we had all 4 pads replaced about 12,000 miles ago. about a month ago our mechanic told us that our pads were wearing down very thin and the rotors needed to be replaced. The rotors do need to be replaced, but my concern is the life of our last brake pads. they were OEM pads but they only lasted 12,000 miles? is that normal ?
Brake Life?
AcuraGuy
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we had all 4 pads replaced about 12,000 miles ago. about a month ago our mechanic told us that our pads were wearing down very thin and the rotors needed to be replaced. The rotors do need to be replaced, but my concern is the life of our last brake pads. they were OEM pads but they only lasted 12,000 miles? is that normal ?
well type of driving...yea my mom says that because i drove the legend for a good year, that it was my driving that messed up the pads..but i mean i dont stomp on them. i jus brake when i need to and whatever, never really activated ABS nor skidded. just occasional 80-0MPH stops..but that wont hurt them that much right?
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Why don't you pull the tires off and look? Mechanic may just need some $$.
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Depends upon your driving habits.AcuraGuy said:
When FWD was relatively "new", pad life was short. Typically 12k miles. Since then, newer pad compounds have come out and pad life has increased dramatically.
Again, pad life is really dependent upon your deiving habits and conditions. MY 15 year old IROC-Z (84k miles) hasn't had a brake job yet....on OEM (so called "crappy") pads. It has seen mostly highway miles its entire life (so far).
well i thought about pulling off the tire, but doesnt that mess up the balancing and stuff? also, my mom took a good look at the pads at the shop and they were worn down..this comming from 2 sources. im thinking the place we went to last time gave us NON-OEM spec pads.
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No, pulling off the wheels will not mess with the balancing, balancing is done by placing weights on the inside and outside of the rims. When you put them back on, make sure to torque the lugnuts to spec (I think 80 ft-lbs) and tighten them diagonally (tighten lugs nuts opposite each other in sequence). Also, you might need to remove the caliper to check the wear on the break pad or you might be able to take a look through the caliper.
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Rule of thumb:AcuraGuy said:
When the lining material gets to the same thickness as the metal backing, it's time to think about replacing the pads.
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THis is experance speeking. Your pads are pretty much good to go until your pads are about 2-4mm thick. By then, you pad wear indicator will start scratching the rotor and you will know your pads are low. Is it ok to change it early? Of course, it's your brakes. Safety first, right?
yea, we heard noise from our brakes, but i think it was because i washed off all the glue one day because it started squeeking right after my car wash. well anyways, the brakes are replaced and everything, so whatever. like C25a1guy said.. safety first!
You can dramaticly extend your brake pad life by carefully reviewing your driving habits. Take your foot off the gas well before you reach a stop sign or light, let it coast down a bit. Don't tailgate, you shouldn't have to touch your brakes on the highway unless you're in bumper to bumper traffic. If your hitting your brakes leave more space. When your car is almost stopped you can ease up on the brakes. If your car rocks back you've braked too hard, it should come to a level stop.
I was guilty of all of the bad habits until a friend clued me in.
We all like to have fun with our cars, and if you're playing don't worry about pad life. It was changes to the day in day out habitual driving that just about doubled life of my pads. Just by driving a bit more gently.
I was guilty of all of the bad habits until a friend clued me in.
We all like to have fun with our cars, and if you're playing don't worry about pad life. It was changes to the day in day out habitual driving that just about doubled life of my pads. Just by driving a bit more gently.
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