Rear Brakes - Wear Warning?
 

I replaced my front brakes for the first time a few months ago - pads and discs - at 67,500miles.

Do the rear pads have wear 'tabs' that squeal when the pads are low?

Do the rear brakes wear at the same rate as the front?

The Handbrake was squealing a bit while away in Yorkshire last week - the squeal stopped when I pulled and released handbrake whilst moving (I seem to remember the Owners Handbook saying to reset the handbrake you needed to apply it at 30MPH and drive a few hundred yards with it still on???)

Just general questions .... basically, may the rear brakes need replacing at 70,100miles?? Sounds a bit soon - but heyhoo!!!

Pete

No they don't

Handbrake squealing is dust

I replaced my rears twice in 90K miles and that includes couple of thousand track miles. They just don't wear at the same rate.

Edited to add that what I meant was that I changed the fronts maybe 8 times due to the "abuse" & the backs hardly noticed.

Cheers Puff

I assume that the handbrake operates within a drum in the rear disc??

Is it a simple job to get the dust out/remove disc?? It was simple on the front.

Pete

Airline & iirc a pita - never did it myself

Hi Pete.

I don't think the rear pads have wear tabs, although I'm not 100% certain I'm afraid. I have the original rear pads in my garage and there's no tab, but I can't see if I fitted them to my EBC Red Stuffs (it's dark and alcohol doesn't help) :norty:

Rear brakes don't wear anything like the front though, where the fronts do most of the work. I changed my rears at 37,200 but only because I wanted to. They came off with circa 7mm of meat left. When I bought the car from Subaru, they'd fitted new front pads before I picked it up (at 32,000 miles).

Hope this helps.

Jonts.

The rears get little use and usually need replacing due to rust buildup on the discs knocking hell out the pads.

Paul

Cheers all ..... guess I'm good for the life of the car then?? 150,000miles?? :thumb:

Pete

Was that a "real" sensible post by lewis?:Suspiciou

surely not :rolleyes:

Is it a not a ratio 80% - 20% wear ??? Meaning at least 4-5 times longer?

I've just replaced my rears at 47000 mainly due to the poor condition of the discs. Pads still had plenty of life on them.
1 of the 4 pads had a wear indicator on it (small metal widget rivetted to one corner of the pad to contact the disc when that pads was worn down).
Rear brakes are easy to change so long as you remember to leave the handbrake off and wind off the adjuster first (behind a little rubber cover on the backplate at each wheel).
New ones have started rusting already - wish i'd painted the non contact areas now :(

I could sue you for such comments!! I have a reputation to live down to!!! ;)

Pete

Do front pads generally have a wear indicator which makes a noise when the pads need changed?

I've noticed a sort of "screeching" noise (not as bad as it sounds), coming from the front wheels which has gradually gone from appearing now and then, to a more constant noise. :wonder:

The standard pads on my MY00 UK Turbo did, but the EBC Red Stuff pads that I put on didn't. Not a problem for me though as I regularly check over the car.

Does sound feasible. Best to have a nose at your pads to see how much meat is left. Should be able to do this with the wheel(s) in situ but best to remove them for a more accurate look.

Jonts.

Thanks Jonty, will have a peek this afternoon.

Having the same squealing noise from the front offside, started off gradually but now constant (so annoying). Trying to keep the revs up so the exhuast drowns out the noise:lol1:

most modern cars run to about 250k pissy, so you obviously must be treating it poorly, for you to know it will expire at 150k


Mart