Friday, June 3, 2011

Brake pads still okay after 53,000 miles?

I just changed my front brake pads for the first time on my 2000 mazda protege with 53,000 miles on it. I was pleasantly suprised to see that the old pads were not completely worn out.



How long do front pads usually last?Brake pads still okay after 53,000 miles?Highway driving is the key, stop and go traffic is the fast way to go through brake pads and rotors. Heat is the number cause of brake pad wear, if they don't heat up they last twice as long. If you get 12k on a set of pads or rotors them your in the norm. Even if you don't feel or hear anything different in your brakes, keeping an eye on them with an inspection once and a while is a good idea.Brake pads still okay after 53,000 miles?Depends on quality of pads plus how you drive. Some only last 25,000 miles some 60,000 miles or more.Brake pads still okay after 53,000 miles?There is no real answer to that question. It depends on the composition of the brake pads. You could have the regular pads, or semi-metallic, or the new ceramic type, with the ceramic lasting the longest of course.



Then there is the factor of how aggressively the brakes are used. Someone with a light touch will obviously wear the pads down at a slower rate than the person doing panic stops.



You did an amazing job. Generally they recommend brakes be checked yearly, which would be around 12,000 miles.Brake pads still okay after 53,000 miles?Both Gary and okla have good answers, a another thing to consider is the type of area you live. I live in a fairly rural area and I'll get 50 to 75 K out a set of brakes. I've also worked on cabs near Chicago and the brake were only good for 5,000 miles, LOTS of stop and go.