2008 Lexus LX570 Front vs Rear Brakes: What Wears First and What to Replace

By Core Brake Parts Tech Team — Circleville, OH warehouse

On a 2008 Lexus LX570 the front brakes wear out first, usually well before the rears, because the front axle does most of the stopping on a nearly 6,000 lb SUV. Plan on replacing front pads more often than rear pads, and measure both axles' rotors every time the wheels come off. When the rear pads do reach their limit, the rear rotors are frequently due at the same visit.

How the 2008 LX570 brake system is laid out

Lexus built the 2008 LX570 with four-wheel power-assisted disc brakes, not a disc-front, drum-rear setup. According to the factory 2008 LX brochure, it uses ventilated discs at all four corners: 13.4-inch rotors in front and 13.6-inch rotors in the rear. Every wheel is watched by a four-sensor, four-channel Multi-terrain Anti-lock Braking System (ABS), with Electronic Brakeforce Distribution (EBD) and Brake Assist layered on top.

That matters for wear. The truck lists a curb weight of 5,995 lb and a maximum tow rating of 8,500 lb, and it is pushed by a 383 hp 5.7-liter V8. That is a lot of mass and speed for the brakes to turn into heat. The system also stays busy when you are not on the pedal: Vehicle Stability Control, Active Traction Control and Crawl Control all work by applying individual brakes, so off-road and slippery-road driving adds wear that a sedan never sees.

Why the fronts wear first

When any vehicle brakes, its weight shifts forward. The front tires get pressed harder into the road and can put more braking force down, while the rear tires get lighter. The brake system is engineered around that, so the front brakes are sized to do the larger share of the work. On a tall, heavy body-on-frame SUV like the LX570, the forward pitch under braking is pronounced, so the front pads and rotors absorb most of the heat.

EBD then fine-tunes how much force reaches each axle based on load. With an empty cargo area it holds the rear back so the rear wheels do not lock. Load the third row, fill the cargo floor or hook up a trailer and EBD lets the rear brakes do more, which is why an LX570 that tows or hauls regularly will see rear pad life shrink closer to front pad life.

There is no fixed mileage that applies to every truck. Driving style, terrain and load decide it. The honest rule is to inspect both axles at every tire rotation and replace by measurement, not by the odometer.

Symptoms and how to tell which end is worn

• High-pitched squeal while driving that goes away when you brake: typically a pad wear indicator tab touching the rotor. Pull the wheels and look at pad thickness on both axles.
• Steering wheel shake when braking from highway speed: points to the front rotors. Uneven rotor thickness or pad material deposits make the pads grip and release as the rotor turns.
• Pulsation felt in the seat or pedal but not the steering wheel: often rear rotors, especially on trucks that tow.
• Grinding or a metal-on-metal scrape: pad backing plate on the rotor. Stop driving on it; the rotor on that axle is almost certainly scrap now.
• Pedal sinks slowly or feels soft: not a wear issue. Check fluid level and look for leaks at the calipers, hoses and lines before replacing any friction parts.

To confirm, measure pad lining thickness through the caliper window or with the pads out, and check rotors with a micrometer against the minimum thickness stamped on the rotor itself or listed in the factory service manual. Look at both the inner and outer pad on each side; an inner pad worn much thinner than the outer usually means a sticking caliper slide or piston.

What to replace, front and rear

Front axle. Because the fronts carry most of the heat, replace pads and rotors together on this truck unless the rotors are clearly thick, flat and smooth. Fresh pads on a worn or heat-spotted rotor tend to bring back vibration quickly. Browse brake pads for your LX570 and matching replacement brake rotors, or step up to a low-dust ceramic brake pad if brake dust on the factory 20-inch wheels bothers you.

Rear axle. Rear pads last longer, but they still ride on large 13.6-inch vented rotors carrying a heavy truck. For owners who tow, a performance rotor is a reasonable choice. The Hawk Talon drilled and slotted rear rotor set (HTC5011) for the 2008 LX570 is a vented, cross-drilled and slotted 13.58-inch rotor that Hawk lists for the LX570, built to fit the factory brake system without modification.

