Oppopinions: Are These Good for Another 1,500 Miles?

"FTTOHG Has Moved to https://opposite-lock.com" (alphaass)
03/23/2019 at 12:29 • Filed to: Subaru

OE pads and rotors on a ‘13 Outback with 85k mostly highway miles. Was going to R&R today ahead of my wife taking it on a 1,200 mile round trip on Thursday. She was complaining of squeaks/squeals. Parts I ordered got delayed and won’t make it in time. Pulled them today to see if I needed to throw some O’Reilly parts on for a safe trip, but they look like they have plenty of life left to me. Noise looks like it’s just from a buildup of dust and lack of grease on the backs of the pads. Thoughts?

DISCUSSION (45)

gmctavish needs more space > FTTOHG Has Moved to https://opposite-lock.com
03/23/2019 at 12:41

Jesus those look new. 85k miles? That’s impressive .

Khalbali > FTTOHG Has Moved to https://opposite-lock.com
03/23/2019 at 12:46

Those look awesome to me, maybe just try a little BG stop squeal? Seems a shame to replace those, those look like 6mm of pad at least, as a tech I wouldn't recommend them until 2-3 and they probably started out around 12 or so, so you're only like halfway through their potential life.

FTTOHG Has Moved to https://opposite-lock.com > gmctavish needs more space
03/23/2019 at 12:49

Yeah probably half of those miles were on IH10 back and forth between Phoenix and San Antonio.

jimz > gmctavish needs more space
03/23/2019 at 12:49

aside from a few outliers with under-spec’ed brakes (e.g. 2008-2010 Caravan/Town & Country) it’s amazing how long brake pads can last these days.

ITA97, now with more Jag @ opposite-lock.com > FTTOHG Has Moved to https://opposite-lock.com
03/23/2019 at 12:49

Those have plenty of life left in them. You’ll have no problems throwing them back on for awhile. You could put a dab of lube/anti-seize in the brackets when you put it back together and see if that takes care of the squeak.

jimz > FTTOHG Has Moved to https://opposite-lock.com
03/23/2019 at 12:50

shit, you’ve probably got another 50 to 80k left on those. they’re nowhere near down to the squealer (wear indicator) clips yet. do what the other guy said and apply a “stop squeal” dressing.

edit: the usual cause of brake squeal is the rotor vibrating. the specific friction condition between the pads and the rotor set up a vibration kind of like when you rub a damp finger around the rim of a wine glass. the rotor- being rigid cast iron- vibrates at a high pitch. Stop squeal dressings add a thin layer of sticky material between the pads and the caliper/piston which adds damping to prevent the vibration from starting.

brake squeal is annoying, but it’s almost never a sign of an actual problem. except- of course- if the squeal is coming from the wear indicator clip.

dumpsterfire! > FTTOHG Has Moved to https://opposite-lock.com
03/23/2019 at 12:51

Plenty of life there, for sure.

gmporschenut also a fan of hondas > FTTOHG Has Moved to https://opposite-lock.com
03/23/2019 at 12:53

Squea ks/squeals while braking or all the time?

It is possible for pads to glaze up and loose some of their friction before wearing out , and for the rotors to go through too many heat cycles, but those pretty good to me. Maybe an expert could chim in.

FTTOHG Has Moved to https://opposite-lock.com > jimz
03/23/2019 at 12:54

Thanks. That’s what I figured. About 5k ago we got tires replaced at the dealer (hazard warranty) and they “put it on the machine and you really need to do the brakes soon or it’ll be a hazard.” I figured it was typical dealer BS but when it’s your family in the car and a safety thing they are good at getting in your head and making you second guess yourself.

415s30 W123TSXWaggoIIIIIIo ( •_•))°) > FTTOHG Has Moved to https://opposite-lock.com
03/23/2019 at 12:54

I commute to SF, so my CRV brakes will never go that long!

FTTOHG Has Moved to https://opposite-lock.com > gmporschenut also a fan of hondas
03/23/2019 at 12:56

While breaking. If it were all the time I’d have been crawling around the font suspension looking for it days ago. I changed the oil and rotated the tires last weekend and then took it on a drive long enough to warm up everything . A side from a high pitched squeal when I first hit the brake pedal everything about the car sounded and felt normal.

jimz > gmporschenut also a fan of hondas
03/23/2019 at 12:58

glazing usually brings along a noticeable drop in braking performance since the coefficient of friction between the pads and rotors has changed. Modern OE semi-metallic brake pads are pretty resistant to it; if you’ve done enough wrong to glaze the pads you probably also have heat checking on the rotor(s.)

FTTOHG Has Moved to https://opposite-lock.com > 415s30 W123TSXWaggoIIIIIIo ( •_•))°)
03/23/2019 at 12:58

Depends so much on location and style. My mom commutes in urban Pittsburgh - not as hilly as SF but still hilly and is a floor it and s lam on the brakes driver no matter what the conditions. She totally shot the brakes in her ‘14 Impreza front and back in 30k.

gmporschenut also a fan of hondas > FTTOHG Has Moved to https://opposite-lock.com
03/23/2019 at 13:01

I’m not sure the style on the outback.

