Brembo OE Brakes for the Toyota RAV4: Which Parts Fit

By Core Brake Parts Tech Team — Circleville, OH warehouse

For a 2006-2008 Toyota RAV4, we carry two Brembo OE front brake kits that bolt on with no modifications: the KT00748 kit with UV coated vented rotors and ceramic pads, and the KTX0132 kit with Xtra cross-drilled vented rotors and ceramic pads. If you only need pads, the Hawk HPS 5.0 HB704B.692 front set covers the RAV4 from 2006 onward. This guide explains which one fits your RAV4, how they differ, and what else to check before you order.

How the RAV4 Front Brakes Work

The RAV4 front axle uses a floating caliper clamping a vented cast iron rotor. Vented means the rotor has two friction faces joined by internal cooling vanes, so air pumps through the middle as the wheel turns. The front brakes do most of the stopping work on any crossover, which is why front pads and rotors wear out well before the rear set.

Every part in this guide is a direct replacement for the factory front components. Brembo describes its Xtra disc as a plug-and-play part that needs no modifications compared to the OE disc, and the same holds for the UV coated rotors in the KT00748 kit. The caliper, bracket and hub are reused.

Which Parts Fit Your RAV4

Both Brembo kits are listed on our store for the 2006-2008 RAV4. Pads and rotors on this platform were shared across later model years and with some Toyota Matrix trims, but part numbers can split by trim and brake package, so always confirm your year and trim on the product page before ordering. Hawk lists the HB704B.692 as a front pad for the RAV4 across a wide range of years starting in 2006, along with several related Toyota and Scion models.

KT00748 vs KTX0132: The Real Differences

UV coated rotors (KT00748)

Brembo applies its UV coating to the non-braking areas of the rotor: the hat, the edge and the vanes. The friction faces are left bare so the pads bed in normally. The coating is there to stop the rust bloom you see on uncoated rotors after a wet week, and Brembo states its salt spray testing shows corrosion resistance above the industry standard. On a RAV4 with open-spoke wheels, that means the rotor hat stays clean-looking instead of turning orange. The rotor face is a smooth, undrilled surface, which gives the most swept area and the quietest behavior.

Xtra cross-drilled rotors (KTX0132)

The Xtra rotor is drilled through the friction faces. According to Brembo, the holes do three things: let gases escape so the friction level stays stable, break up the film of water on the rotor in the rain, and scrape the pad surface clean. The trade-off with any drilled rotor is heat cracking, and Brembo addresses that by casting its drilled discs from a special alloy iron meant to resist thermal cracks. Expect a slightly different sound from a drilled rotor and a pad that wears a little faster, since the holes act like a light file on the pad.

The pads

Both kits ship with ceramic pads. Brembo builds its ceramic street pads with shims to cut noise and vibration and a compound designed to keep wheels cleaner. Brembo is clear that its Xtra ceramic pads are road pads and are not meant for track use, which is not a limitation for a RAV4.

When to Choose the Hawk HPS 5.0 Pads Instead

If your rotors are still above minimum thickness, run true and show no deep grooves or heat spots, you may only need pads. The Hawk HPS 5.0 front pads use Hawk's High Performance Street compound, which Hawk describes as delivering aggressive torque, high deceleration and consistent release, with good rotor and pad wear life. The .692 suffix in the part number is the pad thickness Hawk lists for this set.

Two cautions. First, Hawk states these pads are designed for iron rotors and are not compatible with carbon ceramic rotors; the RAV4 uses iron rotors, so that is fine. Second, a performance street pad generally makes more dust and a little more noise than an OE-style ceramic. If clean wheels and silence matter more to you than bite, stay with the ceramic pads in the Brembo kits. You can browse other options in our brake pads collection and ceramic brake pads.

Symptoms That Mean It Is Time

• Steering wheel shake or pedal pulse when braking from highway speed. Usually uneven pad deposits or thickness variation on the rotors. Replace rotors and pads together; a kit is the simplest fix.
• High-pitched squeal that goes away when you press the pedal. The wear indicator tab is touching the rotor. Replace pads soon.
• Grinding. The pad backing plate is on the rotor. The rotors are almost always damaged at this point, so buy the full kit, not pads alone.
• Pull to one side. Often a sticking caliper slide pin or a seized caliper piston. New pads will not cure it; service the slides or replace the caliper from our brake calipers collection.
• Visible lip on the rotor edge or blue heat marks. The rotor is worn or overheated. Measure it against the minimum thickness cast into the rotor.

What to Replace at the Same Time, and How Hard the Job Is

A front pad and rotor job on the RAV4 is a moderate DIY job with basic hand tools, a torque wrench and a C-clamp or piston tool. Plan on roughly an hour per side the first time. Along with the kit, check or replace:

• Caliper slide pins and boots. Clean and re-grease them with a brake-rated lubricant. Torn boots let water in and cause sticking.
• Pad abutment clips. Worn clips cause rattle and uneven wear. A brake hardware kit is inexpensive insurance.
• Brake fluid. Use the fluid type printed on the master cylinder reservoir cap and flush on the schedule in your owner's manual. Old fluid absorbs moisture and lowers the boiling point.
• Front hoses. Look for cracks or bulges while the wheel is off; replacements are in our brake hoses collection.

Clean the hub face of all rust before fitting the new rotor, because rust scale behind the rotor causes runout and a pulsing pedal within a few thousand miles. Torque the caliper bracket bolts and lug nuts to the values in the factory service manual, tightening the lugs in a star pattern. Finally, bed the new pads in with a series of moderate stops from medium speed, without holding the pedal down on hot rotors at a standstill, so an even layer of pad material transfers to the rotor face.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do the Brembo kits come with both front rotors?

Yes. Each front kit pairs two front rotors with a front ceramic pad set, so one kit does the complete front axle.

Are drilled rotors a good idea on a RAV4?

For street use they work well, especially in wet weather, and Brembo casts its drilled discs from an alloy meant to resist heat cracks. If you tow near the limit or want maximum pad life, the smooth UV coated KT00748 rotors are the more conservative choice.

Will these parts fit a 2013 or newer RAV4?

The two Brembo kits we stock are listed for the 2006-2008 RAV4. Some later years share components, but confirm your year and trim on the product page before ordering. The Hawk HB704B.692 pads cover a much wider span of RAV4 years.

Can I put the Hawk HPS 5.0 pads on my old rotors?

Only if the rotors are above minimum thickness and not warped or grooved. Fresh pads on worn rotors bed poorly and can pulse or squeal.

Do I need to bleed the brakes after a pad and rotor job?

Not if you never opened the hydraulic system. Pushing the pistons back does not introduce air, but watch the reservoir level so it does not overflow, and pump the pedal firm before driving.

Sources

1. Brembo - Brake Discs, Pads and Calipers for Toyota - UV coating on non-braking areas, salt spray corrosion testing, Prime and Xtra ceramic pad options
2. Brembo - Xtra Disc - drilled holes expel gases, break up water film and clean the pad surface; special alloy cast iron; no modifications versus OE
3. Brembo - Xtra Ceramic Pads - designed to pair with Xtra and Max discs, shim reduces noise, not meant for track use
4. Hawk Performance - HB704B.692 - HPS 5.0 front pad, .692 thickness, RAV4 fitment range, iron rotors only
5. High Intake Performance - Brembo OE RAV4 front kit KTX0132 - high carbon cast iron rotors for damping, Prime ceramic pads, listed RAV4 and Matrix applications