valkat

Does anybody know how I can find out when to replace my rear break pads just by looking at them?
Odometr reads 28K. Front pads heve been replaced at 15K together with warped rotors.
I don't trust my local dealer and don't wanna go to them with this question....

Thanks.

young1976

Just as the fronts, you'll have to take them off or if you can look at the piece of metal from the pad that sticks out and then back toward the rotor. That's your warning signal when your pads are close to being worn. It'll rub up against the rotor. If there's still room between that metal, more like a strip, and the rotor, then it's still good. I have 48000 miles on my two year old Max and the pads still look new because all I do is drive highway. But the front rotors have been resurfaced twice because lugnuts have been overtightened by shops.

karguy

I agree with young1976 that you need to look at the pads by removing the tire. A new pad is .39 inches thick (this is only the pad and does not include the steel piece the pad is mounted on). The wear limit on an old pad is .059 in. and when you reach that thickness it is time to replace the pads.

bert

The rears die early. I did mine around 30K miles. The fronts are due to start complaining any time soon. (currently at 40K miles.)

Green_2

Really? Did you perform a lot of hard braking? Doesn't the fronts uaully die first due to weight transfer and all?

AznWontonboy

hmmm I always thought the rear brakes had twice the life of the fronts..

Green 2kSE

You thought right, normally rear brakes should last much longer than front brakes.

rubman

Dropped by my local Nissan dealership, talked to parts guy about pads and rotors. He adv., average wear on pads is up to 60K, I adv., most of us here on the org have had problems with rotors as soon as 5k. I replaced all of my rotors with slotted/dimpled rotors from a groupdeal that we had here last month. I ordered Stillen pads from Paul at www.avalonracing.net I would say that aside from my Michelins and Y-Pipe, that brake upgrade is one of the best upgrades you can perform on your car. I had 40K on my car when I started having serious problems with the brakes. Stock brakes(pads and rotors) are the Achilles heel of our great Max. I would suggest replacing those rear pads with Stillens, asap. Now, even though I have a Y-Pipe and a Stillen intake, I don't race, I don't hard brake. If you do so, you should probably replace your whole brake set-up asap. Faulty brakes, faulty windshield, crappy paint, crappy Bose CD player, these are some of the reasons that I might not buy Nissan again. If I do, it will be a 2K3 Max. Sorry for a long post, hope this helps.