Braking System
Four-wheel disc brakes with single-piston calipers. Front brakes do 60-70% of braking work.
Critical: Two Caliper Suppliers
The SC430 was factory-fitted with calipers from two different suppliers. Brake pads are caliper-specific — ordering the wrong ones means they won’t fit. See Two Caliper Suppliers for full details.
- NBK (Akebono) calipers
- Sumitomo calipers
Rotors are universal regardless of caliper type. Only pads are caliper-specific.
How to identify: Inspect the caliper casting — the manufacturer name is cast into the metal. [Verified — mechanic confirmed Sumitomo on Leif’s 2008 SC430]
Front Brakes
- Rotor: 296mm, vented (cooling vanes between disc faces). Larger heat load from weight transfer under braking.
- Caliper: Single-piston, Sumitomo or NBK
- OEM pad (Sumitomo): 04466-30272 (MARK TEXTAR T4146)
- OEM pad (NBK): 04465-22312 (RHD Hong Kong/Singapore spec)
- Brembo OE-equivalent (Sumitomo): P83037N Brembo Front Brake Pad Sumitomo
- Akebono ProACT (may fit both): ACT619 Akebono Front Brake Pad
- Brembo rotor: 09.8402.11 Brembo Front Rotor
Rear Brakes
- Rotor: 307mm, solid (no venting — less heat generated at rear). Larger diameter than front but simpler construction.
- Caliper: Single-piston, Sumitomo or NBK
- OEM pad (Sumitomo): 04466-30190 (SUMITOMO PS506H)
- OEM pad (NBK): 04466-30170 (NBK PN529)
- Brembo OE-equivalent (Sumitomo): P83045N Brembo Rear Brake Pad Sumitomo
- Akebono ProACT (may fit both): ACT771 Akebono Rear Brake Pad
- Brembo rotor: 08.A038.11 Brembo Rear Rotor
- OEM rotor: 4243153011
Pad Replacement Notes
- Remove brake fluid beforehand with turkey baster — piston compression raises fluid level [Probable — ClubLexus]
- Don’t let caliper hang by brake line — support it [Probable — ClubLexus]
- Use C-clamp to compress pistons evenly
- Replace shims/hardware with pads to prevent squealing
- Rear pads removed by pulling pins and sliding pads from caliper back
Sources
- Brembo Parts Catalogue (bremboparts.com)
- Lexus parts catalogue (parts.lexus.com)
- ClubLexus SC430 rear brake pad replacement thread