LC200 Brakes - "Warping" Rotors every 10k

[goldwater58]

All, just following up. Took my LC back into the shop and tried to give a good description of what I had been experiencing (and mentioned some of the tips y'all pointed out -- like driveshaft greasing etc.). They said they looked at everything they could think of, and nothing stood out as being messed up with the calipers, but the front rotors were warped.

First 2 sets they gave me were Duralast Gold, the last set that warped were Akebonos. They're ordering OEM from Toyota and putting them on tomorrow. They're submitting the akebono set for warranty, so not sure how much they're going to charge me out the door for this ordeal.

I guess I'll give another update in 5-10k miles to see if the problem is solved. I'll definitely work on my braking habits to try and avoid build-up during stops.

Have you tried different brake pads yet? Can't have pad deposits on the rotors without the pads playing a part. Perhaps try a ceramic pad? I've had no issues since I switched to the Hawk LTS pads.

 

[LX4x4]

Re: Akebono pads - I've been a big fan of Akebono for years. However, there is some chatter on the Internet that Akebonos can be more likely to leave pad deposits. I also noticed a rather significant improvement in pedal firmness when I switched from fairly new Akebonos to OE pads on my 200, with no other changes. (Maybe due to the anti-vibration liner built into the Akebono pads?) I know Akebono makes different product lines, and I'm not sure which one I had used on my Cruiser. However, I'll be swapping my wife's car over from Akebono to OE later this summer.

I believe Akebono may be similar to "metal master" pads if not the same, they were decent maybe 20 years ago. But we can see from your pictures they are kind of hard on the rotors. There are better options today, the OEM pads on the 200 seems to perform well for the size of the vehicle (at least on the later years with bigger brakes), that's why we usually have owners praise and keep buying them.

 

[foolforthecity]

I am having this same pulsing issue in my '21 with 36k miles, still on original set of pads and rotors. Unfortunately I have 30 miles of hwy driving each weekday where it is extremely common for me to go from 70mph to a standstill or close to it and I am a fairly aggressive driver. The pulsing is really only noticeable at hwy speeds and particularly when going downhill. I bought OE pads and rotors and will swap them out sometime in the next few weeks to see if that cures the issue.

 

[Hothonda]

Recently @ 30K vibration when braking. Had Les Schwab Tire (PNW) turn all the rotors. Pads still
good. Problem solved.

 

[travisimo]

I ended up getting drilled and slotted rotors and this issue disappeared. The OEM rotors get too hot and the cooling is inadequate to keep them from warping.

 

[Boston Mangler]

I ended up getting drilled and slotted rotors and this issue disappeared. The OEM rotors get too hot and the cooling is inadequate to keep them from warping.

Yup…. I’ve found with my 80, both 100s and both tundras, DBA rotors and hawk LTS pads were the magic sauce

 

[Roscoes]

Yup…. I’ve found with my 80, both 100s and both tundras, DBA rotors and hawk LTS pads were the magic sauce

What rotors did you go with?

 

[Boston Mangler]

What rotors did you go with?

DBA…. Forget the model name, but the ones Slee sells

 

[foolforthecity]

I was having big time vibration braking at highway speeds particularly when going down hills. I drive 40 mi a day on the hwy and frequently have to go from 70mph to 0 due to traffic and probably cooked the rotors in the process. MY 2021 with just 38.5k on the clock and front brakes were toast. New OEM pads and rotors have definitely fixed the issue for now. I will go with DBA if the OEM's don't last the second time around.

 

[cboyd]

this was happening to me with frequent trailering... don't go OEM. I went with the PowerBrake D-Line rotor and Pads. Given my mileage, I also put new OEM calipers on.

No issues, and great brake feel

Edit: I should add my local dealer did the install, and I brought the parts. I was having other work done, so logistically it worked, but these probably no harder than anything else. :banana

 

[Fisher23]

Same.. I also had issues with OEM .. so I went Napa Reactor one. I picked those as they are great on my 2500 diesel ram. last a long time and performance braking. Had them on the LC200 for a while now, without disappointment.

 

[tbizzle]

I ended up getting drilled and slotted rotors and this issue disappeared. The OEM rotors get too hot and the cooling is inadequate to keep them from warping.

^^ this. my wife would eat rotors - we just hit 130k miles (2016 200) and have probably gone through 4-5 sets of rotors. always insisted on and used OEM parts. moved to a new city, talked to the new shop about the history, asked them if they have put the bigger tundra brakes on a 200. they instead suggested i simply try different rotors versus swapping the calipers, rotors, and other parts out - just don't use the OEM rotors. they replaced with AC Delco "Specialty Performance Brake Rotors" (which, by the way, look exactly like the NAPA Adaptive One rotors...) and it drives like a different vehicle now. i used to hate using the radar cruise control b/c when the brake would automatically apply you would think the world was ending for a split second. not anymore. we are probably 5k miles in with these rotors, still feel like new. great upgrade for my wife's daily driver.

 

[Boston Mangler]

See…

Bunch of yall thought I was nuts…

Toyota has a design flaw with some rotors…

Yall believe me yet?

 

[185]

Its a toyota design philosophy, where they calculate how the majority of drivers use said vehicle. Going to school, office. Some will tax brakes with mountain driving and aggressive driving but how many % of drivers is that? They determine where the majority of the use cases and design accordingly.

If you undersize the brakes
1. It keeps costs down.
2. Less unsprung weight improves mpg.
3. Possibility to use smaller wheels.

A big brake upgrade or decent set of pads and rotors will all that one needs to get it done sometimes. Other times is the perfect combo of bad parts, poor installs, and poor maintenance habits and expecting the world.

 

[TLC2013]

I have had a good track record with the OEM pads and rotors. My 200 is not light either weighing about 7,000 lbs with full skids and bumpers.
The braking has been decent, but not great with the extra weight. Even with that said I have not experienced any of these warping and/or vibration issues over the 50,000 miles on OEM rotors and pads.
Recently did a brake job and the pads were down to around 25-30% and the rotors were still in good shape, no signs of damage or premature wear. This is with the majority of the driving being city and then offroad miles in the mountains.
To get some braking performance back I installed Stoptech Sport Pads and stayed with OEM rotors. Also switched over to the Slee SS brake lines. This was a noticeable improvement in pedal feel and stopping power.
I am patiently waiting for that day to come where I warp the OEM rotors so I an justify going with some high performance DBA rotors.

 

[bloc]

16+ factory rotors are working great here, and I'm not exactly easy on the throttle.

 

[JohnPW]

I’ve replaced OEM pads and rotors twice in 82k miles on my 2016 LC, pulsing braking experienced each time, before pads were worn through. Stock truck driven very conservatively, with occasional trailering that is half of rated capacity. I think my problems aren’t actual warping, and instead are the inconsistent glazing of rotors mentioned elsewhere in this thread. If that is the case, I would imagine a heavier modified truck or an aggressive driving style would make this pulsing less likely to occur…versus ACTUAL warping which I believe is probably much more rare on OEM rotors.