Rear brake calipers

[MartinK]

I'm on 31000 miles, all pads have plenty of meat on them - I also expect to get to 50k miles based on current usage....

[XCovlov70]

I'm on 31000 miles, all pads have plenty of meat on them - I also expect to get to 50k miles based on current usage....

Clearly we don't all drive like a 'racing car driver'!

[rovermark]

Hmmm, I take good care of my car and drive predominately highway (or motorway for you Brits); I don't abuse the car at all, and don't drive like a racing driver. My driving style would be described as sedate.

The rear brakes need to be replaced probably at 45,000 miles given that now at 40,000 miles I am close to having to replace them.

[XCovlov70]

Hmmm, I take good care of my car and drive predominately highway (or motorway for you Brits); I don't abuse the car at all, and don't drive like a racing driver. My driving style would be described as sedate.

The rear brakes need to be replaced probably at 45,000 miles given that now at 40,000 miles I am close to having to replace them.

Well done that man!
However being a bit more serious, and I do know the difference between Highway, Motorway, Autoroute, and Toll Road.

I think there is another 'factor' that needs to be considered here:

1) Manual 'Cogbox' (6 Speed) allowing 'Engine Braking' via 'Clutch' to be used and I am assuming that over that side of the Pond you know what a clutch is, and I am not talking about something you get into at the Drive in Cinema!!!

Many years ago when I took that piece of crap called 'The Driving Test' on this side of the Pond I was taught to 'Engine Brake' when coming up to a Crossroads/Intersection/Roundabout/Traffic Island/Doughnut, thereby reducing the wear and tear on the Brake Pads, instead of just sticking my foot on the brake pedal having used the lack of engine power to keep going.

Well this 'training has stood the test of time and in spite of some efforts is still with me, so I get a longer life out of my 'anchors' even though they have removed totally the Asbestos from disk pads which I seem to remember made them also last longer but could give the Mechanics some repiratory problems if they continuously breathed the dust.

[Neil D.]

I was taught by my father ( a Yorkshireman ) That brake pads are a damn site easier and cheaper to change than a clutch.

Just my 0.02€ worth

Neil

[BillAileo]

Neil,
Agreed!

[rovermark]

Well done that man!
However being a bit more serious, and I do know the difference between Highway, Motorway, Autoroute, and Toll Road.

I think there is another 'factor' that needs to be considered here:

1) Manual 'Cogbox' (6 Speed) allowing 'Engine Braking' via 'Clutch' to be used and I am assuming that over that side of the Pond you know what a clutch is, and I am not talking about something you get into at the Drive in Cinema!!!

Many years ago when I took that piece of crap called 'The Driving Test' on this side of the Pond I was taught to 'Engine Brake' when coming up to a Crossroads/Intersection/Roundabout/Traffic Island/Doughnut, thereby reducing the wear and tear on the Brake Pads, instead of just sticking my foot on the brake pedal having used the lack of engine power to keep going.

Well this 'training has stood the test of time and in spite of some efforts is still with me, so I get a longer life out of my 'anchors' even though they have removed totally the Asbestos from disk pads which I seem to remember made them also last longer but could give the Mechanics some repiratory problems if they continuously breathed the dust.

Actually I grew up in England, so British English is preferred English to me. So, a hood is a bonnet, and a trunk is a boot, an intersection is a crossroad, and a highway is a motorway, etc, etc. But nobody understands those words here!

I did not take into account engine braking. Engine braking comes natural to driving a manual transmission (when you shift to a lower gear). Perhaps over 95% of cars here have automatic transmissions. In addition, cars at a standstill (trafffic lights for instance) have their brakes on during the wait while the gear is Drive.....does that not also affect brakes?

[XCovlov70]

Actually I grew up in England, so British English is preferred English to me. So, a hood is a bonnet, and a trunk is a boot, an intersection is a crossroad, and a highway is a motorway, etc, etc. But nobody understands those words here!

I did not take into account engine braking. Engine braking comes natural to driving a manual transmission (when you shift to a lower gear). Perhaps over 95% of cars here have automatic transmissions. In addition, cars at a standstill (trafffic lights for instance) have their brakes on during the wait while the gear is Drive.....does that not also affect brakes?

With Auto-Transmission when stationary and your foot is on the brake you will only get some wear taking place on the pads if you start to move and then stop again, but that would be minimal.

Much prefer driving manual transmission as I believe you have more control over the car but that is a personal preference.

[MartinK]

Interesting thread ths, even if it's going a bit off topic.

Firstly I would really like to see a write-up of someone who has changed pads on a Gen3 car with EPB...

Secondly, brake wear is all about (IMHO):
anticipation,
careful driving
highway or town
geartronic or manual

I'm lucky in that my 2 most frequent journeys are 135 miles on the M90 and A9, and 196 miles to NW England (mostly M6).

With a bit of anticipation (even with geartronic) I can easily do 80 miles on the A9 without ever touching the brakes. I always select neutral and handbrake at lights/junctions.

As such, 32k miles on original pads, still showing no signs of significant wear.

My old Land Rover Discovery 2 (manual box) does 90,000 miles on a set of 4 disks & pads (just did the rears for the 2nd time at 179000 miles - 92k on originals, 87k on 2nd set).

Back to original thread - when the Volvo rears are due, I'll be doing them myself, but really keen to see a report from someone else's experience...

[exfive]

Hmmm, I take good care of my car and drive predominately highway (or motorway for you Brits); I don't abuse the car at all, and don't drive like a racing driver. My driving style would be described as sedate.

The rear brakes need to be replaced probably at 45,000 miles given that now at 40,000 miles I am close to having to replace them.

I am at 96,000kms. Still on original brake pads and discs all around but I was warned at the last service the rears are close to requiring replacement. On the original Pirelli tyres as well. Very impressive.

Sedate driver (but to speed limits) and with long runs but town driving too.