Brake pads and rotor replacement

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Ryno78

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Hi All,

Just very interested to see when you guys have had to have your brake pads and rotors replaced.

Just had my 50,000k service (D40 ST, 4WD Auto) and got a call saying that they were down to 2mm, and they would replace them.

Got up to the workshop (Nissan) after work, and the cost of the service and brake work was $1078.

Just questioning if it is reasonable to be expected to replace these every 50,000k? I never replaced them in my old Navara (2007 STX Manual) and I did 100,000k in that one.

From the service reports the measurements were:

10,000km - 8mm
20,000km - 7mm
30,000km - 7mm
40,000km - 4mm
50,000km - less than 2mm.

Doesn't seem right to me.

Happy to hear your opinions or experiences?

Regards,

Geoff
 
im coming into 80k on mine and i have no intention of swapping either of them out.
Last i looked into it i could get DBA T2 slotted rotors for $132 each. free shipping
plus pads at around 80-100 Give or take....
fit them all up myself.
 
103000kms here and original pads and rotors.plenty of meat left on both...but im mainly rural kms and have a manual
 
WWWWWWHAT..... did they show you the old one's ?
Brake pads maybe as SOME new one's are eco' friendly and don't have the old style compounds and are now softer - wearing quicker ! The up side of this is that the pads are not as harsh as the old style on rotors and the rotors will last longer with less machining on pad changes..
I don't like to say it but I just don't trust mechanics- especially Nissan work shop ones !
Name and shame man- ****'em ! the mutts they are !
 
My factory rotors were stuffed at 40,000km, but mind you I was towing 1.8T almost everywhere and in spite of the electric brakes in the van the car's brakes still got a workout. Mind you, I had a Tekonsha Voyager controller which doesn't auto-adjust for inclines. My current Tekonsha Prodigy P3 auto-adjusts so I don't have as much of a problem.

I had after-market rotors fitted at the 40,000km service and just had the 160,000km service done today - brakes are still in very good condition.

I have a set of DBA slotted rotors waiting to be fitted but I can't see the point of wasting the current rotors since they're doing pretty bloody well - 120,000km (and now towing 2.5T) and going strong.

Nissan rotors are soft. Pads are too and the Nissan pads were designed by the companies that make alloy wheel cleaning fluid.
 
Mine is at 46k km but need to be changed pretty soon. Late d40 must be came with much softer rotors and pads. Got quoted 485 for supplied fitted with dba t2 slotted and bendix pads. I reckon much better price than genuine
 
I had after-market rotors fitted at the 40,000km service and just had the 160,000km service done today - brakes are still in very good condition.

Tony. What brake pads are you using? You've got to use some pretty good ones since you're towing an awful lot of weight.
 
I've got some no-brand pads in at the moment, but will be changing them to Bendix pads soon. I'm not happy with the braking performance.

However, the car doesn't do most of the braking for the van. The van (by law) has electric brakes on all 4 wheels and the Tekonsha Prodigy P3 brake controller that I use allows me to vary the strength of the braking force exerted by the van's wheels. This allows me to back it off for loose/slippery surfaces.
 
but will be changing them to Bendix pads soon

I've heard good things from bendix. Which one are you going with? 4WD/SUV or heavy duty?

I've never really felt satisfied with some of the brake pads I've put in since the original factory ones. They've never performed as well, but the factory ones were great, but only lasted 30K which isn't too bad.

Are there bendix type pads that are close to factory specs?
 
I've heard good things from bendix. Which one are you going with? 4WD/SUV or heavy duty?

I've never really felt satisfied with some of the brake pads I've put in since the original factory ones. They've never performed as well, but the factory ones were great, but only lasted 30K which isn't too bad.

Are there bendix type pads that are close to factory specs?
It really essentially boils down to selecting soft pads that perform really well but wear fast or hard pads that won't perform as well but will last longer. It's not often that there will be much more of a selection than that. I encourage you to visit one or more brake specialists and talk to them, as they should be able to offer to sound advice, based on how you use your vehicle. The two brake places I've always used have always given me solid advice, after asking the necessary questions to ascertain my needs. I've even installed different hardnesses at each end, based on their advice, and been well pleased with the outcome.
 
I've heard good things from bendix. Which one are you going with? 4WD/SUV or heavy duty?

I've never really felt satisfied with some of the brake pads I've put in since the original factory ones. They've never performed as well, but the factory ones were great, but only lasted 30K which isn't too bad.

Are there bendix type pads that are close to factory specs?

I'll probably go with the 4WD softer pads, so I get better heat management and better braking performance. Sometimes when I'm going down a hill at a constant speed, the caravan brakes just don't come on (I do use the manual override a bit) but it'd be nice to know that my brakes are still going to be good at the bottom of Thunderbolts' Way.
 
Thunderbolts' Way
Never having been that way I was a bit curious to see how it compares to roads I'm familiar with. Checking the contour lines on my maps suggest it's not too horrendous but of course, they never tell the full story, especially as my maps only show contours to a 25m resolution. The person who wrote this article seems to not be a fan of the road. :)
 
The most important thing with any vehicle is that it stops> In the words of Enzo Ferrari "Anybody can make a car go fast however it takes a genius to get it to stop".

