It is not uncommon for front pads to last 30k-40k miles longer than the rear pads. Too many people decide to do fronts and rears at the same time, for convenience I suppose, but IMO they should be considered separately. If you had two tires that were bald and two with only slight tread wear, you would probably not replace all four.aja8888 said:Got new 195 65 15 Falkens (912 series) put on the Golf today. Also looked at my brake pads after 90K miles:
(snip)
Looks like I got a while left before I need to replace the OEM pads. Rears looked the same.
TR: I know it's not unusual for these cars to have the rear pads go out before the front. And when that happens, I guess I will make a decision as to just replace what's needed or replace the front and rear with new rotors and ceramic pads.TornadoRed said:
IndigoBlueWagon said:I actually find the inside pads on the MKIVs wear faster, perhaps because that's the piston side.
I didn't do this to my car, but I visited the Golf today to deliver some parts. Here are a couple of views of the work in progress.
They're making good progress. They saved the frame rail although it was a lot of work. I brought them the inner and outer fender, a hood, and bumper cover. I still need a bunch of trim and other stuff. I'm debating about a carbon fiber hood. I could save about 15 lbs, but they're expensive. I think I'd rather spend the $$ on better seats.
Cool.TDI_Votex said:Also, been receiving a birthday card from my dealer each year since I bought my Jetta in 2003.
C'est chouette! 
I thought using used pads on different rotors (or different sides of the same rotor) was a very bad thing due to the fact that pads "bed in" to the rotors. That is to say that new rotors and pads are machined flat. Used rotors and pads are have grooves that match each other. If you mix up used parts then you have peaks and valleys that result in a large reduction in usable surface area for friction?bikeprof said:
When I change the brake fluid I will have a look at the inside pads and the bolt conditions. But I am kind of with NarfBlast above on swapping pad positions. It's worth a look, though. Thanks.bikeprof said:
Those look mean.TechWorlds said:
Great photo Honeydew. Did you take it or did you get it off a website?Honeydew said:
That alternator would have perhaps lasted forever. It was a great find to just replace a pulley ...but I came in the game too soon [June 2006].
Yeh the ride wont be as nice as my normal tires but i dont think ill have to worry too much about getting stuck this winter.egibbys said:
These are 5 x 112's? I'd be afraid to drive on such a nice rim as those foxes.TechWorlds said:
You'll be polishing them in between snow storms. 
Not sure what you mean about the wheels. They are painted, here is a link to the actual wheel.BrianCT said:These are 5 x 112's? I'd be afraid to drive on such a nice rim as those foxes.
If you want to give the inner rims a treatment worth the taking, get ahold of some clear coat by Wheel Dupli-Color. Scratch up the inside rims lightly with a scotch brite pad. Coat the inner rims a couple goooooood coats. It'll preserve the road salts and junk from collecting. I revamped an olde set of rims last winter in this thread here at the bottom of the thread... the Castelles.
Do you own a 1969 Cuda'? The rear tail lights look '69
), painted the calipers and checked clearance...
Oh and i forgot to tell you. I went and looked at the thread with the wheels that you had refurbished.BrianCT said:These are 5 x 112's? I'd be afraid to drive on such a nice rim as those foxes.
If you want to give the inner rims a treatment worth the taking, get ahold of some clear coat by Wheel Dupli-Color. Scratch up the inside rims lightly with a scotch brite pad. Coat the inner rims a couple goooooood coats. It'll preserve the road salts and junk from collecting. I revamped an olde set of rims last winter in this thread here at the bottom of the thread... the Castelles.
Do you own a 1969 Cuda'? The rear tail lights look '69
Okay, the inner barrels are painted in pigment [colour pigment]. What I meant was, usually the stones, road salts and sand hammer the inner barrels of these rims. Many times you can end up with huge gobs of tar stuck inside there too. What I had done to help prevent that from happening was applying two good coats of "clear coat finish" for wheel from Duplicolor [spray cans]. It's like adding extra clear coat onto a painted surface. Usually the manufacturers go cheap on clear coating the inner barrels of rims saving money. Even if the rims are painted you can still clear coat the inner barrels by lightly scratching up the surface with scotch brite or 2000 grit sand paper just enough for the clear coat to grab. The 2000 grit paper won't even touch the color, it'll just hit the factory clear coating for a new application. This is not the outside of the rims, it's the inner barrels.TechWorlds said:
Beautiful car. I enjoy the fact that you kept the car original, down to the hub caps and white walls.TechWorlds said:
Thanks Brian. I took that pic on the bench mid-swap. The hardest part of the job was prying the alt and compressor off their mounts. Pipe wrench handle ended up closing the deal.BrianCT said:Great photo Honeydew. Did you take it or did you get it off a website?
How hard was the job?... Never mind.
I had my alternator replaced entirely with a rebuilt Bosch just because of a slipping pulley.
Anyways, great photo.
BrianCT
