How long should brakes last?

[The Pinkfingers]

Got our deli in May (about 6 months ago). Front brakes were replaced (so 100%), rear brakes were 90%.

My wife was driving today and brakes started grinding.

I know these are heavy vehicles, and I live in hilly North Van, but that seems absurd that they are worn down already.

One note, braking has always seemed sluggish, compared to other vehicles I've driven. Also, lots of brake dust on the front rims, none on the back rims. I put it down to different pads when they were replaced by Japanoid, but now I'm wondering if the rear brakes are working at all...

[konadog]

Doesn't sound right to me Pink. How long a set of pads lasts though, does depend on driving style. Watch the cars in front of you going down hills - some have brakes applied top to bottom while others will light up here and there at most. Use the transmission to slow you going down hills, starting with the over-drive and then 2nd or even (through pretty much never except off road) 1st. John Muir, the wise and thoughtful mechanic who wrote the Idiots Guide to VW mechanics, wrote that "brakes apply a negative function - use them sparingly" or something to that effect. Either way Pink, it sure sounds like yours wore out unreasonably fast - How many clicks? We've had Hazel (with a fresh ccautos brake job) for 9 months and 15,000km and have yet to even give the brakes a thought - Maybe next year... Good luck with it

[FalcoColumbarius]

After a brake job by Japanoid and 22,000 kilometres later.... my brakes are great! I do gear down a lot so maybe this is why they are doing well. When I drive Miss Lil' Bitchi, I put her through the gears, baby ~ after all... she is a truck.

Falco.

[fishslapper]

Hey there. I don't think there is any way that those should be worn down to the point where they are grinding ! It sounds to me like they were 40 percent and japanoid just pencil whiped it or they just missed that step of work they did. I liked the guys i met down there and i am not saying they did anything wrong ............hell you could have a pebble stuck in there !! unless i see you brakes myself i can't say. But something does not sound right to me, heavy vehicle or not !

good luck and let us know what you find.

[The Pinkfingers]

Clarification from wife: it was more of a low rumbling than a grinding. It happened three times and then nothing. I drove it tonight and it was fine. I do all the gearing down and all that much of the time, and I'm definitely not a "brake-rider" nor a speedster.

Perhaps it was a pebble...

I'm going to get them checked, hopefully on Monday.

What say you all about the brake dust - lots on front, none on rear? Different shoes?

[mararmeisto]

Two comments:

• -'rumble' can be from a warped rotor and this will be more noticeable at higher speeds than lower (because of the rotational speed).
  -brake dust is just the material from the pads that has been ground off due to the application of the brakes. Most of a vehicle's braking is on the forward set (therefore more wear, and more dust), and the disc brake is an 'open' brake so more dust will be visible on your front wheels than the rear wheels.

Yes, these vans do respond a little more slowly to the stop-moving-forward-push-lever (mostly I imagine because the vehicle is 2 tonnes) and living in hilly Vancouver doesn't help that much, but they will stop pretty good when coerced. I had some clown pull out in front of me, and even though the pavement was wet, I still didn't lock 'em up as I braked and then swerved around him. Actually, I was quite pleased with the response.

[jessef]

If they're cheap rotors, they can warp and give you a 'rumbling' sound.

If they're cheap pads, they will blow dust like a broken vacuum cleaner set on high speed.

If the rotors and pads are good quality, calipers working properly and all of them were installed properly, then your brakes should last quite a long time/km on these.

[jrman]

I think I know exactly what you're wife is talking about.

My Sienna was doing the exact same thing - brakes would function fine under normal conditions, but my wife was complaining about a mysterious "rumbling". I couldn't figure it out for the longest time - test ride after test ride - never did it for me. But one day I was caught behind a person riding their brakes down the cut on Nvan Highway #1 - long downhill for those that don't know it - and couldn't get over into the fast lane due to the cars passing at speed. Right near the bottom came the rumbling - and thus I discovered it was only after riding the brakes and heating them up that it would appear. The rotors must have been ever so slightly warped so it would only show when heated. We lived with it for quite and followed Mr. Muir's advice as quoted by Konadog - just avoid any unnecessary braking. However, eventually the rotors were replaced on our last major brake job and the "rumbling" is gone no matter how we drive.

So, it sounds like eventually you'll need to consider the rotor replacement - but you can probably get by with dare I say a lesson in proper braking technique??? Oooooo, that was a sensitive discussion in our home....good luck.

[TardisDeli]

Hi Pinkfingers and family,

We had same thing, it is the front disk brakes, got "cooked" from driving through cold water when brakes very hot (ie steep hills). Took ages to diagnose as only grinds occasionally and with no common reason (no smiliar speed / steepness / temperature / conditions.). I know the disk brakes were done properly cuz we did em ourselves, with proper quality parts from Lordco. But that is what the ultimate cause was, as determined by the wonderful guys at Coombs Country Auto. Just replace the disks, check that rotors are OK, enjoy the Deli Lifestyle, and plan to replace brake disks sooner than on some lightweight boring little car. Cheers, christine.

[jessef]

Or swap your current brakes out for 92+ Montero brakes.

Better braking power/modulation and longer life.

[Schwa]

Yep - an upgrade will help with braking power, I can stop on a dime now and hopefully the rotors are beefier too so they won't warp as easily.

[FalcoColumbarius]

Also, lots of brake dust on the front rims, none on the back rims.

Regarding the brake dust on the front rims but not the back rims, my suggestion is: Rotate the wheels.

Getting the brake dust off of your rims: A product by Auto Glym ~ "Clean Wheels"; another product ~ "Eagle One". Read the directions and do not get this stuff on your paint job. Not only does it clean the rims really well but if you used to have white lettering on the sides of your tyres ~ you will have it again! These products are caustic so wear washing up gloves. I soaked my wheel wells and surrounding body before I used Eagle One, just in case I missed the wheel. It dilutes very fast with water, in the event that you do get it on your Delica ~ have a hose near by and hose it off right away. Usually I wash the wheels just before washing the whole van.

Falco.

[The Pinkfingers]

Update: the Jammy Dodger is going in for an oil change and brake inspection on Friday morning (Dec 5). I'll let y'all know the results of the inspection.

[The Pinkfingers]

Update: Got the brakes inspected today. They are fine. Front at 70%, rear at 80%. The rears were 90% when I got them, which means they only decreased 10% while the fronts 30%, but I realize the fronts wear much faster.

The rumble has not returned. Japanoid didn't know what could have caused it. The only thing they found was one rear drum had alot of brake dust in it, which they tapped out.

Other results from inspection: one side light bulb burnt out, drive belt little loose, top rad hose might need replacing soon.

[m2bits]

had the same problem. several mechanics had a look. finally turned out that my disks needed to be sanded down (egalised). that solved the problem!