Originally Posted By: PT1
Originally Posted By: Spartuss
If the factory pads last a long time on this car, I would stick to them. Find out the part number for your vehicle and buy from a Toyota dealer. It is probably cheaper than the Lexus dealer. The new pads will come with shims. As far as rotors are concerned, I would go with Brembo blanks, Bendix, or Centric Premium. These can be bought online at RockAuto or any website that sells automotive parts.
Good luck and let us know what you decide.
I found the centric premiums at Rock Auto for a decent price. Have you used them before?
They are good. All of the local shops around here use the Centric Premium rotors. They used to use Raybestos, but switched to Centric Premium rotors and the Posi-Quiet pads as they experience fewer comebacks.
After the 5% off coupon code on RockAuto, it comes to about $217 shipped for front and rear rotors. I would also go with their 105 series Ceramic pads.
You don't need to replace the hardware unless it is rusted and/or badly damaged. If you have been using aftermarket pads, stay with aftermarket pads because if you decide to use OE pads, you would have to buy another shim kit and they are very expensive.
Also, I would use a vacuum bleeder to change the fluid, but also use the old fashioned method (http://www.zeckhausen.com/bleeding_brakes.htm) afterwards as one-man bleeders do not do a very good job of removing all of the bubbles. This two-step process ensures the firmest pedal feel possible.