Pulsing during slow braking - pads and rotors only 18k miles old (1 Viewer)

[bloc]

I suspect the trick for some people may be finding a shop that even does rotor turning, much less one with a salty old hand that does it "right".

This is a major factor for me, again weighed against the low cost of OE rotors.

Those of us that have a craftsman like @manofthewoods do need to support those people in any way we can, because the incentive for doing work like that is decreasing. And I get it, me buying cheap rotors doesn’t help, but with how quickly my 10-year home city is changing even good references from friends for machine work are often not panning out.

 

[manofthewoods]

This is a major factor for me, again weighed against the low cost of OE rotors.

Those of us that have a craftsman like @manofthewoods do need to support those people in any way we can, because the incentive for doing work like that is decreasing. And I get it, me buying cheap rotors doesn’t help, but with how quickly my 10-year home city is changing even good references from friends for machine work are often not panning out.

Fair points, thanks. Bill, the shop "guy," media blasts the rotors, they look new and are nicer to grab onto. When he pressed all my Bushings out and in, he took meticulous measurements. @ $200 for all of them, I was pleasantly surprised.
I told him he CAN'T retire!

 

[biff44]

Dump the autozone parts and put on genuine Toyota/Lexus parts. It will make a massive difference. They are surprisingly affordable.

toyota rotors are first rate.
aftermarket stuff is hit or miss!

 

[2008LX]

I ended up going with stoptech and so far I like them.

 

[40Man]

For the relatively low cost for replacement parts, I just put on new rotors and pads when this happens. Takes me about an hour to do the front or rear, and doing my own labor makes the costs about the same and knowing it is done right and properly bedded is worth it to me.

It would take me just as long or longer to drop off and pick up from the mechanic.

I have a full set of OEM pads and rotors in my garage ready to go. So far the rotors on my 16 have been much better than those on my 2011.

 

[04UZJ100]

For the relatively low cost for replacement parts, I just put on new rotors and pads when this happens. Takes me about an hour to do the front or rear, and doing my own labor makes the costs about the same and knowing it is done right and properly bedded is worth it to me.

It would take me just as long or longer to drop off and pick up from the mechanic.

I have a full set of OEM pads and rotors in my garage ready to go. So far the rotors on my 16 have been much better than those on my 2011.

Curious if 16+ rotors will fit in 2008-2015 MYs

 

[scottm]

Could also be rust on the rotors, seems like all Subarus used to do that back in the day. They would get light surface rust except where the pad sat on the rotor overnight. A couple stops and they evened out.

My 100 brake calipers would occasionally get stuck pistons, pads would drag and keep the rotor hot, stopping warped them. Then just normal driving I would be heating up the rotors and get pulsing, until it got so bad I had to stop and let everything cool. That happened repeatedly on the 100 with rebuilt Toyota calipers from AutoZone. I suspect they weren't using OEM pucks and seals. I kept replacing the calipers every few years, free under lifetime AutoZone warranty, was kind of nice getting everything new every couple years. Actually easier to replace calipers than wrestle with old ones full of brake dust and rust.

All of my family Toyota/Lexus products had stuck caliper pistons at one time or another. Michigan road salt is one thing Toyotas aren't excellent in. I'm really hoping this new 200 does better than all my previous Toyotas.

 

[bloc]

Curious if 16+ rotors will fit in 2008-2015 MYs

Only with either tundra calipers or 16+ 200 calipers and drilling the knuckles to make them fit.

DIY Tundra Brakes (BBK)

Time for bigger tires and with that, need a big brake kit (BBK). Thanks to the pioneers @TexAZ, @bjowett, and others before me, it's been known that upsized Tundra front brakes, rotor and caliper, largely bolt in. Here's my attempt to simplify the install for others that may want to tackle...

forum.ih8mud.com

 

[LXinOBX]

Hey all, bumping this for some guidance/advice. '10 LX just did new rotors all around, pads have about 5k miles on them (yeah, I know, should have been done at same times...long story).

Anyway, this is the first time I've had anyone else "do" my brakes (getting old ain't for sissies).

What's going on:

picked up the truck and did about a 300 mile drive...brakes were pulsing a little, but I figured part of the "bedding" process. Drove the truck minimally for a few weeks, under 45mph, no hard stops...brakes seemed fine.

Return 300 mile trip, about an hour from destination, traffic picks up...more hard stopping (dick drivers at rush hour) and I noticed now that any braking, when the vehicle is slowing below, say, 20mph is a pretty severe pulse. Truck stops fine...just a wicked pulse.

Today, I drive the truck a mile or so...no noticeable pulsing? Nothing close to the experience described above.

I'm taking the truck by the shop (long term relationship as they do my wifes RX) tomorrow....any advice? Stuff to check for?

Many many thanks!

 

[bloc]

Hey all, bumping this for some guidance/advice. '10 LX just did new rotors all around, pads have about 5k miles on them (yeah, I know, should have been done at same times...long story).

Anyway, this is the first time I've had anyone else "do" my brakes (getting old ain't for sissies).

What's going on:

picked up the truck and did about a 300 mile drive...brakes were pulsing a little, but I figured part of the "bedding" process. Drove the truck minimally for a few weeks, under 45mph, no hard stops...brakes seemed fine.

Return 300 mile trip, about an hour from destination, traffic picks up...more hard stopping (dick drivers at rush hour) and I noticed now that any braking, when the vehicle is slowing below, say, 20mph is a pretty severe pulse. Truck stops fine...just a wicked pulse.

Today, I drive the truck a mile or so...no noticeable pulsing? Nothing close to the experience described above.

I'm taking the truck by the shop (long term relationship as they do my wifes RX) tomorrow....any advice? Stuff to check for?

