Just had two new tyres fitted, and thought while the wheels are off I'll have a look at the brake pads.

I've not run a car myself for years, cause I have a bike and two legs. But now I've had swmbo car at my disposal, for the last couple of years, I have to cough up now and again.

Now I was expecting the pads to be nearing the end of their life, nearly 30k on the clock, but to my surprise they look about half worn. It's not like I'm light footed when using the brakes. Does this reflect on my style of driving or are brake pads that thick to start with?

What do most folk get mileage wise out of a set of brake pads?

My vRS wagon went to 72k miles before it needed discs and pads all round.

HTH.

I changed my disks and pads all round at about 60k.

Front pads had loads of wear left but the disks were looking a bit thin. Disks and pads were pretty worn on the rear.

Wear indicator wasn't lit on mine. I got a comment on the disks the previous year at MOT time but I took it as the garage looking for money and did another year on them without incident.

Most of my miles are on single carriageway roads but I'm quite easy on the brakes. I'd expect quite a bit more than 30k unless you are hard on the brakes.

Edited 4 September, 201213 yr by Aspman

Just had a 3 year service and the front pads were 20% worn and the rears 10% worn after 27500 miles according to the service report.

I traded my mk2 in at 78k with the original brake components still attached.

The mk1 had new rear pads at about 70k but that was the only thing changed by the time it went at 82k

I got 50k out of my front discs, and the pads were about half worn. The only reason the discs were changed was slight warping on one due to a sticking caliper.

Rear discs and pads done 40K and are not half worn - plenty of life left in them.

Looking at the wear rate on the front, the pads would have outlasted the discs - whatever happened to the days of going through 2 or 3 sets of pads to a set of discs?

I'm shocked about the mileage people are getting from the front pads and discs. Wish I could get that sort of mileage out of my motorbike pads :(

My rear pads apparently need changing at 53K, I've got a few K left but I'll just go and get it done I think.

However, in 9 years of driving, and I've done a lot of driving, I've only ever had to change discs once, and never pads.

Most of my driving has predominantly been on the motorway though, not so much braking done there.

My rear pads needed changing at around 80k but the discs still have plenty of wear in them.

I changed the front discs and pads about a month ago at just shy of 88k.

Original disks/pads here too and I'm at 68k miles. Was serviced in March by Skoda with no comments - In fact a score of greens all round.

I have 52k on mine, friend on his with 30k already changed it. He drives mostly city.

On my other car I have 167k on same disks. On it´s 3th break pad set.

The latest set, 27k, I got the cheapest pads just in case for some reason the disks got worped.

On my octavia, I think the front ones will last until 65-70k and the rear 85-90k.

And yes will not intend to change disks. Will take them out and them machined cleaned(surface).

I agree - as per a previous thread I had my wheels off at about 25,500 miles and the pads looked unused!

Obviously they have worn but they must be pleasantly thick to start with. (Like their owner maybe !!!)

Sold my MK2 Octavia PD140 elegance with 99K miles on the clock, it was still running the orignal disks and pads all round.

When I fitted the new front discs and pads I couldn't believe how much meat was on the Pagid pads - with the caliper piston wound right back they only just fitted - it was tight to get them on.

"Wear indicator wasn't lit on mine"

On my PD105 there is only a wear indicator on the nearside - offside could be worn out without light coming on.

Dave

I'm shocked about the mileage people are getting from the front pads and discs. Wish I could get that sort of mileage out of my motorbike pads :(

To be fair, bike pads have a lot less meat on them.

To be fair, bike pads have a lot less meat on them.

Yeah I know and they take a lot more abuse than the car ever will. Plus they get the odd trackday outing

On my PD105 there is only a wear indicator on the nearside - offside could be worn out without light coming on.

Dave

Same on the PD140 and PD170

121K and still on original discs and pads

121K and still on original discs and pads

= not trying hard enough

Skoda have just told me that my front brake discs and pads need changing. 53.5k. Apparently the disc is warped.

Warped disk... Hmmmm.

http://www.stoptech.com/technical-support/technical-white-papers/-warped-brake-disc-and-other-myths

Skoda have just told me that my front brake discs and pads need changing. 53.5k. Apparently the disc is warped.

Common ploy to get a little extra out of the customer. Porsche tried it when I had the Boxster, same brakes then continued fine for the next 8 months before I sold the car.

If the disks were warped you would have known about it, it it was driving fine then there is most likely nothing to worry about.

30k my pads are 50% worn and they make a horrid noise when applies almost like a roar.

andyvee - "Looking at the wear rate on the front, the pads would have outlasted the discs - whatever happened to the days of going through 2 or 3 sets of pads to a set of discs?"

Im very glad that brake pads no longer contain asbestos but have to admit that the old asbestos pads were kinder to disks than modern sintered metal pads.

Having said that more frequent disk replacement is a price worth paying for reduced exposure to asbestos.

It would be good though if someone could develop a better non toxic friction material - one that does not form a rust bond with the disk