Brake pads replacement .. really?

Ezyryder

Ezyryder

Ezyryder

Soldato
Joined
17 Jun 2005
Posts
3,333
Location
Cambridge, UK
Hi there guys,

Got a pretty standard Ford Focus 1.6 LX 06 plate with 35k miles and during the latest service (the last one before the warranty finishes in May) it came back as if the brake pads will need replacing in around 2k to 3k miles. Is this normal or do you think the Ford garage is trying to sell me some pads just because?

Cheers in advance!
 
depends if they are original pads and when they were last replaced

Have you owned the car from new ? if so and this is your first pad replacements, then no its not unreasonable to expect 35k from pads.
 
I haven't but they had never been replaced (according to Ford dealership that sold us the car - we bought through Ford Direct so you would expect them to say the truth!)

Thanks for the comment by the way!
 
Ezyryder said:
I haven't but they had never been replaced (according to Ford dealership that sold us the car - we bought through Ford Direct so you would expect them to say the truth!)

Thanks for the comment by the way!
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in which case it seems quite reasonable

If your unsure, get the car jacked up and remove the wheel

if you stick your head in the arch, you can usually see how thick the brake pad is without removing it.
 
Finglonga said:
That, plus at 35k they shouldn't need replacing unless the brakes have been hammered.
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depends what sort of driving you do. This is a focus, so its quite reasonable to assume its been used in town driving with lots of stop/start driving which is heavy on the brakes.

Ive been through pads in 25k before.
 
LOL taking the wheel off?!?! - wrong person you are asking. I will try to have a look though, just in case, but with the wheel on.

Me and my wife I think are not particularly heavy on the brakes but I don't like doing engine braking so we are probably average users.

How much would you expect to pay for a new pair including the workmanship?
 
Ezyryder said:
LOL taking the wheel off?!?! - wrong person you are asking. I will try to have a look though, just in case, but with the wheel on.

Me and my wife I think are not particularly heavy on the brakes but I don't like doing engine braking so we are probably average users.

How much would you expect to pay for a new pair including the workmanship?
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you can surely take the wheel off, it takes like 10 seconds. You honestly cant take a wheel off a car? what happens if you get a puncture?

Brake pads are so easy that there isnt a point in taking it to a garage to get them done. No idea how much it would cost in all honesty, ive always done pads on the driveway. wouldnt be anymore than an hours labour though, so not particuarly expensive.
 
You don't always have to take the wheels off to check brake pad wear. You can usually see through the wheel.
 
The outside pad yeah if you have an open wheel design, but not the inner ones, and the inner ones often wear more quickly on sliding calipers.
 
Denied on that one too, the 320d failed its MOT on front pads, the warning sensors were never triggered even though the inner pads were almost completely finished, outer ones looked ok tbh.
 
deko said:
you can surely take the wheel off, it takes like 10 seconds. You honestly cant take a wheel off a car? what happens if you get a puncture?

Brake pads are so easy that there isnt a point in taking it to a garage to get them done. No idea how much it would cost in all honesty, ive always done pads on the driveway. wouldnt be anymore than an hours labour though, so not particuarly expensive.
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call the breakdown assistance people probably or take it to a nearby garage?

I have never done anything to the car apart than driving it, checking the oil and refilling the water reservoir for the whippers.

Taking a wheel off will require tools, which I haven't got and although you are probably right and it is very easy, I have never done it before non have it shown to me - I also have a wife and a 2 month old baby and dont want to have the wheel wandering off when we are doing 70mph on the A1! :p

I understand I could save probably a good amount of money by doing it myself but I really have no bloody clue! :D

I have just checked parts on the internet and a complete new set for the 4 wheels would be £91.
 
dalin80 said:
ive seen folk burn through pads in under 15000 miles.
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ive seen a few people driving around touching the brakes every time something else moves. (even on a motorway) so i dare say these are the 15k miles people you see.

id say 15k of my cars 23k has been on the motorway, so the pads are almost new looking.
 
The tools for changing a wheel will be in the boot along with the spare, everything you need.
I think you've just lost a lot of manliness points for being too girly to change a wheel :p

While on that topic actually, the 320d's wheels were extraordinarily difficult to remove and there is no way you'd have been able to do it roadside on a scissor jack! So my top tip for the day is to wire brish off the center bore of the wheels and the hub face and apply some copperslip, that way in future the wheels won't be difficult to get off.
 
Duke said:
That will certainly increase the wear rate - almost the same as driving an auto really. Just get them changed, it won't cost much anyway.
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how much do you reckon?

do all four sets (one per wheel) need changing at once?

sorry for the probably dumb questions :p:D
 
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