Technical Front Brake Pad & Disc Lifespan

[jrkitching]

Anyone though about the halfords auto centre buy once, get lifetime replacements free deal?

Don't know if there are any conditions. Probably something like free parts, double labour.

Just read it. Only pads and shoes included, not discs.

And one of the terms and conditions is that you must replace any other brake-related parts as and when necessary. That's the catch. Care to guess how much extra they'll charge you if they think your discs need replacing too?

 

[oncepastthepost]

I bought my F500 1.4 with ~21k on the clock approved used from a main dealer and it's been brilliant except the brakes.

I took it to KF for a free brake inspection who said the discs were below min and wanted to replace them (so much for free!). I said thanks but no thanks.

I went to and fro with the dealer i bought it from who eventually showed me they were not below min but they're getting close.

I have a horrible sneaky suspicion when I take it to my local dealership for MOT in a few months time i am going to get stung for discs and pads so thanks for the feedback about potential costs.

My brakes grind a little when cold starting but calm down thereafter. I also notice that the rear calipers stick (i think its the rears) when the car hasn't been moved for a while... common thing when you live in london and take the train to work.

 

[ahmett]

I bought my F500 1.4 with ~21k on the clock approved used from a main dealer and it's been brilliant except the brakes.

I took it to KF for a free brake inspection who said the discs were below min and wanted to replace them (so much for free!). I said thanks but no thanks.

I went to and fro with the dealer i bought it from who eventually showed me they were not below min but they're getting close.

I have a horrible sneaky suspicion when I take it to my local dealership for MOT in a few months time i am going to get stung for discs and pads so thanks for the feedback about potential costs.

My brakes grind a little when cold starting but calm down thereafter. I also notice that the rear calipers stick (i think its the rears) when the car hasn't been moved for a while... common thing when you live in london and take the train to work.

Yes my rears on the 1.4 were making pig noises like 9 months into ownership! I changed the rear pads last september (12 months into ownership) and since then all is good.

 

[SmoothHound]

53,000 miles on same pads and discs. Only changed the front 2 tyres at 49,000 miles. Gentle driver me! Mainly motorway miles which helps

1.3 ByDiesel Diesel

 

[jimboy]

Mmmm, some interesting findings on the lifespan of pads & discs here. I know it's been said, but changing the front discs & pads is quite an easy job. In all honesty you should be taking the wheels off yearly just to see what's what there.

Just for the record I'm going to be changing the pads & discs on my diesel hack, just waiting for decent weather to kick in again. Being of a certain age I need all the comfort I can get.

 

[ahmett]

53,000 miles on same pads and discs. Only changed the front 2 tyres at 49,000 miles. Gentle driver me! Mainly motorway miles which helps

1.3 ByDiesel Diesel

Wow that is impressive!
Be careful of the tires though even with low mileage and good thread wear they age over time and crack up thats why they say change them every max 6 years. Ive had a tire puncture on me in a slow way without any holes (i had it checked and didnt see any puncture and the thread was all good), just because the tires were old.

I think its better to rotate the tires every now and then then change only 2 tires at a time.

 

[Mitchelkitman]

Grande Punto 1.4 (we've had from new) 59 plate, just put new discs and pads on at 61k. We are both very gentle on brakes (live in rural area, so not the daily commute rush, but also no motorways). Discs were 'heavily lipped' so definitely needed replacing - must be quite hard OE pads. Got pad set and 2 new diiscs for £89 (TRW branded) at local factor. Easiest front pad change I've ever done - there is easy access for a G clamp, unlike a lot of calipers!

 

[jimboy]

Old thread revival or what? Joking apart I realise that not everybody on here is handy with the spanners. I've said before along with others, that apart from being relatively easy, you can save yourself a small fortune servicing your own brakes. Your average small hatch tend be pretty much the same in the brake department & apart from rust are a joy to do.

OK I'm generalising here but at the very least wheech off the wheels & have a look at the state of your brakes annually.

 

[werdna]

I check mine when I change to winter steels and then again when the alloys are refitted in the spring !

 

[frupi]

As Werdna's post.

I too realise that for lots of people, simply taking a wheel off is beyond the scope of their ability and I don't say that with an ounce of malice attached. One of my work colleagues the other day asked me if I could re-inflate a front flat tyre for her and on realising she had a puncture, she admitted that she wouldn't even know where to find the spare wheel. I've actually taken the time to train/supervise my own wife on how to change a wheel. If one is able bodied and confident, it isn't rocket science.

Front brake discs/pads, especially on a 500 are relatively simplistic and a competent home mechanic can achieve a pad change in just 30 minutes per side. The last time I changed the pads on a 500, I used genuine Fiat pads @ £25 the set and of course fitted them myself, saving anything from £50 to £75 on the whole job. At just 20 quid a pair for a replacement set of front discs on a 1.2 for example, we're not talking big money here. Even on a large car like my Saab 9-3, I've just replaced the rear discs and pads on that myself and the whole job cost less than £50.

Garages can and do make big money out of people for easy service jobs, but then they are of course businesses, trying to earn a living, pay for premises and staff and the good ones offer the best service they can and of course some peace of mind for those folk who don't know the difference between a pollen filter and an air filter.

 

[jrkitching]

I check mine when I change to winter steels and then again when the alloys are refitted in the spring !

That's one of the big advantages to servicing your car yourself - you can group what needs doing into convenient chunks, when it needs doing, rather than having to do everything in one go every year, regardless of whether it needs it or not.

Much better to do an hour or so every few weekends than leaving the whole lot and having to spend the whole day on it.