# Brake Pads **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [November 18, 2008, 5:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/brake-pads/473257 "2008-11-18T05:48:21Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![control-z](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/eada6e/32.png) [@control-z](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/control-z)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2008, 4:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/brake-pads/473257/21 "2008-11-19T16:58:10Z")
I got over 100,000 miles on my 98 Ford Contour brakes, and the rear discs went before the fronts. Of course it was a 5-speed and I did a lot of engine braking. ---
**Author:** ![Santo\_Rugger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e95f7d/32.png) [@Santo\_Rugger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Santo_Rugger)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2008, 5:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/brake-pads/473257/22 "2008-11-19T17:41:37Z")
> [@commasense](#): > > You lucky bastard! Only two sets of pads in 45,000 miles? > > I’ve got 45K on [my 6-year-old car](http://www.lfexaminer.com/misc/vir_0080.jpg), and I’m on my 15th set of front brake pads, my 10th set of rear pads, my 5th set of front rotors, and my second set of rear rotors. > > Of course, there’s a [reason](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=369540) for that. 😃 Nice thread, **commasense** , I had no idea. I’m going to have to read through that one today. Cool stuff! > [@Rick](#): > > There is a problem located between the brake pedal and the seat. > 😃 > > Seriously, the largest single factor in brake wear is driver usage patterns. The second largest factor is where you drive. The first set of pads I understood. I was driving like an idiot; it was the fastest, most powerful, and heaviest road vehicle I’ve ever driven (I’ve driven a lot of heavy equipment; while more powerful and heavier, they don’t really compare), but the novelty has [mostly] worn off, and I’ve driven much more conservatively on the second set of pads. That’s the part I’m confused about. Maybe I just got shitty pads the second time.\* On the way to work, though, I have a 1000 foot gain, a 500 foot drop, a 500 foot gain, and a 1000 foot gain within about 30 miles. I’m chalking it up to that, even though they are almost solely highway miles. Although coming down that first hill (in either direction) is pretty hard on the brakes if there’s [del]people driving like idiots[/del] traffic. - I asked for ceramic, though (I haven’t done the research in a year, aren’t those supposed to last longer? There was a _lot_ less brake dust on the rims, anyway). I’m not going to that mechanic any more, though, which is part of the reason I’m doing this job myself. ---
**Author:** ![Sparky812](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/eb9ed0/32.png) [@Sparky812](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sparky812)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2008, 6:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/brake-pads/473257/23 "2008-11-19T18:40:05Z")
> [@Jaglavak](#): > > The stoppy bits on your chariot are second in importance only to the steerie bits. I have to disagree with this statement, your braking system is the most important component of your car, second to none! What good would steering be if you can’t slow down or stop? ---
**Author:** ![Omegaman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/e480ec/32.png) [@Omegaman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Omegaman)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2008, 7:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/brake-pads/473257/24 "2008-11-19T19:20:57Z")
> [@Sparky812](#): > > I have to disagree with this statement, your braking system is the most important component of your car, second to none! > What good would steering be if you can’t slow down or stop? His ride has auto stick. It’s just like a manual trans except no clutch. I have never owned one but drove both a Daytona and an SRT. You can get hard scratch in second no problem so it’s plenty tight. You can use second to slow down just as easy as the brakes. ---
**Author:** ![Sparky812](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/eb9ed0/32.png) [@Sparky812](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sparky812)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2008, 8:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/brake-pads/473257/25 "2008-11-19T20:09:14Z")
> [@Omegaman](#): > > His ride has auto stick. It’s just like a manual trans except no clutch. I have never owned one but drove both a Daytona and an SRT. You can get hard scratch in second no problem so it’s plenty tight. You can use second to slow down just as easy as the brakes. OK, didn’t see where he said what he was driving, but then wouldn’t that still be part of the “stoppy bits” and not the steerie bits"? ---
**Author:** ![Jaglavak](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/85f322/32.png) [@Jaglavak](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jaglavak)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2008, 11:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/brake-pads/473257/26 "2008-11-19T23:58:40Z")
> [@Sparky812](#): > > I have to disagree with this statement, your braking system is the most important component of your car, second to none! What good would steering be if you can’t slow down or stop? Look at it this way: Say your steering wheel fell off but the brakes still worked. Odds are that you would very severely crash before getting stopped. Now say your brakes fell off but the steering still worked. Odds are that you could find enough daylight to let you get it reeled in just with the engine and/or emergency brake. Or at the very least, get it slowed down enough to pick a good survivable crash. Grind it along a guard rail, drive off into a nice soft field, etc. Having lost my brakes before I can testify that while it is very scary and hazardous, it’s still not as bad as losing your steering. And yes, I am much more cautious about hauling max loads through steep mountain passes these days, funny you should ask. Now if I could only iron those wrinkles out of the drivers seat… ---
**Author:** ![Sparky812](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/eb9ed0/32.png) [@Sparky812](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sparky812)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2008, 1:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/brake-pads/473257/27 "2008-11-21T13:28:03Z")
> [@](#): > > Say your steering wheel fell off but the brakes still worked. Odds are that you would very severely crash before getting stopped. …not sure if you can automatically jump to this conclusion, but OK. > [@](#): > > Now say your brakes fell off but the steering still worked. Odds are that you could find enough daylight to let you get it reeled in just with the engine and/or emergency brake. Or at the very least, get it slowed down enough to pick a good survivable crash. What you’re missing is, using your engine and/or emergency brake qualifies as the “stoppy bits”, see my point? > [@](#): > > ``` > Having lost my brakes before I can testify that while it is very scary and hazardous, it's still not as bad as losing your steering. And yes, I am much more cautious about hauling max loads through steep mountain passes these days > > ``` While I agree it may vary on velocity, driving conditions, roads, or locations, etc., the average driver would recognize that during their day to day driving, that brakes are of the utmost importance. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/brake-pads/473257.md?page=1)