I’m just looking for a little advice. This summer, I began driving a hand-me-down, '99 4x4 Chevy Tahoe that had belonged to my father. I had a lot of work done to it back in October, including new front and rear brake pads (drum brakes, by the way). The truck had roughly 139,500 miles on it at that point. As of today, I have just under 144,500 miles.
So, my brakes aren’t squealing or anything, but they feel a little “grippy” when I make a sudden stop. What sort of lifespan should I expect from my brake pads? My father mentioned that this vehicle is very hard on brake pads. Could anybody give me a little insight? Thanks!
Brake pad life is determined by driving habits more than anything else…Most drivers are able to get 30-60K miles on a set. The rear brake shoes (not pads) should last twice as long…
“grippy” brakes aren’t usually a symptom of worn out pads-- you may have other issues going on. A common cause of grippy brakes on a truck-type vehicle is the rear wheel seals leaking oil out of the differential onto the brake drums. It could also be an issue with the brake hydraulics or the ABS system. If it’s a really noticeable problem, you need to take it to a real mechanic (not a brake-changing chain garage) to have them give your brake system a checking over.
the truck should not be any harder on pads/shoes than anything else out there.
life expectancy of pads/shoes is determined by driving conditions and habits, how well the brake job was performed, and how much of a factor sticking calipers, binding park brake cables, etc. are.
replacing pads/shoes without servicing the rotors or drums can cause problems.
Thanks for the advice!