Replace at the same time:

• New pad hardware and abutment clips. A brake hardware kit costs little and prevents rattles and uneven pad wear.
• Caliper slide pins cleaned and re-lubricated, or a replacement brake caliper if a piston is seized or a boot is torn.
• Rubber brake hoses if they are cracked or bulge under pressure; they are original on most 2008 trucks.
• Brake fluid. Use the fluid type printed on the master cylinder reservoir cap and in your owner's manual, and flush it on the schedule Lexus lists. Old fluid absorbs moisture, which lowers its boiling point, and heavy trucks that tow get their fluid hot.

How hard is the job?

Pads and rotors on an LX570 are within reach for a careful DIY owner with a floor jack rated for the truck's weight, proper jack stands and a torque wrench. The wheels and rotors are large and heavy, so plan for the physical effort. Some points specific to this truck:

1. The LX570 rides on a height-adjustable suspension with Active Height Control and automatic load leveling. Follow the owner's manual procedure for jacking and lifting so the height control system is not trying to level the truck while it sits on stands.
2. Torque caliper bracket bolts and lug nuts to the values in the factory service manual, and re-check lug torque after the first short drive.
3. Bed in new pads on a quiet road with several moderate stops from medium speed, without coming to a full stop and holding the pedal on hot rotors.
4. If the ABS, VSC or brake warning light stays on after the job, a wheel speed sensor wire may have been stretched or unplugged. Check it before driving.

If the truck tows near its 8,500 lb limit, treat the rear brakes with the same seriousness as the front. Many owners who tow simply replace all four corners at once so the balance the factory engineered stays consistent.

Recalls and known issues

A check of NHTSA's recall records for the 2008 LX570 shows three campaigns: two covering the front passenger airbag system and one covering the accelerator pedal. None of them involves the brake system. NHTSA's complaint database lists only a handful of owner complaints for this model year, and none names the brakes as the component. That lines up with the LX570's reputation: its brake work is normal wear and maintenance, not a known defect. Always run your own VIN at nhtsa.gov before buying parts, since open recalls are repaired free at a dealer.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does the 2008 Lexus LX570 have rear drum brakes?

No. The factory specifications list four-wheel ventilated disc brakes, with 13.4-inch rotors up front and 13.6-inch rotors in the rear.

Should I replace front and rear brakes at the same time on my LX570?

Only if both axles are worn. The fronts usually wear first, so most services are front-only. If you tow or carry heavy loads often, the rears catch up and replacing all four corners together can make sense.

Why are my LX570 rear pads wearing faster than expected?

Towing, hauling a full load, and frequent stability or traction control activity all push more work to the rear. A sticking rear caliper slide or piston will also wear one pad much faster than the others.

Can I just replace the pads and keep the rotors?

You can if the rotors measure above the minimum thickness, run true and have no heat spots or deep grooves. On a heavy truck like this, rotors that are close to the limit are better replaced with the pads.

Are drilled and slotted rotors a good idea on an LX570?

They are a common choice for trucks that tow or descend long grades because the slots help keep the pad surface clean. For a daily driver that never tows, a quality plain vented rotor is fine.

Sources

1. Lexus 2008 LX 570 brochure and specifications - four-wheel ventilated discs, 13.4-in front and 13.6-in rear rotors, four-channel ABS with EBD and Brake Assist, curb weight, tow rating, engine output, suspension and stability systems
2. Hawk Performance HTC5011 Talon rotor - 13.58-in vented drilled and slotted rotor with LX570 fitment
3. NHTSA recall records, 2008 Lexus LX570 - three recalls (airbag and accelerator pedal), none brake-related
4. NHTSA complaint records, 2008 Lexus LX570 - small complaint count, none naming brakes