Hello. I have a 1995 Chevy Blazer 4WD. The front pads rotors and calipers all had to be changed. I bought some lifetime brakes from oreilly for I believe about 75 bucks a piece. I had them installed. Three months later they had eaten trough and destroyed the calipers. I went to brake masters and got their lifetime set up. Three months later they wore through again. So the timeline is the first set lasted years, the second two lasted a few months each. The guys at brakemasters told me its because the front suspension is bad and it is wearing the brakes out, which I honestly don’t believe. My mechanic said that everything looked fine except the control arm needed new bushings so it was riding a little crooked which could effect tread ware and gas mileage but the brakes should be fine.
SO I guess what I am asking is brake masters full of it or do I have a real suspension problem?
Thanks, I thought they were full of it. Probably either installed them wrong or sold me garbage breaks. The ones I bought at the part shop and had put on, I knew those were bad as they were the cheapest available. They just kept insisting my suspension was causing their brakes to go bad.
If the truck is going thru front brakes, you might want to replace the brake hoses to the front calipers.
Your vehicle is at an age where the hoses to the calipers can break down internally where the rubber acts as a check valve. You apply the brake pedal and the hydraulic force is applied to the calipers. But when the brake pedal is released, the rubber inside the hose causes the hydraulic pressure to be released slowly. Causing the brakes to wear out.
@joshadams554 What do you mean by "Three months later they had eaten trough and destroyed the calipers’’ ? I do not understand how bad brake pads can eat through calipers.
I think what you meant was that the pads were worn down to bare metal, and had ground into the rotors.
I agree that the usual cause for brakes staying engaged is bad hoses. Had you noticed anything that might make you think the brakes were dragging?
I think he meant the pads had eaten through and the rivets had gouged the calipers.
I too agree with Tester. You probably have a flex hoses at the calipers. There is, however, another possible albeit rare cause, and that’s a bad booster.
Try this: raise the front of the car SAFELY, with the tranny in neutral (parking brakes engaged, wheels chocked). Manually spin each wheel while a friend slowly applies the brakes. Then have him/her release the brakes and see if the wheel frees normally.
Now, if the first test was nonproductive, start the engine, have your friend apply the brakes then release them, and see if they free up normally.
If the first test fails, suspect either the flex lines or the master cylinder.
If the second test fails, after the first test passed, suspect the booster.
Take EXTRA care, be sure the car is secured on the stands and do not get any part of you under or in front of the car. Having a car on stands with the engine running carries risk. I don’t even like suggesting the idea, but it is one way to see if the booster or MC is keeping the brakes from fully disengaging.