how long do brake pads typically last ?

[rh71]

I drive about 3 miles a day on weekdays and about 10 miles on weekends... not a lot at all... but it's all local roads... Back in mid-december, I had an inspection and the guy said I needed new rear brake pads. Got them done. Now 4 months later, the brakes are squealing quite a bit... like loud all the way through a stop. I'm thinking these are the fronts that weren't changed... could he really not tell 4 months ago that the front pads were getting low too ?

 

[freebee]

Take the wheel off, look at the pad and see how much is left.

 

[PanzerIV]

What I would give to be able to drive so little. Gas is a large part of my monthly budget.

 

[CRXican]

This question is way to subjective and depends on a number of factors.

 

[AMDZen]

Exactly as CRXican said. Too many factors, namely what kind of pads they are, and how you drive.

 

[rh71]

Originally posted by: freebee
Take the wheel off, look at the pad and see how much is left.

Only have a slanted driveway to work on so a jack won't work... out in front of the house is too much traffic... I could take it to a parking lot somewhere... there's an idea... now to find out how to tell if the pad is low...

 

[dug777]

my brakes squeal sometimes, but they are all apparently in perfectly good nick, so i don't care anymore

 

[rh71]

how long have your brake pads lasted the way you drive ?

 

[dug777]

well i've had the car for just over a year, drive pretty hard but use the gears alot to slow down so that probably makes it a bit easier on the brakes (and gives me vastly more control)

 

[Ramma2]

Often times a high pitched squeal can be caused by the brake pads vibrating when you stop. There are anti-squeal greases that you can put on the back of the pads and it clears it right up.

Brake pads can also fail. I changed my rear brakes, and one pad broke and seperated from the metal part. Instantly I had metal on metal contact, it was nasty!

And yes, it could just be your fronts are now needing to be replaced.

Also, it could be a sticky caliper, causing the pads to not fully retract when you release the pedal. This can lead to abnormally fast wear.

 

[ScottFern]

Usually 20-30k if you don't drive hard.

 

[PricklyPete]

Sounds like the fronts to me...How long since you got those done?

 

[Supertastic Fool]

Dont breaks just sqeak sometimes?

 

[rh71]

Originally posted by: PricklyPete
Sounds like the fronts to me...How long since you got those done?

heh, can't even remember... I'd say it's about time though... but the thing that troubles me is... why couldn't he tell me the fronts were also getting low, 4 months ago ? It's not like I put a lot of miles on them from then till now. If I drove like a normal person the typical amount, they would've been done in a month or so from then...

 

[LS20]

30k sounds about right...
squealing is caused by the shim and brake pad... spray some antisqueak stuff between the interface or stick some duct tape in there
if your brake pads are truely worn, they would make a horrible clunking grinding noise that you would immediately notice

most of the time the squeal and wear are on the fronts... i bet you can go a lifetime without needing to touch rear brakes.

checking for wear is really, really, really easy. just take off the wheel and you can figure it out

 

[funboy6942]

Front pads will get changed 2-3 times before the rears will need to be done. The reason for this is the front takes more of the hit then the rears. AS far as how long they will last it dependant on your drivingg styles. If you like to two foot (and dont lie) you will wear the brakes and rotors within about 10-20k miles. I know because I managed service departmensts for ford and dodge and people with new cars would come in around thoes miles bitching their brakes are grinding. I would ask if they two foot and tell me no. Tell them I need to have a mecanic ride with them to see if they can hear the noise and they watch thier foot and 99% of them even though they told me they didnt did. My mechanic saw it, cought them in a lie, and I wouldnt warrant the job.

As for other factors is your braking style. Do you like to wait to the last minut and jab the brakes hard and come to a stop or anticipate the stop ahead of time. Lightly apply pressure and let friction take over. If you do the last (like i do and was tought) brakes will last almost 100K on the front pads and infact will dry rot before they wear out. I havent had to do a brake job on my own cars ever.

If you like to wait and jab on them alot you will be replacing your pads very often and rotors from warping and hot spots.
All in all if you can tell the light is about to change or coming into traffic if you apply a steady pressure on your brake pedal with out pressing hard, the friction and heat build up will cause you to slow down faster while that builds up WITHOUT taking much stress or damage to your brake hardware.

 

[rh71]

^ I drive a truck (SUV) so I definitely like to gradually stop ... if I jab at the brakes near the end, it feels too heavy and we would jolt forward, with the higher center of gravity and all. I thought the long-distance stop would wear my brakes faster but if you say otherwise, all the better... I'm doing it the right way then.

BTW, what's two-foot braking ? People actually use both feet to hit the brakes ? That sounds like something someone would do as an emergency maneuver.

 

[funboy6942]

2 footing is where you keep one on the brake and one on the gas. They are the people your behind with the brake lights constantly on. Doing that causes your pads to always touch the rotors slightly which heats then up alot all the time and wears them out faster then anything.

 

[abaez]

Originally posted by: funboy42
Front pads will get changed 2-3 times before the rears will need to be done. The reason for this is the front takes more of the hit then the rears. AS far as how long they will last it dependant on your drivingg styles. If you like to two foot (and dont lie) you will wear the brakes and rotors within about 10-20k miles. I know because I managed service departmensts for ford and dodge and people with new cars would come in around thoes miles bitching their brakes are grinding. I would ask if they two foot and tell me no. Tell them I need to have a mecanic ride with them to see if they can hear the noise and they watch thier foot and 99% of them even though they told me they didnt did. My mechanic saw it, cought them in a lie, and I wouldnt warrant the job.

As for other factors is your braking style. Do you like to wait to the last minut and jab the brakes hard and come to a stop or anticipate the stop ahead of time. Lightly apply pressure and let friction take over. If you do the last (like i do and was tought) brakes will last almost 100K on the front pads and infact will dry rot before they wear out. I havent had to do a brake job on my own cars ever.

If you like to wait and jab on them alot you will be replacing your pads very often and rotors from warping and hot spots.
All in all if you can tell the light is about to change or coming into traffic if you apply a steady pressure on your brake pedal with out pressing hard, the friction and heat build up will cause you to slow down faster while that builds up WITHOUT taking much stress or damage to your brake hardware.

This is good advice. I'm at 69k miles on my 99 sentra and still have 25% left on my second pair of front brakes (first was at 32kish miles), I'm not as good as 100k miles per change but I've gotten accustomed to my cars handling habits over the years.

 

[Eli]

Originally posted by: funboy42
2 footing is where you keep one on the brake and one on the gas. They are the people your behind with the brake lights constantly on. Doing that causes your pads to always touch the rotors slightly which heats then up alot all the time and wears them out faster then anything.

We call that "riding the brake" heh.

 

[rh71]

Originally posted by: funboy42
2 footing is where you keep one on the brake and one on the gas. They are the people your behind with the brake lights constantly on. Doing that causes your pads to always touch the rotors slightly which heats then up alot all the time and wears them out faster then anything.

heh I swear I don't do this. As a test, I've tried braking with my left foot but fear that I won't be able to do it if I really depended on stopping... (I guess you can tell I don't drive a stick too) ... only right-foot driver here...