Front brake pad average life ??

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Irishrover

Well-Known Member
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5,317
Location
La Trimouille, Vienne, France
:behindsofa:

Hi Guys & Gals......I know that this is a bit of a "How long is a piece of string" question but I am trying to discover what you guys think is the average mileage from a set of front brake pads, taking the following into account :

OEM pads, say Ferodo, Mintex, Pagid etc.-NOT budget brands.
No mechanical brake problems e.g. worn discs, sticking caliper pistons & pins etc.
Just normal solo driving (Not mainly towing).

I am fully aware that driving habits differ greatly between people, but I am just trying to get a feel for how many miles on average to expect from them.
:)
 
I just changed my pads and shoe brakes yesterday. They where never changed from what i know. I had the car for for appox 4-5 years. Its an auto also. They still had life about half an inch haha. Take in mind i would travel to Big Sur and San Fransisco constantly. The terrain is all hills and constant braking. I had ceramic brakes and drilled rotors also. I winder if that makes a difference?
 
Have just changed my pads and discs which thb were shot to pieces after at least 31,000 miles. (New to me on 109k and now on 140k) Not sure when they were changed before I bought it though.
 
Jaysus...that's good going !!! Thought 30K out of a set on my P38 was good . Mind you I never let them get too low.

I've seen 50K miles out of factory pads. Pad life has a lot to do with how a car is used and where.
I'm easy on brakes, always have been.
 
I got thru a set of Mintex on an auto in 15k miles. Nearly had hearty. Local specialist says that's about right, they're hellish heavy on pads, but they are only £18 a set!
 
Thanks for all the input folks :tea::smokin:
As expected there is a margin in all of the replies from 15-40K miles +.
When I first had the Hippo the pads were low and I decided to replace them and fit new discs at the same time. The inner pads on the l.h. side were worn more than the others ad I put this down to the guide pins being seized. Fitted new pins and cleared the crud from the holes in the caliper to free them up....this set of pads (Ferodo) lasted around 10K miles.
I then decided to remove the calipers and found the pistons having sllght rusting. The bores of the caliper were cleaned up using a hone and pistons, seals etc.were replaced together with the brake fluid. New Mintex pads were fitted and the guide pins lubed with Girling specific brake grease.
Doing a quick visual check with the wheels on the other day....It has been about 15K miles since that was done, it looks like the pads have worn down by about 50%. Being a nice sunny day here I shall whip both wheels off, check the amount of material left and also whether the wear is even.
Watch this space for the results !!!
 
:behindsofa:

Hi again folks......Removed the front wheels and checked the pad wear on both sides.
All 4 pads have around 9mm plus left on them, they have all worn evenly and have done approx. 20K miles since being fitted.
Although it is a bit hilly in places round here and some of the lanes are twisty it appears to bear up with you folks that are getting 30K plus miles from a set.
Thanks again for all the input guys. :):clap2::clap2:

P.S. Time to light the BBQ, burn some meat and open a bottle of the red stuff (Not Ribena !!)
 
Had a quick visual at the pads when checking the tyre pressures earlier, I'd guess there is 5mm left. They are Mintex pads and have done 27k, that's on an auto too.

Enjoy your BBQ and wine, just having a glass myself!
 
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I recon it depends of the quality of the pads ,buy cheap and they will not last long unless you park it up and leave it, just having a nice cup of tea.
 
Mine are no idea now lol, but they will have been cheap I'm tight, 12mnths in and just swapped them out as needed new discs with at least 15mm left, discs were pretty worn and scared and I'm a lead foot heavy breaker, so I'd say they are fairly long lasting to say its a front wheel drive heavy braking system..
 
I was going to ask the same question once upon a time as mine dont seem to last more than 20k...now the discs will need replacing as they have serious lips on them....Its a huge heavy car and mostly used aound town...plus the auto box constantly pulling on them dont help...
 
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