Proactive brake replacement at 50k? How long did your brakes last?

[gpbst3]

I currently have 50k on my 1900 Ram. All city/suburban driving. I have occasionally had the rotor shakes when stopping. I plan on keeping the truck another 2 years. Im thinking of changing the front brakes now so I get to use the new brake rather than replacing them before a trade in. I guess there is no harm other than the cost.

 

[silver billet]

I currently have 50k on my 1900 Ram. All city/suburban driving. I have occasionally had the rotor shakes when stopping. I plan on keeping the truck another 2 years. Im thinking of changing the front brakes now so I get to use the new brake rather than replacing them before a trade in. I guess there is no harm other than the cost.

Probably driver/conditions dependent, there is a truck on YT (truck central) that just replaced factory brakes on a 2019 with 240k miles, fronts needed replacing but the rears could have run longer. Very impressive.

 

[OCD Solutions]

I replaced mine at 115K miles. Lot's of pad life left but like you, I had a bit of shaking so I did pads and rotors as part of my 100k mile refresh.

I also felt they weren't grabbing as well as they could after an emergency braking moment a month or two earlier to avoid some deer and I had some glazing and warping afterwards.

 

[DEG]

My last Ram had 85000 miles on the original brakes with plenty of life left when I traded it.

I see no reason to proactively replace brakes before they need to be replaced. Remaining pad life is easy to determine when rotating the tires.

 

[theblet]

I have 120k on my Jeep with the original pads. The indicator is going to touch soon on the front but still going strong

 

[Anchor Down]

58,000 miles on my 2020 Ram Laramie Sport and mechanics noted "good to go, see you at 100,000."

 

[Mountain Whiskey]

I have 55k on mine and the pads looked like they are half way there still. I have oversized tires and a block of lead hanging off the end of my leg. I am impressed.

No reason to change early. What difference can you feel? The piston on the caliper does not retract. The half pad is in the same position as a new pad. The same bake friction material rubbing on the same rotor material. Putting new pads on early is just pushing a little brake fluid back to the rez.

Don't force fluid to the rez. What kind of animal are you?

 

[Quark]

I have never actually used up a whole set of brakes on any car I’ve owned. My GF however can run through a set of brakes in 20k mi.

 

[theblet]

I have never actually used up a whole set of brakes on any car I’ve owned. My GF however can run through a set of brakes in 20k mi.

Women like to put the brakes on huh?

 

[boogielander]

Women like to put the brakes on huh?

bro i have a customer (female) needing new pads in 20k miles. Car's only got 20k on the clock.
and she's asking me if the new ones will last longer...

told her they will if she drives properly.

 

[Cueva del Osos]

50k on my 2019 and brakes are still close to new. Guess I owe dad for teaching us to coast down at intersections and try to never apply brakes over 30 mph.

 

[SD Rebel]

I don't think I've owned any new vehicle that needed new brake pads. That's usually 4-7 years of ownership up to 60,000 miles of driving. I've had to change plenty of my old German beaters, but that's usually deferred maintenance by the previous 7 owners.

What's funny is how brakes are viewed in different countries. I live internationally from time to time, in some places they literally remove the pads, clean them with brake spray, and even sand them & the disk every 10,000 km or so. It's freakin nuts, when I don't even touch mine for 50,000 miles and they are still in great shape.

 

[gpbst3]

My previous truck was a Tundra and it ate brakes. Guess ill wait these pads out.

 

[boogielander]

today is brakes day...
buddy's GR corolla needed front pads with only 11k on the clock.
those pads were down to 5%. he did ask me last week to do it afterhours but I got appointment after work. would've stayed if he told me it was under 10%. luckily the rotors were fine still.

 

[BlueHemi1500]

My truck has almost 48K miles.

So far my brakes are fine, I did add some brake fluid about a month ago, and I noted some softness and extra travel vs when I got the truck (Nused). The fluid remains clear and the small amount of brake fluid I added firmed up the brake pedal to where I prefer. I hope to make maybe 100K miles on my brakes if possible.

My driving style - slow and steady wins the race, my wife's style - is low-level jet pilot, but she rarely drives the truck. Driving style, how the truck is used, weather, and the terrain all have an effect on the life of the brakes. So as the famous saying goes, "your mileage may vary."

BlueHemi1500

 

[Mountain Whiskey]

my wife's style - is low-level jet pilot.....

I love this description!

 

[silver billet]

I love this description!

Yes but I picture her doing it in a soft wallowing 1500 and I now I can't unsee this big whale flopping about the interstate