Brake pads are worn; thinking of how much to replace

[Hornd]

The front pads have a different retention mechanism between the 460 and 470, so you'd need to also get new pads if you do the 460 upgrade later on. EBC pads also have to be bedded to each rotor (they have a abrasive first layer on the pads), replacing rotors usually also requires a pad replacement. I made the mistake of putting a set of EBCs on a thin set of rotors in 2024, and had to buy a whole new set in 2025 when I did the rotors due to them being warped. So, I'd suggest measuring your rotors first to make sure they have plenty of life left.

Regarding fluid, I flush the entire system every 3 years or so. When compressing the caliper pistons to make room for new pads, I let the excess go back to the reservoir.

Pad Build Up Causes Brake Pulsation. Turning Rotors removes Pad Buildup.

Brake Pedal Pulsation

Everyone thinks they need to Upgrade the Brakes on these Vehicles, but Toyota did not Fumble the Brake Design on these Trucks.

These trucks are Quite Heavy, so they do Wear Pads Quicker than Cars.

 

[dkkim]

The front pads have a different retention mechanism between the 460 and 470, so you'd need to also get new pads if you do the 460 upgrade later on.

From the EBC site (and Amazon) they list the DP61657 as front pads for both the 2003 GX470 and the 2010 GX460. Maybe I am using the wrong comparison year?

 

[dkkim]

Pad Build Up Causes Brake Pulsation. Turning Rotors removes Pad Buildup.

Brake Pedal Pulsation

Everyone thinks they need to Upgrade the Brakes on these Vehicles, but Toyota did not Fumble the Brake Design on these Trucks.

These trucks are Quite Heavy, so they do Wear Pads Quicker than Cars.

I've been advised by some mechanics to turn some rotors but replace other brands due to design thickness etc.

@Hornd Have you had good experiences/results turning rotors in these bigger Toyotas?

I wonder if auto parts places will do this... Eg O'Reilly. I vaguely recall being able to bring them in in the past, at least to service shops, though I imagine some shops might hide behind "liability"and want to do the job themselves.

 

[Rednexus]

From the EBC site (and Amazon) they list the DP61657 as front pads for both the 2003 GX470 and the 2010 GX460. Maybe I am using the wrong comparison year?

My bad, you are correct! Looks like I ordered the same part numbers both times, so the difference in pad retention is external to the pads. But, you'd still need to replace the pads anyway if you change rotors later so they can properly re-surface the rotors. Hence the recommendation to measure rotor thickness.

Re: Rotor turning: I got over 50K miles out of my set of GX470 front rotors (Bosh OEM-style replacements) before I started having brake pulsation. I measured them with the caliper and they were within about 1 mm of the minimum Toyota spec, which would make them too thin to turn. Rotors typically last 50-70K+ miles on my vehicles (I'm not a brake-heavy driver) prior to them starting to pulsate - at that point they are thin so I just replace them without getting them turned. New Toyota rotors are honestly pretty cheap.

 

[HomersCanyonero]

Just replace the Pads and save the $$$ for Future Repairs.
Find an independent shop but if you have tools or a Buddy with Tools I highly Recommend you try it yourself.
You will learn a Lifelong Lesson. If you hesitant Check out Chrisfix Videos on Youtube. He's Great.

The new Calipers will not work Better than the Old ones. They are a hydraulic Piston.

The Replace everything is Western thinking and Wasteful and against the Japanese Mythology.

Sometimes due to Labor you replace some seals or what not because it's only 5 mins more but this is not the case.

If you rotors are Good spend 20 mins and put on new pads.

If Rotors have pad Build up ie pulsation have them turned and add new Pads.

Save the $$$ for Maintenance like changing Coolant and Differential Oil.

I’ll chime in. I’ve refreshed the entire brake system on my 2003 GX470.

I used western thinking to refresh the brake system because my rig is 22 years old and I was about to do trails in Moab (Poison Spider, Golden Spike, and others).

My 470 front brakes had overheated 3 times on steep long trails or steep paved roads (coming down a 6k peak on pavement).

I was also hearing more and more whining from the master brake cylinder assembly.

So, replaced everything with mostly oem master brake cylinder assembly, upgraded to oem 460 calipers in front, new oem 460 rotors, akebono ceramic pads, new oem rubber brake lines front and rear, new oem hardlines at calipers, new metal tech ss center rear extended brake lines, new brake fluid, etc.

Expensive and western mindset, but I was happy and confident on the poison spider and golden spike waterfalls especially going down those steep slick rock areas

 

[M3GX]

oh i'll aslo add that the GX460 Calipers DO work on the rear. Idk if there's any difference between them and the 470. I didn't really spot anything visually when I did my swap.

I got all my parts at a HUGE discount when Advanced Auto Parts was closing stores in Feb.

And I was able to return the old cores, fwiw.

