Brake Pads - Safe Limit

[Invasionss]

Hi Guys,

My front brake pads have 4.5 mm remaining & the rear 6 mm after nearly 70,000 kms. Do brake pads have a legal limit of millimetre thickness when they need to be changed?
I haven't came across this reading on here so i thought i would ask.

Thanks,
Justin

[SS Enforcer]

I don't think so mate, but I don't take any chances with them either, I would have em changed by now about 5 mill and there gone of the fronts for me.
I will leave rears on longer.

Did you measure the inside pads as well ?

I have seen one side wear a bit more than the other .

Mate at work a gone through a few sets of rotors cos his misses doesn't mention the noise coming from the metal on metal :(
Thats why I change em early.


cheers

[planetdavo]

There is no legal limit, but workshops will ALWAYS change them with a fair amount of meat left, as they have to be sure they will reach the next service interval without grinding in to the disc if they don't change them!

[ratter]

In Vic the RWC limit is 1mm.
Most new pads only have approx 8-10 mm whan brand new, but it does vary from model to model.
Some cars have wear indicators on their brake pads and the wear indicator may start to touch around 2-3 mm pad material remaining

[Invasionss]

Thanks Guys,

I had the ute serviced on friday just past & they make a habit of always checking & measuring the thickness of the brake pads to advise their loyal customers.
I told him that if the brake pads need changing please do. He sells the Bendix stuff & he told me straight out to stay away from CT General as they are pure crap & they do not stop a vehicle after fitting. He didn't mention anything about the Advance ones though.

Once again thanks. I'll ask him next time.

Justin

"GO HRT" = "HOT RED TOYCAR" for Bathurst "06" WIN

[ratter]

Although I use advance 95% of the time , I have never had any issues with the GCT's

[Invasionss]

Ratter,

What did the Advance pads cost you & are they a good improvement over the Holden pads?

Justin

[ratter]

I have used advance in lots of cars and they normally retail for around $88 depending again on vehicle application, but I'm sure you could get some cheaper than that, in my opinion they are as good as any standard fitment, but I have not tested them in an all out performance situation, the ultimates would be better for that application, but I have no problems with them for street duties.

[planetdavo]

In Vic the RWC limit is 1mm.

Correct. Forgot to mention that. For a RWC, they will almost always be replaced with even 2 or 3mm left, as the tester doesn't want any grief post sale.

[Smitty]

Correct. Forgot to mention that. For a RWC, they will almost always be replaced with even 2 or 3mm left, as the tester doesn't want any grief post sale.
...spot on
I think the VACC pushes a 3mm minimum too

[VooDoo]

If they look like this, you need new pads (and calipers as they melt hehe)

http://www.oz8.org/gallery/albums/Stock-Brakes/dscn1980.jpg

[German Statesman]

Hi Guys,

My front brake pads have 4.5 mm remaining & the rear 6 mm after nearly 70,000 kms. Do brake pads have a legal limit of millimetre thickness when they need to be changed?
I haven't came across this reading on here so i thought i would ask.

Thanks,
Justin

1mm roughtly equates to 1000kms - 4.5mm is around 4500kms but bear in mind a hard stop can take 1000kms off.

An advisor in a dealership will tell you they won't make your next service but 4500kms works out to nearly 3 months wear left.

All Holden pads have 'squealers' built into them when you reach 1000kms left of wear.

Cheers

JOHN

[planetdavo]

An advisor in a dealership will tell you they won't make your next service but 4500kms works out to nearly 3 months wear left.

If a car is in for a service, and it has 3 months of material left, they wont make the next recommended service. They have to cater for the worst case scenario (heavy braker or person who rides the brakes), and then AT LEAST the time until the next service. That can be 6 months, or increasingly 9 or even 12 months! We were recently told that they can make a car do 18 months now, but wont, as the brakes can't be guaranteed to last that long....

[German Statesman]

If a car is in for a service, and it has 3 months of material left, they wont make the next recommended service. They have to cater for the worst case scenario (heavy braker or person who rides the brakes), and then AT LEAST the time until the next service. That can be 6 months, or increasingly 9 or even 12 months! We were recently told that they can make a car do 18 months now, but wont, as the brakes can't be guaranteed to last that long....

That's pretty much what I said, and I based that on the assumption everyone knew servicing on that model was 6months/10k. The motor industry uses the rough guide of 1mm = 1,000kms, and that seems to be the case for the average driver.

In the end, the customer makes the decision, and the technician writes on the job card the mm left, and the advisor writes on there the time of call to notify the customer and the result. The advisor really doesn't give a rats - its nice to get the labour sale, but its not his car & they really don't care if the pads are done or not. Sad but true.

Cheers

JOHN

[spanks]

That's pretty much what I said, and I based that on the assumption everyone knew servicing on that model was 6months/10k. The motor industry uses the rough guide of 1mm = 1,000kms, and that seems to be the case for the average driver.

In the end, the customer makes the decision, and the technician writes on the job card the mm left, and the advisor writes on there the time of call to notify the customer and the result. The advisor really doesn't give a rats - its nice to get the labour sale, but its not his car & they really don't care if the pads are done or not. Sad but true.

Cheers

JOHN


Just curious...if 1mm =1,000kms then does that mean if your new pads are are say 15mm then they only live for 15,000kms...and if thats the case then whoever buys a VE will replace there pads at every service now that they recommend every 15k...?
I too am in the industry but have never worked off such averages

[ratter]

I've never worked off those averages either, I've seen pads with 4 mm gone in 15000 klms later and still have over 2 mm left.


I've just checked some brand new Bendix pads for commodores and they have an average of 9mm brand new, I would expect more than 9000 klms from them, I would expect 40-60,000 klms depending on how it was driven and where it was driven

[VX225]

If they look like this, you need new pads (and calipers as they melt hehe)

http://www.oz8.org/gallery/albums/Stock-Brakes/dscn1980.jpg

nah you'd get another 10,000kms out of them easy ;)

[German Statesman]

I've never worked off those averages either, I've seen pads with 4 mm gone in 15000 klms later and still have over 2 mm left.


I've just checked some brand new Bendix pads for commodores and they have an average of 9mm brand new, I would expect more than 9000 klms from them, I would expect 40-60,000 klms depending on how it was driven and where it was driven

I'd be interested to hear how techs notify customers how much life is left on their pads - I was under the impression that the 'mm's left equals km's left' was commonly used and I heard no other way of notifying a customer of brake condition in 18yrs in the trade.

Comments anyone?

Cheers

JOHN