How long are brake pads supposed to last?

Just a general query.. how long do a set of pads typically last?

I get my tyres/wheels rotated every 5-10'000 km and get my pads/discs checked every time.
Just bought some new tyres and had them checked again, but the pads are still really thick.
But I've done 60'000km on those pads... so what's going on?
Is there any harm in this? Surely there must be another explanation other than the pads just lasting a really long time?

[Mr Hardware]

Anywhere between about 45k (loaded up, city driving, heavy braking) to 150k (highway driving, tough pad, light braking, small load)

Oh. Cheers.
I went and spoke to another shop re: how long pads should be lasting, and they said 20'000 to 30'000km. I thought I had some freak-of-nature pads.

[Jim Goose]

Orginal pads on my AUII Wagon lasted 120,000km.....

I did 100,000 in my previous wagon before it needed pads.

If it lasts a long time i wouldnt be questioning it!!! lol

It all depends on how you drive to, I see people constantly jamming on the brakes late at high speed when the lights have been red for a while.
And also what sort of pads the car has too.

[Nic85]

Depends on lots of factors. Type of driving, driving style, type of pads etc. Some pads are quite passive and will let the rotor eat into them and create a lot of dust, while some pads are aggressive and will eat the rotor.

My old man sold a 2002 Monaro a few years back with 130,00kms on it with the original brake pads still on it. Had heaps of meat left on them too. 90% of his driving was highway, so they lasted ages.

On the other hand, I have a few mates in the coppers who reckon their Falcons go through pads every 15,000kms.

Originally Posted by Nic85

while some pads are aggressive and will eat the rotor.

That was my worry as I'm now getting some shudder when braking at 100km/hr.
The car has 118'000km on it. I've now heard a few people say machining the discs will cause them to warp again even quicker than last time, so is 118'000km an expected time to need new discs?

[Nic85]

Originally Posted by leesa

That was my worry as I'm now getting some shudder when braking at 100km/hr.
The car has 118'000km on it. I've now heard a few people say machining the discs will cause them to warp again even quicker than last time, so is 118'000km an expected time to need new discs?

Yeah mate. Different people will have different opinions on this, but I'm of the belief that whenever you change pads you should change discs too, or at the very least get them machined. Getting them machined just makes them thinner, and they can really only be machined once, maybe twice. So I always just replace rotors too when I replace pads.

[XRtowcar]

Got to replace the pads and rotors on the wifes Peugeot.
Got 70,000 out of them.
Brake shop guy thinks she a magician as he's seen them both go at 30,000,
discs undersize and pads stuffed.

[Bossxr8]

Originally Posted by leesa

That was my worry as I'm now getting some shudder when braking at 100km/hr.
The car has 118'000km on it. I've now heard a few people say machining the discs will cause them to warp again even quicker than last time, so is 118'000km an expected time to need new discs?

If they are the original discs i'd say there probably wouldn't be much meat left on them to machine anyway, they might be under the minimum thickness.

[Bossxr8]

Originally Posted by XRtowcar

Got to replace the pads and rotors on the wifes Peugeot.
Got 70,000 out of them.
Brake shop guy thinks she a magician as he's seen them both go at 30,000,
discs undersize and pads stuffed.

Euro cars have a reputation for chewing through pads and rotors in a short amount of time.

[svo supporter]

Originally Posted by Nic85

Depends on lots of factors. Type of driving, driving style, type of pads etc. Some pads are quite passive and will let the rotor eat into them and create a lot of dust, while some pads are aggressive and will eat the rotor.

.

Hit the nail on the head.

[stue]

i got just over 70 thousand on the front of an au2 they were pretty thin when i swapped them out the rears have done over 85 thousand

[cedric]

160000 on my au xr8 ute, original pads and rotors,starting to get a bit of shudder from high speed stops

[mik]

lots of factors effect how long brakes and rotors last, including how the car is driven, some people drive spiritedly all the time, my young brother is a classic example, he drives spiritedly, also rather than take the freeway across melbourne which often is bumper to bumper with lots of slow crawling, he goes the back way with lots of short cuts through back streets, accelerating and braking hard for speed humps and turns, brakes last him a very short time.

[Powdered Toast Man]

I've done 126000kms in my BA on the original pads and rotors. Front rotors have been machined once.

I'm just about to buy some newys I think, had a brake scare yesterday although its stopping fine again today.