 

[Rednexus]

It's my understanding the rear 460 calipers will work on a 470, but the rotors are a bit different and will not work. I'm running NAPA reman calipers on the rear of my rig, but in hindsight they are only slightly less expensive than brand new OEM Toyota calipers. So, I splurged for all new OEM rotors, new OEM hoses, and new OEM front calipers. Around $700 all in, but not much more expensive than aftermarket parts on Rock Auto.

@M3GX, did you just go buy every GX part they had? I'd definitely stock up on hubs and rotors if they are $16.50 and $11.70!

 

[M3GX]

@M3GX, did you just go buy every GX part they had? I'd definitely stock up on hubs and rotors if they are $16.50 and $11.70!

Basically, ya lol. I printed out a list of things I might need and just handed it to them. "Give me what ya got on the list." I didn't think to get multiple of the same item! I did do three separate raids of the store though. Wipers, new headlight bulbs, and various fluids. Lines were always long. Saw plenty of people buying parts to resale.

 

[dkkim]

My bad, you are correct! Looks like I ordered the same part numbers both times, so the difference in pad retention is external to the pads. But, you'd still need to replace the pads anyway if you change rotors later so they can properly re-surface the rotors. Hence the recommendation to measure rotor thickness.

Re: Rotor turning: I got over 50K miles out of my set of GX470 front rotors (Bosh OEM-style replacements) before I started having brake pulsation. I measured them with the caliper and they were within about 1 mm of the minimum Toyota spec, which would make them too thin to turn. Rotors typically last 50-70K+ miles on my vehicles (I'm not a brake-heavy driver) prior to them starting to pulsate - at that point they are thin so I just replace them without getting them turned. New Toyota rotors are honestly pretty cheap.

The car is not near me at the moment (parked an hour away at the airport). Do you recall if you can sneak under and mic the rotors without pulling the wheels? We've got about a 500 mi trip over Christmas and I'm leaning towards at least getting new pads on the front (1mm left).

 

[Rednexus]

You'll need to pull the wheel, and probably file/grind the wear lip off of the rotor to get an accurate measurement. The wear lip is often a few millimeters thick.

If you need new pads ASAP, I'd just throw in a cheap set. I was happy with cheap Bosch pads on my rig when it had stock-sized tires on it ($42 for front pads on Amazon). Unless your rotors are really thin, that should last quite some time after which you can plan/save for a GX460 upgrade with EBCs.

 

[dkkim]

trails in Moab (Poison Spider, Golden Spike, and others).

Poison Spider is a great name.

I got all my parts at a HUGE discount when Advanced Auto Parts was closing stores in Feb.

That was an insane deal.

If you need new pads ASAP, I'd just throw in a cheap set. I was happy with cheap Bosch pads on my rig when it had stock-sized tires on it ($42 for front pads on Amazon). Unless your rotors are really thin, that should last quite some time after which you can plan/save for a GX460 upgrade with EBCs.

Thinking of this as well. I think maybe I'll get such a set for the front locally and make a command decision when I get the car back and pull the front wheels.

 

[dkkim]

I just stopped by O'Reilly to see what they had for "off the shelf" local options (if temporizing). All the options and the listed OEM spec was ceramic. I hadn't known that (no break work other than flush since we got it).
Are the EBC Greenstuff's superior to ceramic? It's hard to tell what they are. I think lilac and bamboo and other natural fragrances...

 

[Rednexus]

I can't speak for the OEM Toyota pads but the Bosch Quiet Cast pads I was running were ceramic as well. Since you have 32" tires basic ceramic pads should be fine - I was happy with that setup when I had 32" tires. But, the stopping power degraded quite a bit when I upgraded to 33's, and then improved again when I switched to EBC greens.

 

[dkkim]

I can't speak for the OEM Toyota pads but the Bosch Quiet Cast pads I was running were ceramic as well. Since you have 32" tires basic ceramic pads should be fine - I was happy with that setup when I had 32" tires. But, the stopping power degraded quite a bit when I upgraded to 33's, and then improved again when I switched to EBC greens.

LOL I forget where I am. 255/75R17 are "small" tires

I suppose if the EBC Greens have better friction I don't have a lot to lose anyway.

 

[HomersCanyonero]

i don’t tow, but there were two main reasons I went with Akebono ceramic pads

One is that they solved my rotor warping issue on multiple heavy rigs like the GX470, LS460, and even 80 series Land Cruiser. I warped rotors every 10k miles with Toyota or rough brake pads.

Second was little brake pad dust. Other pads would get my wheels dirty and got tire of cleaning wheels.

But stopping power with ceramic pad is standard…meaning it’s not for aggressive drivers.