Many many thanks!

New rotors shouldn't do that. I'd suspect something between the rotor hat and hub face. Were they toyota rotors? I've had even pretty high quality EBC rotors on another vehicle where the corrosion-resistant coating (paint?) was applied unevenly so the rotor didn't run true despite the lugs and wheel being torqued to spec.

Bringing it back is a good idea. Something isn't right about that rotor swap.

 

[LXinOBX]

New rotors shouldn't do that. I'd suspect something between the rotor hat and hub face. Were they toyota rotors? I've had even pretty high quality EBC rotors on another vehicle where the corrosion-resistant coating (paint?) was applied unevenly so the rotor didn't run true despite the lugs and wheel being torqued to spec.

Bringing it back is a good idea. Something isn't right about that rotor swap.

Thank you, I don't believe they were OE (possibly reboxed toyota through their dist?). Will certainly be part of the conversation. Come to think of it, one front wheel is significantly "dustier" than the other... gotta get it out where I can try to duplicate the symptom THEN drive it over...

Appreciate it

 

[bloc]

Thank you, I don't believe they were OE (possibly reboxed toyota through their dist?). Will certainly be part of the conversation. Come to think of it, one front wheel is significantly "dustier" than the other... gotta get it out where I can try to duplicate the symptom THEN drive it over...

Appreciate it

I asked if they were Genuine Toyota because those are some of the few that do a truly good job with the coating on the hat portion.

But yes the single dusty wheel may be a good clue.

 

[32cls6speedmt]

FYI. Genuine Toyota/lexus rotors and pads are made by advics in Japan.

 

[LXinOBX]

Ugh...the wheel discoloration was just the afternoon light...in full daylight they are equally "dusty"...

Heading out in a bit to try and replicate the pulse

EDIT: Rotors and Pads are Carquest Still working to replicate the issue :/

 

[Sandroad]

Ugh...the wheel discoloration was just the afternoon light...in full daylight they are equally "dusty"...

Heading out in a bit to try and replicate the pulse

EDIT: Rotors and Pads are Carquest Still working to replicate the issue :/

That’s an Important edit. I gave up using Carquest for anything many years ago. Too many problems with quality and fit. Although I don’t know what their quality is today, It would not surprise me if you found a badly fitting pad or other issues.

 

[toy671]

As I posted earlier in this thread, I too had this brake issue over a few years and installed new pads and rotors once a year and it fixes itself for a while then comes back. I also tried PFC 2 piece rotors and still no luck, the vibration came back after a while. I found it odd that a retorque of the lug nuts or replacing my winter tires with summer tires would fix the issue for a week or so. Last summer I decided to bite the bullet and get new calipers during a Toyota parts sale as I read in multiple places that the calipers could be stuck just enough to push unevenly against the rotor. Since my caliper replacement the problem has not come back.

 

[LXinOBX]

That’s an Important edit. I gave up using Carquest for anything many years ago. Too many problems with quality and fit. Although I don’t know what their quality is today, It would not surprise me if you found a badly fitting pad or other issues.

Oh, I totally agree...challenge is that the shop (again, long time relationship servicing wifes car) is of the opinion a rotor is a rotor and a pad is a pad....and I'm not going to win that argument. If I can't solve it, only real recourse is to just buy OE (at my expense).

I recreated the issue a little yesterday, but (of course) the shop was overflowing and couldn't spare a lift.

More and more I'm thinking it's the rotor "hat" not properly seating on the hub....

 

[LXinOBX]

As I posted earlier in this thread, I too had this brake issue over a few years and installed new pads and rotors once a year and it fixes itself for a while then comes back. I also tried PFC 2 piece rotors and still no luck, the vibration came back after a while. I found it odd that a retorque of the lug nuts or replacing my winter tires with summer tires would fix the issue for a week or so. Last summer I decided to bite the bullet and get new calipers during a Toyota parts sale as I read in multiple places that the calipers could be stuck just enough to push unevenly against the rotor. Since my caliper replacement the problem has not come back.

My last caliper fail was frozen pistons (salt) and I'm ridiculously anal about salt away and FF every couple months or so on all four corners.

The weird part is that the pulse doesn't 100% come from the steering wheel (front end) or brake pedal (rear end)...it's kinda blended. And, again, only really presents itself in the final slow down (below 20 mph)

 

[Sandroad]

Oh, I totally agree...challenge is that the shop (again, long time relationship servicing wifes car) is of the opinion a rotor is a rotor and a pad is a pad....and I'm not going to win that argument. If I can't solve it, only real recourse is to just buy OE (at my expense).

I recreated the issue a little yesterday, but (of course) the shop was overflowing and couldn't spare a lift.

More and more I'm thinking it's the rotor "hat" not properly seating on the hub....

I’d just go ahead and buy OE brake parts and see if the shop will do a discounted install since you’re having problems with their previous work and have a long relationship. 4 rotors and pad sets along with some hardware will be worth it for good brakes. Check out some of the online discount parts dealers like Olathe Toyota for good prices.

 

[arrivederci]

FWIW, I did a Stoptech 'truck' kit back in 2021 and things were great - until they weren't. I'm guessing that the rears are very sensitive to being properly torqued. While in for some service, a shop removed a rear wheel and didn't torque it properly. Of course I didn't catch it right away and then got the pulsing you are talking about. In my case I could feel it at low speeds and really hear it at high speeds. I couldn't feel it in the steering wheel so that had me looking at the rear rotors. This time I bought some (much cheaper) bosch quietcast rears and installed them last Friday. Fixed! In general though the feel of these brakes just stink. They work but the squishy pedal with that hissing noise drives me crazy. Reminds me of an old Buick station wagon.