Record miles on brakes?
 

I just changed the front pads and rotors on my 03 Dodge Ram with Cummins and six speed manual. In looking at my log book it appears they were the factory originals. 173,000 miles. The rears were replaced at about 120,000 (I did not check, that is from memory).

Can anybody beat 173,000 miles on pads? ...especially front pads? If you have jake brakes I don't think it will count in this little challenge.

The truck is rarely driven without a trailer of come kind out back and most miles are on the road. It is a formidable tow device.;)

I've heard of Prii getting over 200,000 on front pads because of all the regenerative braking. My car has the same front brakes from when I bought it in 2005. 41,000 of my miles plus an unknown number of someone else's. They are finally starting to get low, which is fine since I have all the stuff for an early 126 front brake upgrade sitting in my living room.

Hybrids really are a different animal aren't they?

Brake lining life is much like fuel mileage in that driving style and use of vehicle can make huge differences in the result. Long pad life is an indication of lots of highway driving and/or a very careful driver. IOW it says more about the driver than the vehicle.

When I drove lots of highway miles every year, my 123 & 124 cars regularly went 100,000 miles between front pad changes and even longer for rear pads.

It was very unusual to see that you had to service the rear brakes before the front.

Brake lining life is much like fuel mileage in that driving style and use of vehicle can make huge differences in the result. Long pad life is an indication of lots of highway driving and/or a very careful driver. IOW it says more about the driver than the vehicle.

When I drove lots of highway miles every year, my 123 & 124 cars regularly went 100,000 miles between front pad changes and even longer for rear pads.

It was very unusual to see that you had to service the rear brakes before the front.

I was surprised too. I think its because of the mechanism which adjusts the brake bias to the rear in proportion to the load there, and with all the towing I do with it they just get more wear and work.

I do drive it very smoothly and use the brakes as easily as possible....I don't want to replace either any sooner than necessary due to the cost of the big Michelin tires and the 13" rotors with those massive calipers and pads. I have been getting over 80,000 on tires with rotation. If I left the fronts on the front all the time they'd go well over hundred thousand miles, I am sure. I rotate them to keep them from rotting off the wheels from age.;)

I don't know about your year model, but I bought a dodge cummins 1 ton in about 1991. It had antilock brakes on the rear ONLY. If your truck is the same way, that is probably the explanation.

Not pads, but I got over 250K out of the front rotors on my 98 Land Cruiser. That beast also eats rear brakes faster than front.

Rgds,
Chris W.
'95 E300D, 424K

It does, but I can honestly say I cannot remember ever activating it.

The 240D that I drove 450K went that distance on the original rotors. I used beck arnley standard pads. They were soft and didnt last as long as other pads but were easy on the rotors. Replacing pads on a 123 car is probably quicker and easier than most anything put on the road so changing pads a little more often to save the rotors made a lot of sense.

I still have one original rotor on the left rear. I bet I can get 250 or more on it.

When the truck is empty, i think the abs would activate for a
Split second without you knowing it. If it pulses several times you will certainly know it, but a single pulse probably would be unnoticable. What would really cause wear would be dissimilar size tires, even slightly so, on the rear.

In talking with my rural route letter carrier he changes front pads every two months whether they need it or not.:eek:

Not even close! Of course when you have the fine handling road machines that I do, it's hard not always pushing them to the limits! ;)

I'd imagine only manual trans. vehicles would be in the running (hybrids and electrics aside).

Back when I was delivering newspapers (1/2 of it was tube delivery), I had to replace the pads every 6-8 months in my dedicated Escort wagon.

Though I do drive it in a way that helps preserve the brakes I put it nearly all down to the truck with its big diesel engine which helps slow it down, the standard transmission and the massive 13" vented rotors and pads the size of new York strip steaks.