One thing to check, the guide plates that the pads sit in, before you grease the front, try and carefully remove the plate from the capliper bracket , and clean out any grim and crap that may build up behind it.

I say carefully as some snap into place. If dirt or rust builds up, the guide can prevent the pad from sliding smoothly.

Kinja'd!!!

jimz > FTTOHG Has Moved to https://opposite-lock.com
03/23/2019 at 13:01

put it on what “machine?” brakes are almost always purely a visual inspection. if you’ve checked all four corners and they’re all like that, you’re good.

415s30 W123TSXWaggoIIIIIIo ( •_•))°) > FTTOHG Has Moved to https://opposite-lock.com
03/23/2019 at 13:05

Well my usual route to work would be a hoot if it were closed for me, I got the Golden Gate Bridge, tunnels, hills and major elevation changes. I have to keep my speed up or people mug you trying to cheat with turn lanes etc... so a lot of it is probably defending my position!

FTTOHG Has Moved to https://opposite-lock.com > jimz
03/23/2019 at 13:07

Beats me. Some red dohickey that they place over the wheels and it spits out a measurement on a PC screen. Not sure if it’s real or just upsell BS. We never had anything like that in the 90’s when I worked in a shop. We just pulled wheels and measured with a gauge. Usually during a rotation with an oil change.

just-a-scratch > FTTOHG Has Moved to https://opposite-lock.com
03/23/2019 at 13:08

It l ooks like there is plenty of material left on those. I would just reassemble it with some of the brake quieting goo on the backing ood the pads.

My bird IS the word > FTTOHG Has Moved to https://opposite-lock.com
03/23/2019 at 13:11

If your breaks are squealing but stopping just fine, the issue is the back of the pad usually. They make both an anti-squeal paste and a spray, but basically the back of the pad is rubbing against the caliper. Not a big deal, pads have a ton of life left. I can’t tell you whether the spray or the paste works better (I’ve used the spray) but all you need to do is apply some and it should go away. Don’t get any on the pad surface.

jimz > FTTOHG Has Moved to https://opposite-lock.com
03/23/2019 at 13:16

the only thing I’ve seen which works that way are those optical/laser wheel alignment checkers.

https://www.hunter.com/inspection/quick-check

the Ford dealers I bring my truck to run all cars brought in for service through one of those.

shop-teacher > FTTOHG Has Moved to https://opposite-lock.com
03/23/2019 at 13:22

Those look like they have several thousand miles left on them.

shop-teacher > jimz
03/23/2019 at 13:23

It really is amazing how long they can last these days . I’ve got over 70k miles on the front pads of my ‘06 Sierra, and they’re still going.

LongbowMkII > FTTOHG Has Moved to https://opposite-lock.com
03/23/2019 at 13:41

That stretch needs some good podcasts

Stapleface-Now Hyphenated! > jimz
03/23/2019 at 13:43

Tell that to my wife. I'm about to replace her front pads on her 2010 Corolla again. She has 123k, and this will be the 4th set of pads the car has had. I did the rotors too last time. I'd love to know just what the hell she does to her brakes.

Spamfeller Loves Nazi Clicks > FTTOHG Has Moved to https://opposite-lock.com
03/23/2019 at 13:53

Yeah, you’ve got worn out grease woes. Those pads and rotors have a TON of life left in them . You’re nowhere near the squealers. The pads DO have some glazing though , so I would rough them up a little with sandpaper.

You also need to re-grease the pin clips on the caliper. Those are the little bent metal things between the caliper and caliper bracket. Little dab of copper grease.

Basically, do all the greasing you would with new pads (grease doesn’t last as long as pads,) throw ‘em back together as is, and toss your new parts on the shelf to be used in ~20-30k.

merged-5876237249235911857-hrw8uc > FTTOHG Has Moved to https://opposite-lock.com
03/23/2019 at 13:54

Those are fine for a bit. Just clean the slides really well and lubricate the spots where the pads ride in the slots and where the pistons touch the back of the pad. Should help with the noise a bit.

Boxer_4 > FTTOHG Has Moved to https://opposite-lock.com
03/23/2019 at 14:08

I’m going off of memory here, but I believe the wear limit on the pads are 1.5 mm all around, with the starting thickness being 11 mm front and 9 mm rear. These are all friction material measurements, And does not include the backing plate.

Honestly, you’re probably fine based on the photos. It probably wouldn’t hurt to regrease the backs of the pads, and possibly the caliper slide pins. I personally use AGS Silglyde, but any silicone brake grease should be fine. Make sure whatever you use is safe for rubber.

brianbrannon > FTTOHG Has Moved to https://opposite-lock.com
03/23/2019 at 14:23

New pads are 10mm thick, those look like 5-6mm. You do the math

jimz > Stapleface-Now Hyphenated!
03/23/2019 at 14:25

Does she left-foot brake?

