My 06 SS LSJ seems to go through rear brakes like candy. I put a lot of highway miles on it (25k/yr) and I usually don't downshift to slow the car and just throw it in neutral and use the brakes. So I expect to use brake pads more than most, BUT I've been going through a set of rear pads in 10 months. This is ridiculous!

I'm going to replace everything again shortly but wanted to know what makes a car have a nice flat smooth surface on the rotors; quality parts or just good calipers? I have drilled rotors made in Canada (magnum) and used their bimetal pads as well. It stops good but they wear poorly with rusty grooves. Could this be caused by me installing them wrong? Seems like all my cars that I replace brakes one have crappy wear patterns on the rotors. Am I a brake epic fail??

What parts SHOULD an LSJ owner use for brakes that won't break the bank?

 

Have you made sure that the rear caliper sliding pins weren't seized? If they are it might causes frictions and wear your pads and rotors faster than normal.

 

Not sure exactly what you mean. Are we talking about the thin metal bracket that holds the pads in place? If so, the new ones that came with the pads and rotors were very tight to squeeze in there. But the pads seemed like they could slide in those sleeves a bit, but not very much. It was a pretty tight fit. One of my thoughts was the pads get squeezed when you brake but they don't float back off the rotor so they drag too much. I will be doing pads again pretty soon so I can take a look at that when I tear it apart.

 

Here's a generic picture of the caliper sliding pins I'm talking about. Mine were all seized when I did my brakes, I had to take them all out, clean them and apply anti-seize before pushing them back in. Make sure they slide with not much resistance, else it can apply lots of friction on the pad and rotors.

 

Ahaaaa! I'm pretty sure they would be "sticky" so I think I should take it apart and put some never seize on those. I usually put that on every bolt on the car since I live in the heart of the rust belt. But I've really not paid attention to those bolts. Will check them out. Thanks for the idea!

 

Yup I take those out everytime I do brakes. Anti seize or Napa has whats called Sylglyde that's the stuff I use.

 

Sounds like you need some lubing. I've only changed my rear brakes once, at 60K miles.

 

ya anti seize is not a good product for the pins as it attacks the rubber boots. Try purple ceramic brake lube. Good post SS89!

 

I just did front pads on my 2nd car (Cavalier) and if you don't do the pins you will be putting break pads in every 10 to 15 Thousand KM's. You also get horrible breaking.

I found a Youtube video where the guy showed how to do the breaks the right way. Definitely makes a world of difference.


Good POST!

 

I would say that its the problem. Rear brakes only do about 30% of the braking and the fronts do about 70% so you should be changing the fronts more frequently than the rears.

 

Guess when I change my rear pads for 40th time this week I will lube it all up. You can never have enough lube! This is why I never accuse the car as being the problem, it's usually the dolt who's working on it.

Instructions:

Go to bathroom
Find mirror
Smack first person you see in the face with hammer
Problem solved

 

r1 concepts rotors are good esp. the premium ones. hawk hps pads have lasted me quite well.

i'm going EBC redstuff pads and rotors next time though. they are more expensive

 

ebc=junque.
just opining....

 

Have to disagree about the EBC=Junque. I have been running this same set of EBC Red Stuff pads front and rear since 2008. When they heat up a little, they start gripping pretty good.

 

What brand paint did you use on the caliper? It's puuurty! I need to paint mine because I just got new wheels and the old rusty corroded crap looks terrible.

 

VHT Red Caliper Paint. Painted off the car and the bracket separately off the car with Silver Engine paint.