Vehicle Question

"The lifespan of a given set of brake pads is dependent on a very wide set of variables ranging from personal driving style to the impersonal laws of physics. Mechanics and manufacturers have a loosely agreed upon mileage range from around 30,000 to 70,000 miles (48,280 to 112,654 kilometers), but stories of pads lasting a mere 100 miles (160.9 kilometers) to an astounding 100,000 miles (160,934 kilometers) abound...."

How long do brake pads last?

 

I've never kept track, but as a manual transmission driver who takes pride in 'engine braking' awareness, I've no doubt I've exceeded 150k on brake pads before.

 

Seems like an unusual number of miles on a set of brakes. Easy way to find out. Have you looked at the disc pads? How much material is left on them?

 

Having worked on cars all my life, doing brakes is a simple task, there are many things a mechanical minded person can still do on today's computer enabled cars.

 

Usually the brake pads are measured and when they wear down to a thin measurement, they should be replaced.

 

Why are American cars so lousy? I blame the government for mandating so many mpg that companies just use any flimsy cheap part. The UAW spends all day assembling junk. An American car should last 250,000 miles. Who car afford to buy a new car all the time? Electronics are too complicated and how can all those sensors and computer chips last more than about 15 years outside in the weather? Engineers seem to be more and more impractical. Who wants a keyless car or a car that turns off when you stop at a traffic light? Hybrids and electrics should not be subsidized because they are too lousy to compete. Why can't we get full sized spares inside the car?

 

American cars do last 250,000 miles

 

They're not. They are better than they have ever been.

With proper maintenance they can. And proper maintenance now means twice as long between oil changes.

They are encapsulated in epoxy and put in watertight containers. They last longer than rubber components, chain components, belt components.

I do. Who wants to burn gas while you sit there not moving? If you don't like the car turning off at stop lights, switch that feature off.

Subsidies have been ramping down for years and will be gone after 2020. Electric cars are improving every year. Electric cars have only about 20 moving parts in the drivetrain compared to over 200 in a gas powered car. Pretty soon they will be cheaper to make than gas powered cars. Then people will decide between an electric car they can charge at home (possibly never go to a filling station again) and is less expensive than a gas powered car, accelerates faster, can be used driverless, and has virtually no maintenance. Won't be long and gas powered cars will no longer be produced solely based on market forces, not government subsidies.

They add weight and take up space. Why do you want a full sized spare? You planning on driving on it for more than 200 miles?

 

Brakes last a very long time now. Especially if highway miles.

 

Are you talking about GM or Chrysler?

 

Which ones are you talking about?

 

Most all of them that are given proper care