Front Brake Pads

50-100k front. 100-200k rear. Depends on driving habits and demographics. I am in the Midwest where the steepest hill is 200 feet from base to peak and every road is straight as an arrow so I’m hardly on the brakes. Always replace rotors with pads. Always bed them.

 

Just turned 65,000 miles and replaced with OEM pads and a turn of rotors, all good. Noticed a slight vibration over last few weeks going downhill. Problem solved.

 

I’ve always used the whole set. The rotors seem to be very good quality.

 

I think you and I see brake maintenance the same. I recheck torque periodically. I retorque after 25 miles when I pull a wheel. I rotate the tires with each oil change. Brake fluid is flushed every other year, tire pressure is check every week. My wife and daughter drive the other cars, so there is a lot of motivation to be a little OCD about it.

 

You make a good point as we see a lot of this through the lens of our own driving experiences. I live in So Cal and we travel through the Eastern Sierra a lot. Many of the passes are long with grades of 6% or more with elevation gains of several thousand feet. When we go to Yosemite via 395, the trip over Tioga Pass is pretty long, it tops out just under 10,000 ft, which I think is about a 4000 ft elevation gain, and has a grade running from 6% to 8%. Things like brakes, gearing, transmission durability and cooling are pretty important. Your post made me realize I would think differently if I lived elsewhere. Like you said, different conditions, different priorities.

 

Bedding-in is a process with new pads where I usually go out in safe place and make 4 or 5 controlled stops from 40 mph down to the stop, doing these one after the other. This gets new pads really hot and seems to help the new pad and freshly turned rotor work more smoothly and function better when stopping. Yesterday, when driving home after brakes replaced, I did a little different. On a long hill at speed, I pressed brake pedal down and got brakes hot. I could smell the new brakes. After a few brake pumps at speed, bedding-in the brake pads, I should be good to go. When I got home and looked at front rotors, I could see the brake pads had caused smooth marks on rotor surface where the freshly machined rotor swirls were not as visible. To be honest, I think all new brakes will naturally bed-in while driving. I’ve noticed with new brakes and rotors, stopping actually seems to improve after first few days of driving.

 

Normally taking them out for a night on the town and keep the drinks flowing.

The Power Stops come with instructions. I have fronts on 98 Ram and made a world of difference.

 

Here is the Power Stop break in procedure.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EeyCI0GRauY

 

I ran them on the 99 Ram I used to have. They made a significant difference especially when towing or hauling.

 

How has the wear been on the pads and rotors? I assume that increased power for stopping comes with faster wear but maybe not?

 

It has been good with the Powerstops. I ran some EBCs on my Ram and they stopped really, really well, but the wore out in about 18 months.
So far the Powerstops seem to have a reasonable life span.

 

Another data point. Just installed the Z36 pad and rotor combo at 65k. Pads were down to just a few more mm before squeaking. So perhaps 80% done. Rotors ‘looked’ fine with no lipping, but I’ve noticed vibration under braking over the past few months. Swapped both rotors and pads and 1 day out they seem to have a bit more grip than the OEM.

 

The rotors aren't much different from other quality rotors in that they last long. The difference is they have directional veins and holes drilled in there to promote rotor cooling during extensive braking which prevents brake fading (i.e., the loss of friction between pad and rotor).

 

I'm almost at 60K - this will be on my winter list of maintenance items. I considered pulling oem rotors and having them resurfaced but based on the cost of this kit the old rotors will go to recycle. Currently I have considerable shimmy in the front braking system when applying brakes on downhill grades with or without the trailer (trailer has electric brakes and I have a P3 controller).

EDIT: Ordered - install soon

EDIT #2 - UPS delivered the Front Brake/rotor kit - sort of - they deposited a destroyed box on my porch and ran off like a little trud. Box torn open on the top and side. Only item inside was a box with the rotors - pads long gone. Reported to seller - who now has a damage report into UPS so they can come inspect and take delivery back to where it came from. UPS should be called FUPS as in Fuck-UP's is all we know how to do.

Edit #3 - order canceled - UPS simply can't figure out how to do their job and the manufacturer/distributor should know better than to ship a front only kit in a cheap box sized for a front and rear kit - shit falls out when you let 43 lbs of parts flop around in a shitty cardboard box. Now waiting on ecommerce seller (Carid.com) to refund via PP - then I'll go local where I can actually leave the store with all the parts in-hand.

Edit #4. After being F'd around by a certain e-commerce seller who shipped the kit directly from the manufacturer I would advise against this method. Still no refund and no certainty the seller gives a shit. Recommend purchase from a seller (like Summit or equal) that ships in their inspected packaging from their warehouse. Save yourself a royal pain in the ass and never purchase from an
ecommerce seller.