How many miles

[Camino LS6]

...on average do you guys go on a set of brakes?

[daves87rs]

Depends on the car-

Her cav goes every 30k, my Balt still has the factory pads/rotors at 50k.

[Drew Dowdell]

As was already said, depends on the car.

The Cutlass Convertible could barely get 15k. The CTS lasted 50k on it's original set and still had lots of meat on it when I turned it in.

My friend with the Alero burns through them about every 25k but that's also almost entirely highway. I've heard of final model Grand Ams burning up their pad very quickly.

[Robert Hall]

I've replaced pads and rotors (all 4 wheels) on the '00 Grand Cherokee about every 25k miles..it's due another set later this year, probably.

For some reason, early ('99-00) WJ Grand Cherokees are notorious for wearing out the brakes fast..the '99s are even worse than the '00s.

Edited August 28, 2009 by Cubical-aka-Moltar

[Camino LS6]

Different cars and their brake life is what I'm looking for here.

Your Cutlass was late 80s/early 90s, right Drew?

[Drew Dowdell]

Different cars and their brake life is what I'm looking for here.

Your Cutlass was late 80s/early 90s, right Drew?

Mine was a 1994.

The brakes on the convertible Cutlass were notoriously under sized. They'd stop the car just fine, but they'd burn up quickly. It was because when the W-body was designed in 1985, they never anticipated it having the weight associated with a convertible nor the 3.4 DOHC. The original W-bodies were designed to be driven with a 4-cylinder or the relatively light weight 3800.

By the time the convertible Cutlass with the 3.4 DOHC rolled around, the weight ballooned up nearly 1,000 lbs over the lightest 1987 Lumina, yet they didn't change the brake specs.

[Camino LS6]

Mine was a 1994.

The brakes on the convertible Cutlass were notoriously under sized. They'd stop the car just fine, but they'd burn up quickly. It was because when the W-body was designed in 1985, they never anticipated it having the weight associated with a convertible nor the 3.4 DOHC. The original W-bodies were designed to be driven with a 4-cylinder or the relatively light weight 3800.

By the time the convertible Cutlass with the 3.4 DOHC rolled around, the weight ballooned up nearly 1,000 lbs over the lightest 1987 Lumina, yet they didn't change the brake specs.

That will certainly do it!

It just seems to me that for a period of time in the late 80s, both rotors and brake pads were really lousy. I think it was some very poor attempts at replacing asbestos pads that caused it. The factory pads on my '87 Camino SS were really junk - totally spent in only 13k miles.

In contrast my hard-working, hard-hauling, and hard-towing 2500HD still has the original brakes at 56k.

[Drew Dowdell]

That will certainly do it!

It just seems to me that for a period of time in the late 80s, both rotors and brake pads were really lousy. I think it was some very poor attempts at replacing asbestos pads that caused it. The factory pads on my '87 Camino SS were really junk - totally spent in only 13k miles.

In contrast my hard-working, hard-hauling, and hard-towing 2500HD still has the original brakes at 56k.

I always recommend ceramics. They'll go 100k miles.

[daves87rs]

I always recommend ceramics. They'll go 100k miles.

A set of those will be going on the Cobalt soon..

[mustang84]

Speakings of brakes, I saw this the other day...

I don't know how old the brakes were when I bought the Lumina, but I drove it 30,000 miles before one of the rear rotors started sticking and warping, which forced me to replace both rotors and brakes on the rear. I think the LS's brakes were last replaced at around 50K and it's at 80K now, so we'll see how much longer they go.

Edited August 28, 2009 by mustang84

[trinacriabob]

The Regal 4 wheel discs have averaged 30K to 35K on fronts ... and has been amazing on the rears, which were replaced at 110K and 220K (front wheel drive, you know...LOL).

The Cutlass Supreme, RWD, averaged about 45K to 55K on both axles.

[cletus8269]

i got 80K on the colorado's now they started sqeaking just recently so its that time for them.

[Dsuupr]

Volvo= 30k or less

Tahoe = Not sure haven't needed any

1998 Intrigue = 90k (yes, 90k)

2002 Alero = 25k to 30k

2005 Cobalt = Never needed it in the 45k we had it

2006 HHR = Never needed it in the 45k we had it (though the rotors warped at 20k)

[fightingbee]

Usually 50-70K driving lots of highway.

I just put pads/rotors on the VUE this week though at just under 90K, and the old pads looked like they still could go to mabye 110-120. The rotors were starting to get pretty warped though and several Iowa winters in the past have made them look like crap, so both just got replaced while it was apart.

[Camino LS6]

Quite the wide range so far.

[cletus8269]

indeed... because until i read fightingbee's post i was a little about the miles on my brakes...

[daves87rs]

Wow, some long ones here....

[capriceman]

Saturn's seem to have long lasting brakes. I think they were designed to hit 100k then be thrown away. neighbor has a 2000 saturn LS and When it rolled 103k it needed brakes, shocks, AC compressor, alternator and starter within a 3 month span. Whats funny is they never had one problem on that car intill it hit 103k And every 3500 miles he does like a inspection of the car so he would have replaced worn stuff before then.

The Caprice gets about 30k vibe got 65k Sierra got 85k Lesabre got 70k. good freind of mine's intrepid gets 8,000 miles before they have to be replaced and that is with autozone ceramics normally every time he claims warranty on the rotors for warpage to. that car kills brakes. His aerostar lasted 85k though. so its not his driving.

[the_yellow_dart]

Just turned 146,000 km on the Cobalt on the factory brake hardware. Can hardly believe it myself.

[capriceman]

146,000 km

In English Please?

[the_yellow_dart]

In English Please?

I realize this is a joke, but I should have said it. ~91k mi.

[Camino LS6]

Saturn's seem to have long lasting brakes. I think they were designed to hit 100k then be thrown away. neighbor has a 2000 saturn LS and When it rolled 103k it needed brakes, shocks, AC compressor, alternator and starter within a 3 month span. Whats funny is they never had one problem on that car intill it hit 103k And every 3500 miles he does like a inspection of the car so he would have replaced worn stuff before then.

The Caprice gets about 30k vibe got 65k Sierra got 85k Lesabre got 70k. good freind of mine's intrepid gets 8,000 miles before they have to be replaced and that is with autozone ceramics normally every time he claims warranty on the rotors for warpage to. that car kills brakes. His aerostar lasted 85k though. so its not his driving.

Something is very wrong with that Intrepid.