Boxer_4 > FTTOHG Has Moved to https://opposite-lock.com
03/23/2019 at 14:29

Also curious; what pads (& rotors?) you ordered. I’m always curious to see what others are doing.

I went Akebono Pro/ACT ceramic pads and centric premium rotors on the last round.

Stapleface-Now Hyphenated! > jimz
03/23/2019 at 15:09

I could almost see that if she does. But no. She's just a lousy driver. She doesn't understand the concept of slowly braking. What's weird to me is that her OEM pads lasted till about 65k. Since then I've gotten only about 30k per set of pads. You wouldn't think that the OEM pads are that much better than the OEM equivalents sold by Rock Auto.

jimz > Stapleface-Now Hyphenated!
03/23/2019 at 15:18

actually I would. believe it or not, brakes are one of those things the average consumer has come to expect to last for 100,000 miles. So the OEMs generally design the brake system to maximize pad longevity and braking performance. The down side is OEM pads tend to generate a lot more dust.

FTTOHG Has Moved to https://opposite-lock.com > Boxer_4
03/23/2019 at 15:27

Bosch quietcast. Seems like a good mid tier step between the cheap junk and the performance stuff above that. Akebono is the OEM supplier for Subaru I believe and I’ve heard good things.

FTTOHG Has Moved to https://opposite-lock.com > brianbrannon
03/23/2019 at 15:28

That’s what I was thinking. I guess my mind just seized up when I comes to it being my family in the car far away from me.

FTTOHG Has Moved to https://opposite-lock.com > Boxer_4
03/23/2019 at 15:30

Yeah definitely lots of pads left before the squealer but I wasn’t sure where the wear limit really was. Seems like a lot of friction material left.

FTTOHG Has Moved to https://opposite-lock.com > LongbowMkII
03/23/2019 at 15:34

I’m not really a podcast person but my wife is obsessed with real crime story podcasts like My Favorite Murder so usually I let her pick. A lot of that stretch was with little kids in the back seat so there was much listening to the audio of movies playing on an iPad that I could hear but not see. I think I can recite the entire script of Descipible Me from memory by now.

FTTOHG Has Moved to https://opposite-lock.com > jimz
03/23/2019 at 15:40

Just checked. That sure looks like what it was. They do it when you pull the car up. Then tell you that you need brakes. Fuckers.

Boxer_4 > FTTOHG Has Moved to https://opposite-lock.com
03/23/2019 at 15:59

That looks like maybe 4mm of friction material left? The engineer in me would want to measure the thickness though (I keep a set of dial calipers available for this reason, among others, probably overkill ) .

1.5mm is the wear limit, though I think most shops start pushing replacement around 3.5mm or so.

Boxer_4 > FTTOHG Has Moved to https://opposite-lock.com
03/23/2019 at 16:19

I’ve had the Akebonos for 8k miles at this point and have been happy so far. I do believe Akebono is the OEM supplier for Subaru. Two sets of the OEM pads were run on this car before the Pro/ACTs (3 sets in total now).

So far the Pro/ACTs seem better than OEM as far as performance goes. Cheaper than the dealer price, too. I’m not surprised though. I think the pads were $40 an axle.

You’ll have to report back on the Bosch. I never gave them much thought before on brake pads.

Tohru > FTTOHG Has Moved to https://opposite-lock.com
03/23/2019 at 16:34

My personal policy is not to replace pads until the metal wear indicator starts making contact. Your pads have a lot of life left in them.

What I would do is clean up the face of the pads and the rotor with a red Scotch-Brite abrasive pad to take the shine off, spray the rotor with CRC De-Squeak, and then re-lube the slider pins as well as the grooves in the caliper mount that the pads ride in.

facw > FTTOHG Has Moved to https://opposite-lock.com
03/23/2019 at 16:43

Yeah, lots of meat there. Like everyone else says, clean and grease the backing and sliders while you’ve got everything apart, and it should be good for quite a while.

wafflesnfalafel > FTTOHG Has Moved to https://opposite-lock.com
03/23/2019 at 17:14

yeah - pads look totally fine, maybe slightly glazed or something

E92M3 > FTTOHG Has Moved to https://opposite-lock.com
03/23/2019 at 17:18

Those look good for another 40k miles to me.

gmctavish needs more space > FTTOHG Has Moved to https://opposite-lock.com
03/23/2019 at 20:34

I’m guessing that’s a long straight road with little traffic?

FTTOHG Has Moved to https://opposite-lock.com > gmctavish needs more space
03/23/2019 at 20:45

Omg sorry I totally forgot you weren’t US my bad. Yeah IH10 is shorthand for Interstate Highway 10. Runs east-west across the Southern US. San Antonio to Phoenix is 1000 miles straight with El Paso, TX and Tucson, AZ being the only two cities of any significant size along the way.