I’m on skinny 34s

 

[dkkim]

Thanks again for the great advice, and belated Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

Got back into town and inventoried and triple-cross-checked the parts that arrived (hat tip @Rednexus for the perfect shopping list). It was actually a good deal with shipping and regional dealer discounts; I think actually as cheap or cheaper than picking them up several hours away. Due to time limitations, I put in Bosch Quiet Cast front pads before leaving. There wasn't much of a wear lip on the front rotors, kind of made me wonder if they'd been done not too many miles ago. Used a caliper as my only micrometers are buried somewhere right now, but it looked like the lip was fairly small (eyeballing the gap) and I got 1.108" or similar IIRC, close on both sides. So I think that decreases the urgency a bit, but I will look forward to the upgrade as a project. I need a better jacking solution for this higher vehicle (stacked 2x4"s under a bottle jack, though of course I got stands under there right quick... my floor jack just won't get high enough). Any favorite jacks among the group? Really miss having access to a lift at an auto hobby shop years ago.

Two questions:
1. I went to break-in/bed the setup after install and noticed a subtle pull to the left with a couple of higher-speed stops. It went away, and I had my wife test it afterwards to control for Murphy bias. I'd hand-wire-brushed and greased the pad pins which had some rust but it makes me wonder if they remained a bit rough... Is some transient asymmetry expected? Has been fine since.
2. I noticed a burnt-clutch smell a couple times over our road trip. Have you guys noticed this with new pads? (note I did not resurface the rotors due to time and a lack of obvious wear/pulsation). Lots of mountain and hill driving so brakes were used, but not excessively.

Thanks!

 

[Rednexus]

When I've had brake pull on the GX it's been due to the caliper slide pins. The rear pins in particular have a rubber plug at the bottom of the hole the pin slides though. The plug will pop out if too much grease is in the hole when the caliper is installed. When this happens water will get in the hole and cause corrosion, which will make it difficult for the caliper to slide freely. Last time this happened on my rig I had to remove the caliper, put a rifle cleaning brush in my drill, cleaned a bunch of rust out of the slide pin hole, and cleaned rust off of the slide pin with a wire wheel. Then I installed new rubber boots (my Autozone stocked them) and caliper grease, and the pull went away.

If it keeps pulling to one side I'd remove and inspect the slide pins on the opposite side of the rig than it is pulling. Inspection should include removing slide pins, seeing if they have any wear/corrosion (and cleaning/replacing if needed), replace rubber boots/plugs (if necessary), then re-greasing the pins and re-assembling the calipers. I really like Sil-Glyde caliper grease for that use. If it still pulls after you've gone though the slide pins than your issue might be one of the calipers.

 

[dkkim]

When I've had brake pull on the GX it's been due to the caliper slide pins. The rear pins in particular have a rubber plug at the bottom of the hole the pin slides though. The plug will pop out if too much grease is in the hole when the caliper is installed. When this happens water will get in the hole and cause corrosion, which will make it difficult for the caliper to slide freely. Last time this happened on my rig I had to remove the caliper, put a rifle cleaning brush in my drill, cleaned a bunch of rust out of the slide pin hole, and cleaned rust off of the slide pin with a wire wheel. Then I installed new rubber boots (my Autozone stocked them) and caliper grease, and the pull went away.

If it keeps pulling to one side I'd remove and inspect the slide pins on the opposite side of the rig than it is pulling. Inspection should include removing slide pins, seeing if they have any wear/corrosion (and cleaning/replacing if needed), replace rubber boots/plugs (if necessary), then re-greasing the pins and re-assembling the calipers. I really like Sil-Glyde caliper grease for that use. If it still pulls after you've gone though the slide pins than your issue might be one of the calipers.

Thanks! If I get any sense of asymmetry again I will do exactly this. Otherwise, I think I will wait until such time as I implement your "Plan A"

 

[Hornd]

I've been advised by some mechanics to turn some rotors but replace other brands due to design thickness etc.

@Hornd Have you had good experiences/results turning rotors in these bigger Toyotas?

I wonder if auto parts places will do this... Eg O'Reilly. I vaguely recall being able to bring them in in the past, at least to service shops, though I imagine some shops might hide behind "liability"and want to do the job themselves.

I always Turn them at Oreileys. Have had Great Success and Same Day Service. I think it's $25. Most Rotors today can be Turned once then they Hit Minimum Thickness. Make sure you Run Quality Pads.

 

[Hornd]

oh i'll aslo add that the GX460 Calipers DO work on the rear. Idk if there's any difference between them and the 470. I didn't really spot anything visually when I did my swap.

I got all my parts at a HUGE discount when Advanced Auto Parts was closing stores in Feb.

And I was able to return the old cores, fwiw.

View attachment 4046840

Great Price!!

Some Despise the Remans, (RMFD = Remanufactured) but my 80 has a Napa Reman and no Issues. It's a Dice Toss.

**I have not read much about Toyota Remans but I have a New one for the 80 when it Fails.
**Anything with the Toyota Brand name has been Fully Vetted from my Experience.