Brake Wear Survey

"GreenN_Gold" (GreenN_Gold)
02/02/2016 at 11:52 • Filed to: None

How common is it to have more rear break wear than front break wear? With my last car (disc/drum) the front break wear was noticeably faster, and this made perfect sense to me, and my understanding is that this is the norm.

However, I just had a brake inspection on my current car (it was free with my service) which is 4-wheel disc, and they told me I had about 40% life in rear and about 50% life in front. Granted, this is pretty even wear, but I was just shocked that the rears are wearing faster. I was expecting the other way around.

DISCUSSION (32)

HammerheadFistpunch > GreenN_Gold
02/02/2016 at 11:58

Typically drums wear very slowly compared to disc. *BREAK*

So I’m not surprised to hear that was the case, however rear discs wearing faster than the fronts is somewhat unusual.

450X_FTW > GreenN_Gold
02/02/2016 at 11:58

I had about 40% life in rear and about 50% life in front.

Doing some brake torque burnouts are we?

GMart > GreenN_Gold
02/02/2016 at 12:00

Lotsa questions -

What kinda car?

Were the pads installed front and rear at the same time?

...using the same pads?

....and the same rotors?

Do you use the parking brake for anything other than parking?

When were they last bled?

I wouldn’t be concerned, it’s just one ‘o those things. This is oversimplifying things, but if the rear pads are thinner than the fronts (when new) than the same physical wear on both would leave less life remaining in the rear.

Khalbali > GreenN_Gold
02/02/2016 at 12:00

The rear pads may have been slightly thinner to begin with, I see this on pretty much every Mazda.

Ash78, voting early and often > GreenN_Gold
02/02/2016 at 12:02

Depdends on the bias engineered into the car and your driving habits. I’ve seen road warriors (90%+ highway) go through TWO sets of rears for every set of fronts.

A lot of cars have slight rear bias under mild braking to prevent nosediving. Also, rear discs and pads are usually a lot smaller than fronts, which can contribute.

jariten1781 > GreenN_Gold
02/02/2016 at 12:03

VW's wear their rear brakes stupid fast. Rumor has it it's an anti-dive feature...all I know is it's obnoxious...seriously, if you're going to brake the rears harder to prevent dive then size up the system so they wear at the same rate.

Steve in Manhattan > GreenN_Gold
02/02/2016 at 12:06

Tom & Ray always said that the front brakes did most of the work stopping the car because of weight transfer.

crowmolly > GreenN_Gold
02/02/2016 at 12:12

I think it depends on the car and driving style.

IIRC the rear brakes engage before the fronts to help with stability, and I’d guess that if you do a lot of light pedal slowing down you may be using the rears more.

GreenN_Gold > GMart
02/02/2016 at 12:13

WRX, brakes are still “new”/factory, no parking brake shennanigans, never bled. I’m suspecting it’s a case of smaller rear pads to begin with.

Also, the car has 60,000 miles, so brake wear has been pretty minimal overall.

GreenN_Gold > HammerheadFistpunch
02/02/2016 at 12:15

I suspected that was the case. I honestly don’t recall if I ever had to change the rear drums on my last car, and that was 114k miles.

GreenN_Gold > 450X_FTW
02/02/2016 at 12:16

Indeed not. No monkey business. Just normal wear.

GreenN_Gold > Khalbali
02/02/2016 at 12:17

I’m suspecting that’s the answer. It’s a 2010 WRX.

Future next gen S2000 owner > GreenN_Gold
02/02/2016 at 12:18

Something to consider, does the TC use the rear brake as a way to rotate the car? Kinda related, but I knew a guy with a GT500 that was constantly going through rear pads because of the TC using the rear brakes to limit wheel spin.

Something like that could be going on.

Future next gen S2000 owner > GreenN_Gold
02/02/2016 at 12:19

I’m disappointed. Shenanigans need to be had.

