We all understand the hill hasn't changed, AND only the pads have
changed..... THAT doesn't get rid of the fact that EVEN with the OEM pads
he only got about half of what he should have... The driving habits need to
be checked.


I still say he's a left foot braker. I'll bet the pad is wore clean off the
left side of his brake pedal. As a career ASE mechanic, i've seen PLENTY of
brake pedal pads worn off on the left side and they'll stand there and look
you in the face and tell you they don't use their left foot on the brake.
And i can assure you, if they're using the left foot on the brake, THEN
they're also riding the brake.


s


"Sanity" wrote in message
news


terry wrote:
On Aug 21, 3:37 am, "RVer Don" wrote:
Do you shift down on the 5-600' hill or just leave it in drive or high
gear
if a manual tranny? Shifting down to a lower gear will go a long way in
extending the life of your brake pads.

Don

"W. eWatson" wrote in message

news


I guess there's no NG for auto repair, so ..
I bought my Forester in Sept. 2002, and apparently drove 42K without
getting new brakes. I then drove 22K before getting new breaks, and
finally another 22K, when I now need new front brakes. I live in a
foothill area of Calif., and drive up and down at least one 5-600' hill
each day. I talked to a mechanic today and he said that brake life is
usually quite good at the start.
--
Wayne Watson (Watson Adventures, Prop., Nevada City, CA)
(121.015 Deg. W, 39.262 Deg. N) GMT-8 hr std.. time)
Obz Site: 39° 15' 7" N, 121° 2' 32" W, 2700 feet
Web Page: www.speckledwithstars.net/- Hide quoted
text -
- Show quoted text -

Could be driving habits!

Pretty hilly here yet we get 50,000 plus miles on brakes on medium
loaded pickups. And we buy good quality replacements.

Big hill coming down into this community, supposedly at 30 mph. It is
preceded by a 60 kilometre (40 mph) approach; so vehicle come sailing
up over the top of the hill and then put their brakes on, sometimes
brake lights all the way down the hill!
Since we have one 5 and one 6 speed Nissan manual gear vehicles we are
usually in 3rd down the hill, even 2nd, if traffic is slow or turning
on/off. Only using the brakes if necessary.

We plan to do brakes on one of the vehicle this weekend, including new
front rotors. Looks like due to little use while away over the winter
the caliper pins may have partially stuck and caused rotor warping?

Daughter has a 2001 automatic transmission Subaru (Forester SW I
think) and has spent a 'lot' of money on brakes. Although her previous
vehicles were all automatics. Maybe Subarus, especially in hilly
country, are 'hard on brakes'? This vehicle with its all wheel drive
system is also fairly heavy, which is also a factor.

By same token a neighbour whose family persistently drives automatic
Chev pickups, but only uses them privately and to get to and from work
daily, always seems to be putting on brakes and even front end parts!

Of all the vehicles this family has had, 4 cylinder Toyota cars,
followed by Toyota pickups, then by Nissan pickups a) Manufactured in
Japan and then b) Followed by manufactured in the USA, have had best
(lowest cost/frequency) of maintenance.

And weather and road conditions, including road salting , proximity to
the ocean and length of winters here are fairly severe. Corrosion is a
big factor.

Everyone seems to be forgetting that the hill was there when he first
bought this vehicle so his terrain or driving habits did not change. The
only thing that changed were the front pads. That's the variable. As I
said before, if he bought OEM pads from Subaru or the new ceramic pads he
would have gotten the same or better mileage than he did on his original
pads.
The way the thread is going, someone is going to ask the OP is he changed
his shoes to a heavier sole or heel.