O.E. brake pads

[THE BIGPUNN]

i was told that Sierra front brake pads from the manufacture, were lasting about 40k. i was wondering what kind of input forum members had about how long the OE pads lasted. also, what kind of pads to replace with. my truck is just over 32K and i was considering replacing them in the spring.

[RyanbabZ71]

i had my rears replaced at like 17K.  I had a squeak in one of the brakes.  They decided to replace the pads on the back

 

I think the claim of 40K is low.  There are people out there with alot more miles on the original pads.  Ive read a few cases on pacific audio.  The new trucks have longer life pads

[95Yukon]

a lot of it is dependant on driving habits, but 30-40K is usually normal for OE pads. Some go 60K+ miles, but it depends on what type of driving you do. Better to put new pads on earlier than needed, it could save a lot of expense.

[Z71Adrenaline]

We just replaced our OE brake pads at 80,000 miles all around.  One of the pads had fallen off of the bracket and because of that we had almost ruined a rotor   but we caught it in time and had it fixed.

[colosilverado]

Ryan, did they replace that rear pad under warranty? I have one that sqeaks, too, and it drives me nuts.

[RyanbabZ71]

COLO

 

yes the pads were replaced under warranty.

 

They also turned both rear rotors

 

I got lucky the mechanic working on my truck said "could not duplicate" but when he was leaving he hit the brakes and they squeaked. The shop foreman knew why my truck was in and had him turn the truck right around and fix it

[sierra1]

I'm kind of shocked that they really last this long, I usually ended up doing my fronts at around 24-28K in past vehicles.  They usually weren't quite ready yet but were getting pretty close.  I just looked at them and with 19,500+, there's a lot left from what I could see.  

 

How about rotors, anyone had to do the brakes, and buy a rotor too at the same time??

[95Yukon]

Just a comment on brake longevity in general,

The rotor condition plays a big part in how long the pads last. If you put new pads on and the rotors measure out just above minimum thickness after being machined, that set of pads won't last as long as they would if the rotors were full thickness, or new.

Rotors act as a heat sink. More metal increases it's ability to run cooler under braking. Cooler rotors make the pads last longer because the heat eats up the pads quicker if they are thin. Thicker rotors also resist warping (pulsation) better for the same reason.

Lug nuts should be evenly torqued as well. A lot of warped rotors are caused by the combination of heat and uneven torquing of the wheel studs.

I've seen brakes last anywhere from 15k-90k miles. It's all a combination of driving habits and condition of all the brake parts. Also has a lot to do with who does the brakejob. Calipers which stick slightly and do not allow the pads to fully release will cause them to drag. Sticking caliper sliders will cause the same thing. It's all the little things and attention to detail when a brakejob is performed which can make pads (or shoes) last longer.

[GreenRado]

Sierra1:

 

You also want to remember that these pads were specially developed to last longer than the previous generation ones they replaced (according to GM).  They were much thicker, and, if I remember right from the early propaganda info, were designed to last up to 4X longer.

 

Looks like they hit that on the mark, at least for some.  I have ~41K miles now, and still a good 3/8" left on the fronts.  Not sure about the backs.

 

There's not doubt that pad life is a direct function of driving habits and the maintenance and condition of associated parts, as 95YUKON mentioned.

 

Happy New Year everyone - just got back into town.  

[lauriet1]

I had new stainless steel splash guards put on my truck this weekend (at a local RV Dealer where I'm purchasing a slide in camper).  The wheels had to be removed to put them on and during the process the installer showed me that my rear rotors are scored with a series of gouged lines.  He said "he's never seen wear like that".  The truck has 16.8 K on it, 2K of which are my miles since I bought it.  Going to my regular mechanic tomorrow to see if the brakes were truly "passable" on inspection.  If not, back to the "used" dealer I bought it from, since they put an inspection sticker on it.  I can't believe I need to put brakes (and probably rotors) on what is basically a brand new truck.  Anyone else have this problem?  Needless to say....I'm very disappointed.