[VoodooSaint]

I got 3 questions on brake pads;

When should you replace them? I ask because the mechanic informed me my front brake was at "40%" and i'm not sure how long I should hold onto them at 40%

And what is a very good replacement type of brake pad to put on the frontier? Cost isnt a massive issue I'm looking for performance and longevity

And... should I do both brake pads at the same time? Or can I wear down the rear for a longer time?


Thanks for your replies!

 

[Whiffle]

Well, they'll let you know when they really need to be replaced. There is a little tab on them that scrapes against the rotor and screeches. If you're paying attention, you won't miss it. But you really can replace them anytime you like.

No idea on performance pads, I'm too cheap to even know. I had great luck with Raybestos on my old truck though.

The fronts generally wear faster than the back and there isn't really any reason to replace them all at the same time. I would do the whole front or the whole back though.

When you do them, its also a good time to check your brake fluid. If its dark colored, its time to replace it.

 

[carphreak]

40% is still pretty thick i was able to drive around quite a bit on 10%. you will notice that your pedal will sink into the floor more and you'll have to add more brake fluid. and when it gets really thin (the pads) they will start to squeal/ make noise.

i have replaced my front pads twice and the rears are still good to go. i used autozone pads on the first replacement and it seemed to wear out quick so this time i used akebono pads. so far so good and not too much brake dust.i will try to save up and do EBC on the next replacement. or some people use R1 concepts pads and rotors ( r1concepts.com ) and i will look into it when the time comes for me to replace all my pads and rotors. for now, i just use whatever because i figured why not wait until everything needs to be replaced and upgrade the whole system rather than doing it in installments.

when you replace pads, make sure you check the rotors, the first time i had mine machined so they'll be smooth because the pad wore them unevenly, i had grooves and some surface cracks on them. but the second pad replacement i had to purchase a pair of rotors, from autozone or pepboys i think, because the stock machined rotors were already too thin and out of spec.

like whiffle said, make sure your brake fluid isnt brownish. new brake fluid is clear and so if it gets dark that means it already got heated up and "burned" so it may not perform as well as new brake fluid. i barely flushed out and replaced mine on the second brake pad replacement.

good luck!

 

[Tarmac Wizard]

depending on how much driving you do and whether it's city of highway, you can easily get another winter out of those pads.

as for pads to get, I recommend:
Brake Pads - Brake Pad Set - Front Brake Pads & Rear Brake Pads

EDIT: as for replacing rear pads, most of the braking on your car comes from the front of the car, so if you have discs in the back, I'd recommend having them looked at when you get the front ones replaced, and if they're drums in the back I wouldn't even worry about it

 

[eckemoff]

You can look at your wheels and see the thickness of the spacing between the round plates. The close they come to touching, the less pad you have. When you almost completely out of pad, there will be a really noticeable screech caused by metal tabs rubing into the rotor.

I find that you generally need to resurface rotors and get in pads 10-12 months in the front and 16-18 months in the back. Doing the front cost about $250 and I recommend you get it done at your dealership. YOU MUST RESURFACE ROTORS (REQUIRES EXPENSIVE MACHINERY) AND NOT ONLY PUT NEW PADS ON!

 

[Whiffle]

You can look at your wheels and see the thickness of the spacing between the round plates. The close they come to touching, the less pad you have. When you almost completely out of pad, there will be a really noticeable screech caused by metal tabs rubing into the rotor.

I find that you generally need to resurface rotors and get in pads 10-12 months in the front and 16-18 months in the back. Doing the front cost about $250 and I recommend you get it done at your dealership. YOU MUST RESURFACE ROTORS (REQUIRES EXPENSIVE MACHINERY) AND NOT ONLY PUT NEW PADS ON!

10-12 months?! Is that from the 40% mark? Or is that the entire life of your pads?

Why do you recommend getting it done at the dealership? I'm curious. I've been doing brakes for a long time now and I don't see a reason why going to the dealership would be necessary.

 

[eckemoff]

About a year for the pads because I tow a lot and drive kind of aggressive.

I recommend the dealership for brake jobs because there a lot of steps involved that smaller shops tend to skip or skim through (bleeding lines come to mind). I recommend all work be done at the dealership and the documents to be saved to enhance the resell value of the vehicle and to ensure quality work/ no warranty issues (the first thing Nissan reps look at when there is an issue is where the vehicle is regularly serviced).

I have had a fairly small shop work on my last truck... countless "spongy brake pedals" and lost wheel nut covers (even a broken wheel cover one time) because of of sloppy (but cheap) work not too worried about reputation. Small shops know you come to them because the dealership was more expensive.

ALWAYS SERVICE A RELATIVELY NEW VEHICLE (less than 5-6 years old) AT A DEALERSHIP.

 

[domoMKIV]

I have never brought one of my vehicles to the dealership for service unless the services were free. It has never given me a problem when it came to any warranty work or when it was time to sell them off.
To each their own.
I do agree that keeping good documentation of the work done is very important. Not something to skimp on!

 

[rdrfronty]

YOU MUST RESURFACE ROTORS (REQUIRES EXPENSIVE MACHINERY) AND NOT ONLY PUT NEW PADS ON!

Actually I disagree with this statement very much. I personally think turning rotors are a bad idea. It greatly increases the chances of your rotors over heating which causes fading (which can be dangerous) and even more warping from the extra heat. If you notice a fair amount of grooves or variations in your rotor, the best route is to replace the rotor not turn them. And quite honestly 90% of the time the rotors are Ok unless your a dummy and let the pads go down to the metal.

 

[Zero Six LE]

You can look at your wheels and see the thickness of the spacing between the round plates. The close they come to touching, the less pad you have. When you almost completely out of pad, there will be a really noticeable screech caused by metal tabs rubing into the rotor.

I find that you generally need to resurface rotors and get in pads 10-12 months in the front and 16-18 months in the back. Doing the front cost about $250 and I recommend you get it done at your dealership. YOU MUST RESURFACE ROTORS (REQUIRES EXPENSIVE MACHINERY) AND NOT ONLY PUT NEW PADS ON!

Resurfacing (turning) rotors is not always required. If you don't have deep grooves in the friction surfaces, the new pads just need to be burnished after you install them. The pads in essence resurface the rotors. I always do my own brake jobs. I plan on doing one on my Maxima this weekend.