To Ryno78,
If your last Navara was a manual and you now drive an automatic then that would explain a reasonable amount of wear difference, also the factory changes brake pad and rotor compositions as things evolve and your driving or towing habits may have changed.
If the mechanic tells you that the pads are down to 2mm then have them replaced and ask for the old parts to be kept. Depending on the caliper design some pads will wear quicker on the trailing edge than the leading edge or vise versa.
Harder pads that last longer however they will wear the rotor away as the pads wear out, softer pads wear quicker and 'sometimes' allow the rotor to be saved for a second pad change.
I have found with a lot of cars that they will develop brake shudder well before the pads wear out. Then usually the only remedy for this is a full rotor pad change.
Very few rotors are able to be machined these days as by the time the pads wear out the rotor is at or below its minimum thickness and it is illegal to machine them past this measurement.
As Oldtony says, Bendix make a quality product and usually have a few different grades of pads depending on your driving habits, fitment choice is yours. DBA rotors are a good choice. I would stay away from no brand parts.

My D40 is at 96000km and the pads are still like new, I do very little towing and as my car is a manual I do a reasonable amount of engine braking which saves the pads. However even though they look new the brakes are starting to shudder when stopping hard at speed.

To vicszd
You don't trust mechanics, which is my trade, so fair enough , perhaps you would like to tell us your occupation ?
 
As Oldtony says, Bendix make a quality product and usually have a few different grades of pads depending on your driving habits, fitment choice is yours. DBA rotors are a good choice. I would stay away from no brand parts.
Just be aware that Bendix, like any other manufacturer, can and does on occasion make crap. I bought new Bendix pads for my last car and took them back a week later. With only about 600 Km on them, one of the pads had started breaking up. The brake place where I bought them didn't argue. They took the whole set off me with assurances they would be sending them back up the line to Bendix. They didn't hesitate to hand me a new set from a different batch while offering their apologies. They also checked their stock and took a couple of other sets from the same batch as my defective one off the shelf, so they could be returned as well, just to be sure.

With good brands, such things are pretty rare but they do happen. I learned a long time ago not to write off a brand just for one bad item. Two would be a different story...

On the subject of rotors, I agree with avoiding unbranded ones, or even from manufacturers that don't have a solid reputation. I do, however, disagree that the only solution to brake shudder is the replacement of the rotors and pads. Pads yes but rotors can often be skimmed to give a true surface. I've even had a set machined on-site while still on the car, for a total of $70. They had warped when I was forced to brake hard while driving through water but had enough thickness that they could be safely machined. They were still working perfectly when I got rid of the car, around 150,000 Km later.
 
Never having been that way I was a bit curious to see how it compares to roads I'm familiar with. Checking the contour lines on my maps suggest it's not too horrendous but of course, they never tell the full story, especially as my maps only show contours to a 25m resolution. The person who wrote this article seems to not be a fan of the road. :)

The stretch of road they're talking about is about 145km long and there's really not much there between Gloucester and Walcha, the two major centres in the area (Walcha being on the Oxley Hwy cross-road gives it some vitality but it's really not that large a town, neither is Gloucester). It is very hilly, almost entirely farmland and forest, and their report on the condition of the road is true for some of it, but it's been improved a fair bit. The issue is the hills - some 12%, one 13% inclines. Makes for a slow trip up with the van, but we do it every year (and sometimes twice, once in winter as well), and sometimes an additional run up there on the bike.

Points of interest: Carson's Pioneer Lookout, worth a stop. Nowendoc - about 1km off the road, has no major services but a rest area with toilets that's sometimes handy (particularly on the bike). Bretti Reserve - camping area that is sometimes frequented by cows. Gloryvale Reserve is another popular camp spot but suffers from poor entry access and proximity to the road, although the relatively light traffic makes this less of an issue.

The problem with the road is the length and angle of those inclines. It's like Bulli Pass coupled with Mt Ousley repeated several times.
 
The most important thing with any vehicle is that it stops> In the words of Enzo Ferrari "Anybody can make a car go fast however it takes a genius to get it to stop".

To Ryno78,
If your last Navara was a manual and you now drive an automatic then that would explain a reasonable amount of wear difference, also the factory changes brake pad and rotor compositions as things evolve and your driving or towing habits may have changed.
If the mechanic tells you that the pads are down to 2mm then have them replaced and ask for the old parts to be kept. Depending on the caliper design some pads will wear quicker on the trailing edge than the leading edge or vise versa.
Harder pads that last longer however they will wear the rotor away as the pads wear out, softer pads wear quicker and 'sometimes' allow the rotor to be saved for a second pad change.
I have found with a lot of cars that they will develop brake shudder well before the pads wear out. Then usually the only remedy for this is a full rotor pad change.
Very few rotors are able to be machined these days as by the time the pads wear out the rotor is at or below its minimum thickness and it is illegal to machine them past this measurement.
As Oldtony says, Bendix make a quality product and usually have a few different grades of pads depending on your driving habits, fitment choice is yours. DBA rotors are a good choice. I would stay away from no brand parts.