GreenN_Gold > Ash78, voting early and often
02/02/2016 at 12:19

I suspect thinner pads on the back is part of the answer. I can’t speak to the brake bias. It’s a 2010 WRX. I can tell you my car spends 90% of it’s life in slow heavy traffic, which would correlate to a lot of mild braking, as you suggest.

GreenN_Gold > jariten1781
02/02/2016 at 12:21

It’s a 2010 WRX. After reading through replies, I suspect it’s a combination of rear brake bias and smaller rear pads. I spend lots of time in traffic.

GreenN_Gold > Steve in Manhattan
02/02/2016 at 12:21

Right, that’s always been my general understanding, which is why I wanted to get to the bottom of this.

GreenN_Gold > crowmolly
02/02/2016 at 12:22

Yep, lots of light pedal slowing.

GreenN_Gold > Future next gen S2000 owner
02/02/2016 at 12:24

I would be surprised if that’s the cause in my case. It’s AWD with lots of traction and spends most of it’s life in traffic. You have to really try to get the TC involved.

GreenN_Gold > Future next gen S2000 owner
02/02/2016 at 12:27

I have fun with the gas pedal. I try to leave the brake pedal out of my high jinks.

HammerheadFistpunch > GreenN_Gold
02/02/2016 at 12:32

I found this out researching brake shoe replacement for Tacoma’s (a new truck with drum brakes ZOMG!!!) and discovered that not only does the Tacoma stop shorter than the Colorado C&D tested...on more off road biased tires...but that the replacement interval for the drums for most people is well over 100k. Not to get all preachy but people need to get off their drum brake hate. For a light duty pickup truck I’m not convinced that the pros of long life and reduced fade outweight the cons shorter pad life and increased cost.

Steve in Manhattan > GreenN_Gold
02/02/2016 at 12:43

I don’t know if this is the case anymore, but I think there is a way to adjust the brakes to balance them. Now someone can tell me I’m wrong - I never did anything to brakes other than change pads.

tythegeek > GreenN_Gold
02/02/2016 at 13:01

In my experience you change you rear brakes about every second time you change the front. So second time you have to change the front, check the rear.

GreenN_Gold > HammerheadFistpunch
02/02/2016 at 14:01

I’ll just add a slight counterpoint based on my limited 2-car sample. While the rear drums lasted forever on the old car, the front discs did not last near as long as the front discs seem to be lasting on my current, slightly heavier car. Perhaps the 4-disc set up is taking some burden off the front brakes, adding to their life.

GreenN_Gold > Steve in Manhattan
02/02/2016 at 14:04

I’m sure it can be done, but I don’t think it’s easy, or particularly recommended.

In NASCAR they have a dial right on the dash where the drivers can make in-race adjustments. Maybe I just need to drive a race car to work.

GreenN_Gold > tythegeek
02/02/2016 at 14:06

Except at this rate the rears will wear out first. Neither front nor rear have ever been changed so far.

HammerheadFistpunch > GreenN_Gold
02/02/2016 at 14:10

Possible, I think a balanced approach is the key. I can tell you that my fronts wear out faster than my rears by a wide margin and it is 4 corner disc

tythegeek > GreenN_Gold
02/02/2016 at 17:34

Yep, what you are experiencing is really odd and counter to what I have ever seen or heard of.

GreenN_Gold > tythegeek
02/02/2016 at 18:06

Yep, next time I will get a second opinion somewhere else just to see if they give me similar brake wear findings.

Although it was the dealer that checked them, not a shady operation, so I would hope they know what they’re talking about.

gmporschenut also a fan of hondas > GreenN_Gold
02/02/2016 at 22:10

rear bias to promote understeer?

GreenN_Gold > gmporschenut also a fan of hondas
02/03/2016 at 11:12

Not sure, but it does understeer. Can confirm.

Boxer_4 > HammerheadFistpunch
02/03/2016 at 17:59

The person we sold our ‘99 Camry to finally needed to replace the drums at 170,000 miles. Drums aren’t as bad as people say they are.