Im in a 3800lb car...It just feels like its asking a little too much from our stock brakes...
Its like the car is saying: DUDE, Im really heavy and my shoes are too small.....The factory didnt give me quite what I need, chill out a little bit!!! hahahaha
Again, just My Opinion... Thanks, Tiny

enginyr

Those supra brakes are sweet ? ....stop on a dime no warping perfromance?

bitkahuna

iTrader: (20)

Steve is Steve Ganz from Carson Toyota in California. His e-mail is gonzu4u@earthlink.net, and you can see his stuff at www.l-tunedparts.com. I've bought all my parts from him and his service is perfect. Prices are great.

bitkahuna

iTrader: (20)

I agree the stock brakes aren't strong enough, nor is the pedal feel right (too mushy).

I don't have any shimmy/wobble though - that comes from warped rotors.

Remember though, if you only replace the rotors with the same size, I don't care how slotted or drilled they are, it won't reduce the stopping distances unless your stock brakes would be at a point where they're fading from heat.

GSman

iTrader: (2)

I have a 2001 GS 430 and my stock brakes have been giving a grinding/rubbing/vibrating sensation through the pedal. Is this normal for the GS? The dealer keeps telling me this is normal, but I have my doubts as every car I have ever owned did not have this brake feeling unless the pads were worn. I test drove an IS and the braking was smooth, no vibration. They already tried changing the pads and turning rotors. Could it be warped rotors? Some other adjustment?

Also, how is the complete TRD brake kit from Steve Ganz? Will it work with 17" and it appears the rotors are not slotted/drilled?

Thanks,

2SAVVY

I forget who now but I remember a post that someone bought Power Stop rotors (Cross drilled) and used stock pads and that helped alot from what I remember.. Might be a much cheaper solution.. I think the CL member got them at NOPI..

I also find the stock rotors to warp way too easy but after I had them replaced under warranty they seem fine now.. Maybe Lexus had some bad apples when it comes to the stock rotors.. I dunno..

GS4Will

GSMAN,

many late models toyota have similar problem. several gs430 members also share the same concern as you do.
nowdays, in order to be environmentally safe and still provide good breaking manner, the materials used on many toyota parts do produce loud grinding noise, even on brand new pads. besides the unpleasant noise and vibration, the stopping distance in the stock break is actually very good compare to its competitions.

have you read whitediamond's latest break fixing in this topic? if i had not sold my gs400, i would have visited him for some remedy. from observations of several members' gs400 vs 430, it seems to me that the noise on the 430 is even more severe. as i will be picking up a 430 in the next few weeks, i too have been doing some research on break improvement. again, this is not to say that the stock break is not up to par.

in your case, even on brand new cars, there is a possiblity that the rotors were defects. and i believe the first replacement is under warranty(happended to me). you can always seek 2nd dealer opinion to verify what the first is telling you.

for ~$700, steve offers supra TT is the best value in mod, imo. though you do not get slotted/drilled rotors, the pkg itself is quite impressive already. but, if you like them slotted, you can pay $200 more for trd rotors. or . if cross drilled is your flavor, steve also offer them for $200 more( steve had them drilled locally). tinygs just received his set and has pics from one of yesterday's posts.

but if you want the complete TRD kit from japan, be ready to pay over $2k. steve believes that the SUPRA TT pkg is more than enough. remember, supra is a mighty fast car, but its breaks are good too.

the supra tt pkg will not fit stock 17" wheels because supra's 4-piston caliper is hugh, you will have problem there. even on some 18 and 19s wheels, there are times problems occur too due to the wheel design. that is why tiny gs specifically asked for supratt fittment when he upgraded the wheels recently.


will