[Professor Farnsworth]

my last set of pads on the EL lasted 48,000KM in start stop heavy footed braking situations. Inner-suburban peak hour, with MANY, MANY hard stops (follow a lot of Toyotas). My Dad's BA XT had the original brake pads on it from the factory from 2003 up until late last year when it was traded at about 115,000KM or more. That was country KM, manual.

[Fiesta_Man69]

Rotors and pads both gone by 40K on WS Fiesta - asked Ford, they said because the car was European that was 'normal,' which is bs.

On my 97 Mirage I got 60K out of pads, went well past 100K for rotors.
On my 92 R32GTR got 40K out of pads, 80K for rotors (these included some track days too).

[EDManual]

I used to go through pads quite quickly.
5000 to 6000km was all I would get out of them on Hyundai accents, as I had them flat out all the time. I got trade prices at Geelong Brake and Clutch as I go in there every month for pads!! Had about 4-5 years buying pads every month (had 2 accents)!!
In my 2007 Elantra I was getting more like 20,000 so that was pretty good!
In my New Diesel Triton dual cab GLR ute I got somewhere near 40,000. Pretty good i was thinking!!

You must all drive like grandmas! haha!

[Professor Farnsworth]

Originally Posted by EDManual

You must all drive like grandmas! haha!

not at all, you must drive like a mad man

but i think we established that years ago lol

[svo supporter]

An ex-boss had a 2009 Voyager. He got 15,000 from front pads and rotors, which I was told was brilliant mileage for round town driving.

[FGII-XR6]

as said above it depends on how you drive. as far as your rotors are concerned if there is enough meat get them machined ( there should be) but according to DBA it is essential to clean all scale of the mating faces on the hub and rotor or the shudder will return

[Bossxr8]

Originally Posted by Fiesta_Man69

Rotors and pads both gone by 40K on WS Fiesta - asked Ford, they said because the car was European that was 'normal,' which is bs.

On my 97 Mirage I got 60K out of pads, went well past 100K for rotors.
On my 92 R32GTR got 40K out of pads, 80K for rotors (these included some track days too).

That is about normal for a Euro Ford, and quite normal for most Euro cars. The Europeans tend to like very bitey brakes so they run soft discs to provide more bite, but they wear much quicker.

You won't find the same thing with brakes on Jap cars.

[Gabbs]

Just had the pads changed on the Pulsar unsure if it was the original as we bought it second hand but my mechanic said it had Nissan written on the pads so could be originals. Car had 94 thousand on the clock. Did the falcon brakes at 60k and they still had some meat on them but changed them as I had the dreaded ba shudder. Thats now up to 104 and still going strong. I'm pretty easy on my brakes though as both cars are manual I tend to gear down to slow down for lights.

[Mercury 8]

Originally Posted by Fiesta_Man69

Rotors and pads both gone by 40K on WS Fiesta - asked Ford, they said because the car was European that was 'normal,' which is bs.

On my 97 Mirage I got 60K out of pads, went well past 100K for rotors.
On my 92 R32GTR got 40K out of pads, 80K for rotors (these included some track days too).

45k on one of our Ford's,back pads are gone! Maybe I should be jumping up and down and bag Ford every chance I can!! Or maybe i just get on with life and spend 45 minutes down in the garage and put in the new set of pads I picked up yesterday for $42 and move on!! LOL. Hard choice!

[Rodge]

Depends on your terrain too. If you live in a very hilly area you'll chew pads and rotors quicker than people living in flatter areas.

[meatbag]

I get 10,000ks out of my fronts. 15-20,000 out of the rears.

That sais, I do the occasional track day and lots of spirited driving through the hills and twisties so choose a pad accordingly. i.e. aggressive type pads.

[csv8]

My BF Mk 2 Ghia, pads are at 90,000kms. City driving.

[bmorris]

I've got 70000 km out of my current pads, had the rotors machined once for brake shudder on my BF XR6

[Kevaclone]

My XE had new brake pads fitted when I bought it, 9 years later with another 216,000klms on the clock they still passed RWC, discs needed machining though
mostly HWY driving and using gears for slowing(old BW auto)

My Landcruiser(Manual) hasn't had a brake change in the 8 years and 160,000 klms I've owned it
Prado(auto) is 2 years old and has 75,000klms still on the original brakes but
Prado changes down gears when brakes are applied or on long downhill runs

on the other hand my BA sedan had two brake changes in the 6 years/100,000klms we owned it

Brake material, driving style, gearbox type and vehicle use determines brake life

[gaz084]

I carry around 700kg in a xl ba ute everyday with abit of heavy braking ive done 7000k and there starting to squeal.