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Front Disc Pads....

4K views 32 replies 16 participants last post by  Tiger-Heli 
#1 ·
OK, I know I have posted on this before, perhaps years ago, but there is something going on that I cannot explain!!!! I now have 88500 miles on my 2012 Elantra! 88.5 K miles!!!! Oil change today so I look at the front left disc pads (as I know I have NEVER changed them, it's gotta be time, right?) and they are about .30 inches thick!!!! Did not have a scale handy so no exact measurement, but definitely more that a quarter inch still there!!!

Understand that I know I am an aggressive butt-hole driver, I do not baby the car. I am hard on brakes, transmissions, you name it. I expect them to last shorter intervals for me than the average Joe. BUT I AM AT 88.5K miles!!!!!! Do these pads grow back and regenerate overnight? Am I hallucinating due to the drugs in the 70's? Is this a Matrix simulation? Can this car REALLY go 100K miles (cause that is where I am headed) on the original brake pads with an admittedly aggressive driver???? Surely not.....

Okie Rich, please weigh in.... 00000732
 
#2 · (Edited)
Well, on my last oil change (approx 70,000) I was told by the Hyundai tech that I had 50% brake pad thickness remaining. Service writer asked if I wanted to have them changed out. I looked at him laughing and asked, "What do you think?" He smiled, walked off laughing. I'll give him an A for effort. I have no doubt these pads will take the next owner well beyond 100k.
 
#9 ·
i do mostly interstate. Maybe 90%+. I rarely downshift. Because I'll forget its in manual shift at a red light and start off with the engine revved up as I start crossing through the intersection. Engine RPM's remind me to get outta that gate. So, I just stay away from it.
 
#10 · (Edited)
88K miles on original front brake pads is incredible in my opinion. My rear pads and rotors had to be replaced yesterday after 46K. The mechanic said my front pads could last another 2K until my next oil change before needing replaced. Amazon Prime to the rescue! I have new front ceramic pads and rotors being delivered in a couple of days for $91 with tax, going to do them myself.

Thinking of environmental differences between us. You're driving in Louisiana and I'm in Ohio in the ice and Salt belt. Got to think that road salt isn't helping my brake system, even though I routinely power wash the undercarriage of my car at the car wash during the winter. As far as driving habits/behaviour, I drive 80/20 Highway City. I consider myself a safe and very conservative driver in my speeds and allowing clear safe distance of cars in front of me. But in my commute to work each day, no matter how hard I try, I just can't seem to avoid the one or two hard stops when traffic speeds can go from +65mph to a complete stop in a few seconds. Those are the hard brakes where I say a quick Hail Mary prayer while stopping and worry, if I crash, will my insurance rate go up? I always laugh inappropriately at those in front of me doing the same thing, but who turn their wheels to the side so that they'll instead crash into the concrete highway median barrier, yeah, that's much safer, yikes!
 
#11 ·
Amazon Prime to the rescue! I have new front ceramic pads and rotors being delivered
Your winter/salt driving has merit. IMHO, that is. And hard-stopping due to some clown in front also takes its toll. If you think about doing that 2x a day, times # of days you commute, x year's of ownership, well, your reasoning is valid.

This is going to sound crazy (and it is): Every time you're forced to brake harder than normal, put a quarter in the console. Over time, you'll have enough change inside to pay for your next brake pads/rotors purchase, and maybe a 32-ounce soda, too. :)
 
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#12 ·
Yep, the hard brakes can't be good. I have a Zubie onboard diagnostic device (OBD) plugged into my car. One of the driving reports it gives me each time I take a trip is if I had a hard brake. Zubie defines a hard brake as a decrease in speed that is => 7.5mph in 1 second. Zubie combines that metric with others like rapid acceleration, speeding and idling to give a driver's score each week. Usually I'm somewhere in between the 88 to 91 percentile of 'good' drivers. Those 10% better than me must be the little old ladies from Pasadena who only drive on Sundays, geesh! Certainly some of those hard brakes are my fault that I could prevent with more safe driving distance and driving slower in zones where I know sudden stops occur. I like your idea OkieRich. I'll have those brakes paid for in no time ;-)
 
#30 ·
Me and strick3963 appear to be in the exact same boat, but I am not so sure this is a good thing the more I think about it. The fact that the pads are lasting sooooooo long may not be a great feature.

With tires, the grippier they are, the better traction you get and the shorter they last. Perhaps these stock pads last a long time but have a low coefficient of friction when engaged to the rotors. Anyone know? Are there better, grippier pads that perform better (and probably last shorter). I don't mind replacing pads, easy job. But I don't want to do it more often than needed, unless I am getting better performance.....
 
#31 ·
With tires, the grippier they are, the better traction you get and the shorter they last. Perhaps these stock pads last a long time but have a low coefficient of friction when engaged to the rotors...
So are you having problems stopping. If you are hitting the brakes hard and the car is not wanting to stop then your pads could have a "low coefficient of friction" but if your car has no problem stopping then why look for a better brake pad?
 
#33 ·
Gotta decide what the right tradeoffs are. Yep, you can buy 60K tires or 30K tires and the high-performance 30K tires will handle better.

On brakes, I would expect EBC or Hawk or Akebono to stop better.

That said - I normally get around 30K on the front brake pads on my Focus. A year ago, I replaced them myself and used organic rather than ceramic, b/c it was cheaper and I hoped the rotors would wear less. And they were worn out in 10K miles and I still had to replace the rotors and so I went back to ceramic this time.

You just have to decide where the best trade-off is.
 
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