how long between brake jobs?

[RuneTDI]

happy turkey , all. so i got my car inspected last wek and passed. but the mechanic said i needed new pads fron t and rear. he never showed me. i declined his offer . i looked at them today and all 4 wheels seem to have plenty of meat left on the pads. i checked since my last pads were installed. its been 60k miles. how do you know when to change them without wearing them down to the rotor. i replaced all 4 rotors also when the pads were done. i don't have a wear indicator like some have. thanks for any input, rune

 

[TonyJetta]

i looked at them today and all 4 wheels seem to have plenty of meat left on the pads. i checked since my last pads were installed. its been 60k miles. how do you know when to change them without wearing them down to the rotor.

Periodic inspection is the only way to tell without the pads (backing plates) eating into the rotor, unless you have wear indicators. On these pads, it's a small tab that parallels the the pad and rubs on the rotor when the pad is at it's wear limit.

For what it's worth, I have over 60k on my front pads and over 85k on my rears. But, I drive a LOT of freeway. My daily commute is >90 miles RT, >90% freeway.

Tony

 

[Stinkyfingers]

Rotors routinely replaced?

Just started hearing that brake pad sound from the rear of my '03 Jetta wagen.
About to order new pads. Is rotor replacement a typical part rear brake maintenance? Or can I have my old rotors turned if still in spec? And what's the minimum rotor thickness worth keeping?
Thanks in advance.
JohnD

 

[TonyJetta]

IMHO, rotor replacement is cheap enough and easy enough to do, that it just becomes a native part of the DIY brake job. For the last 10 years, I have always replaced rotors. I quit having them turned...too many opportunities for warp-age after turning.

Tony