My D40 is at 96000km and the pads are still like new, I do very little towing and as my car is a manual I do a reasonable amount of engine braking which saves the pads. However even though they look new the brakes are starting to shudder when stopping hard at speed.

To vicszd
You don't trust mechanics, which is my trade, so fair enough , perhaps you would like to tell us your occupation ?
Lol, I'm just looking for a post i did on proportion valve extension for a friend and came across this gem..

Umm,,, tell US! Who's US? And why would YOU want to know what I do for a living or how many trades I have under my belt?

Why does it matter what I do for a living! What's that got to do with ME trusting mechanics? My father was a mechanic, my brothers are mechanics and panel beaters, restores, drag etc I know a shit mechanic and auto worker from a mile away, so what's your point, what does it matter what I DO..

oh, I get it, I see where your off too,,, lol I'm a street sweeper mate! A ditch digger! I empty bins and pick up rubbish, I do all the shit low I.q stuff, like fetch the crc for the intellectuals .. now, feel better!
And for those thinking I'm full of shite, that's exactly how I earned my first dollars, no shame here lol picked up alloy cans from bins and cleaned up after people to get my very first ride, a victor gand pre at the age of 8 :)

Oh, and it's far easier to change brake pads than timing gears and chains... I mean, even most know exactly where the load goes when using the motor as a brake - right!

Me not trusting mechanics has nothing to do with you! You've taken it personally! Like I do too, I hate hearing stories of people being ripped off, I was never taught those ways and dispise those that do- like ALL trades, they all have the scum!

I know first hand what you're feeling, all the more reason ALL trades need to be licensed! EVERY TRADE! just like the sparkies and plumbers, you stuff up, you lose the ticket!

But yeah man, not so defensive eh but going by what I've seen out there I just don't trust mechanics! Some of the stuff they've done was down right deadly, like leaving vice grips on a tierod adjustment lol funny huh, no so much for the guy behind me, his windscreen and interior! That would have killed his kid if it was in its middle seat! It went trough the screen and INTO back seat! All at 100ks!
Or the time I nearly killed a young woman from my diesel running on, the "diesel mechanic specialist " left the return line lose and the motor filled up with diesel.. Thats just two, I'm well with in my rights to say the mechanics today are absolute shite!

And as far as Auto franchise and dealerships go lol don't get me started lol

All YOU can do is the best and what's required, never give your clients the second cheaper way out, it always comes back to bite you.. It's a shame, I love mechanics but its a trade full of morons and thieves, yes just like ALL the other trades.. Hurts huh nothing worse than feeling you're being judged for anothers actions huh but that's life! Dont blame me, blame you fellow trades persons mate! I do, anyone comes into my trades with short cuts knows all about it.. I've stopped the sale of a new house sign over because the new owners where being ripped off with the standard of works completed!

When I say name and shame I mean it! Speak up or not, I choose to speak.. f them!
 
I know first hand what you're feeling, all the more reason ALL trades need to be licensed! EVERY TRADE! just like the sparkies and plumbers, you stuff up, you lose the ticket!
While it's easy to make such a statement, and I don't totally disagree with it, the problem is the immensely complex task of defining what a "trade" is. Always be careful when painting with a broad brush, as you will nearly always end up outside the lines you intended to be within.

I've had a fair number of diverse jobs, which I don't intend to list here, but which are "trades" and which are not? Who decides? Even within some "trades", some kinds of work should be licenced but there's no need or justification to licence across the board. Welding comes readily to my mind in this regard. Someone doing structural or pressure vessel work needs to be qualified and licenced but I really can't see the need to require the bloke welding mudguards onto trailers at the local factory to be licenced. Even within the automotive industry, do the people who work in the assembly plant of a car maker need to be licenced?

Incidentally, the reason sparkies and plumbers are licenced is to enable them to be held legally accountable when stuff goes badly wrong. There's more to it than just losing the licence, in both those fields a fairly simple error could easily be life-threatening.
 
Hi just my input
2012 R51 pathfinder Auto
Close to 180000 , I have put 2 sets of front pads, and 1 pair rotors, first were changed about 50k. I do tow 2 T camper and don't drive like nanna.
 
getting conned i was told by my mazda dealer that i need new tyres only done 36000 klms because of some tow in adjustment , if the tyre swaps happens every 10th klms you wouldn't notice, the tyre tread has plenty of depth, the edges still have depth .i will get an alignment done ,from my experience driving close to 1.3 million klms in 4 cars i say i will get another 20000 klms out of these tyres. a few times i have tried to buy second hand tyres 4 a trailer all they have to offer me were unroadworthy tyres so i guess those tyres that supposed to be unroadworthy with 5mm depth o tread are obviously been sold off probably to trailer manufacturers .. with brakes one has to be careful. i have only once machined discs at first pad change , i had new commodore that had unbalance rotors(,vibrations), change pads before metal to metal friction happens.do a visual inspection . in general you can adjust driving habit with brakes to minimize wear . It doesn't take many klms to get groves on discs ,there is a good chance that if you have a fool on the resurfacing machine he will take to much off and make the rotor unroadworthy , these groves in my case never affected how long the second set of pads lasted .
 

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