Just replaced front pads and rotors on my 2014 Mazda 6 at 61,000 miles. I have gotten over 90,000 miles on some Honda front pads. I do a ton of miles (36,000/year) in the rust and snow belt of Western, NY. Most front brake pads give me at least 50,000 miles.
Rear pads are different. My vehicles with rear drum brakes typically go close to 200,000 miles before replacement but those with rear discs have had wildly different wear. My 2008 Accord ate rear pads every 30K to 35K miles. My Mazda 6 went close to 60K miles on the rears and my 04 Sienna seems to last about 75K miles. The rear discs work much better but, in snowy and salty climates, you canāt beat rear drums for wear. Much bigger braking surface and much less exposure to road spray in the winter.
This is me, too.
My work week is now 4 days a week instead of 5(4 10hr days instead of 5 8hr), and sometimes Iāll park my car thursday after work and not move it again until Sunday morning when I go to the grocery store.
Last oil change and tire rotation the service guy said my rotors were really rusty, but my brake pads were still practically new at 6 years old.
in my 40 years as a parts man . . I have never sold so many REAR brakes until they started with rear DISC on everything.
My 08 Expedition 130k, rears twice, front once. though my wifeās 06 Escape hybrid just got its first fronts today at 73k, The 1979 chevy pickup 71k ? . . has never had brakes replaced.
I thought it was about time per the typical service schedules. Although I suppose it could last longer. Iām not an auto guy so I canāt really tell when it would be ādirtyā. I did the change along with other stuff as a tune up when I replaced the timing belt.
Remember when we had vehicles with 4 wheel drum brakes? They would last twice as long as disc brake pads, rarely had any usage with pulsating, and the inside of the drums didnt rust up like the brake rotors tend to. Only real drawback was sometimes you would end up with a wear ridge that could make the drum hard to remove if you didnāt back off the adjusters.
I drive a work truck with 4 wheel drum brakes that weighs darn near 40,000 pounds and It stops very well.
Just saying.
I will leave it alone.
But we must admit that brake shoes last longer than pads in identical applications because shoes have more wear area than pads do. But disc brakes do have their place.
I honestly looked into converting my 90 caprice to front drums. I figured if people could convert to disc using compatible components, why couldnāt I go back the other way? Anyway the few people I talked to seemed to take it as a joke, but I mostly pleasure drive the car on rural gravel roads and occasionally I get a stone that gets stuck up in the caliper bracket and makes a racket. I have to pull the wheel off, dislodge it and start over again. The rear drums have never had that issue.
Actual experience shows otherwise. I drove a 1969 Oldsmobile 98, the last year drum brakes were offered on that car. Depending on driving habits, I would get 12-20,000 miles on the front shoes before they were āon the rivets.ā And that was with a completely overhauled, properly functioning brake system that was adjusted at every oil change. Not only that, but it gave the exhilarating feeling during a panic stop that you only get when standing on the brake pedal with 2 feet wondering why the car isnāt slowing down.
Next car was a 1970 Cadillac Coupe DeVille, similar size and weight but with front disc brakes. Thereās no way I would call that carās stopping ability nimble, but it was far and away better than the Olds. And a set of front pads would last an astounding 30,000 miles!
Also keep in mind that when 4 wheel drum brakes were common, so was asbestos lining, Asbestos based friction material wears pretty well on both drums and disks. These days, asbestos lining material is all but gone due to its nasty habit of slowly killing the people who made it into brake and clutch linings.
Drum brakes still are flat-out awful compared to disk brakes.
I drive in Boston a lot (tho rarely during rush hour) and have no problems driving very conservatively, coasting to a stop at red lights, accelerating slowly, etc.
