ANSWERS: 1
  • The longevity of brakes depends on the type of vehicle they are on and the driving habits of the person most often behind the wheel. Many brake manufacturers and auto repair stations will give an average life-span of 30,000 miles for front brake pads and twice that for rear brake shoes. Reality is that some people driving the same kind of vehicle and using the same brand brake pad may only get 10,000 miles out of their brake pads, while others can get 50,000 or more.

    Front Disc Brakes

    Front disc brakes accommodate 75 percent braking capacity for most all vehicles. Rear brakes simply help the front brakes slow the vehicle down. Constantly braking or braking hard from high speeds to slow down will quickly reduce the life-span of the brake pads. Front-wheel drive vehicles also apply energy from the transaxle to move the vehicle and this added energy is harder on both the front tires and the front brakes. Variables that can wear out front brake pads prematurely include sticking caliper pistons or slides, pads sticking in the caliper brackets and rust-pitted rotors. A sticking caliper piston or slide can even cause a severe pull in the steering wheel when the brakes are applied. Sticking pads in brackets will constantly rub on the rotor, perhaps unnoticed until it's too late. Rust-pitted rotors should cause an obvious side effect called a brake pulsation which causes the vehicle to shake and the brake pedal pulsate when applied. The corroded surface of the rotor will eat the composition of the pads away more quickly.

    Rear Disc or Rear Drum Brakes

    As mentioned in the first section, rear brakes simply assist the front brakes. Rear disc brakes are becoming more popular and have both good and bad points. They are exactly like the front disc brakes, but may integrate the parking brake mechanism. The rear calipers, pads and rotors are also smaller than the front disc brakes. Common causes of premature wear to rear disc brakes are the same as the front, but because they work better than drum brakes, they will wear down quicker than brake shoes. It's not uncommon to need front and rear brakes at the same time on some vehicles that employ four-wheel disc brakes. However a good case scenario with both the front and rear disc brakes working properly, a 2-to-1 ratio is common. That's two front brake pad replacements to one rear. Rear drum brakes also integrate the parking brake mechanism. Many drum brakes rely on the parking brake to maintain their adjustment. As they wear, the shoes need to be pushed out more to contact the inside of the drum, so keeping them adjusted is important. Many people fail to use their parking brakes, especially on automatic transmissions. The problem here is that the rear shoes will become unadjusted and although they will last longer (because they're not doing their job), the front disc brakes now need to work harder to stop the vehicle.

    Tips for Maintaining Brakes

    Leave more room in front of you and the cars in front of you than you need. Coast and avoid braking. Tailgating or driving close behind someone makes you drive like them. Every time they hit the brakes, you will have to as well. Have the brakes, both front and rear, checked annually for wear. Most states use an annual state inspection for checking out brakes and other safety issues. The inspection is a good time to determine if both sides of the same axle is experiencing similar brake pad wear. This applies with rear drum brake applications as well. Use the parking brake often. Whether rear drum or rear disc, the parking brake is integrated with the rear brakes and it will keep all of the components working properly. Vehicles that do not employ the use of the parking brake may experience problems with it when they need it.

    Source:

    Top 10 Ways to Make Your Brakes Last Longer

    How Should New Brake Pads Be Bedded In?

    A Short Course on How Brakes Work

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