worldwar

Hi guys!

I am new here. I have a 2004 Honda civic 90k. The problem is that my brakes. I just bought this car and last courtesy report says that the brake pad level 8/32 when the car was 85k.

Here are the details. When I first move the car in the morning like driving in the driveway, the brakes make too much noise. Then it kind of disappears. For example, if I brake really hard, there is no squaeking sound. My best guess is that the probably the car has a ceramic brakes on it for a long time so they started to make noise, altough I have a still enough thickness. ( I dont use breaks a lot)

Anyway, I want to change my brake pads soon. They are probably low level. I am in Miami. Which mechanics do you suggest for me? (I cant make myself so lets rule out that option

I am thinking maybe firestone or honda dealership (both are 99$ per axle with pads and resurfacing rotors) I just need front brakes. The rear brakes are drum. Is this a normal price? I also got a price from Midasbrake $149 without resurfacing the rotors.

Thank you in advance...

ezone

STOP.
Don't waste money.
Which mechanics to recommend? I'd recommend anyone that is honest enough to tell you to not waste your money, and you don't need brakes yet.

You do NOT need brakes yet. 8/32" = 1/4" = 6mm, and that's 65% life left. Brand new factory pads are about 8mm thick, yours have only won off 2mm so far. Plenty of life left.
You can't use up all of that in 5000 miles unless you deliver pizza for a living.
Average drivers here seem to get anywhere from 30k on up out of a set of brake pads, all depends on how much one uses their brakes.

You only need for someone to glance at them when you get your oil changed and tires rotated, and give you a thickness that is consistently measured.
You don't need to replace them until they are at about 2mm or less, or when the wear indicator starts squealing.

Rear drum brakes last nearly forever.

Grinding noise for the first stop or two after sitting overnight is just rust buildup on the rotors, the pads knock that off on the first stop or two. Normal, it will happen no matter what type or brand of brakes are on it. You can't stop it unless you move to a dry climate such as the desert.

HTH

ezone

Oh yeah, factory brakes are almost always the best choice for an average driver IMHO.

worldwar

Thank you very much for your detailed explanation.

Well, I think I should not be worrying about the brakes too much. If the guy who measured the brakes for courtesy report was correct, then it means I have almost %50 brakes left. As I said before, I dont use the brakes a lot, I just drive to school.

I guess, firestone offers free brake inspection so I can have them check the brake pads. Are the brake cleaners useful to clean the dust? if so I can get one and clean it regularly.

I am assuming that since the weather is quite humid in Miami, the brakes makes noise in first stops until the surface of the rotors get cleaned.

Thanks again!

worldwar

http://www.amazon.com/CRC-05080-De-S...M6/ref=lh_ni_t

Any idea about this product?

got2run5

You can check the pad width by yourself. If you have them inspect it they'll tell you it is needed way before it really is just to sell you something.

ezone

More than 50%. You have 2/3 to 3/4 of their life remaining there, depends on how close to zero you run them before replacement.




That means nothing. You might only drive 4 miles each way, but make 20 stops in the process. That's a lot of use.

Highway miles are easy on brakes, you could go a few hundred miles at a time without ever touching the brakes.
I just did a brake job on a 07 Civic hybrid, 120k on it, first set of front brakes. Almost all highway miles.


There's a hefty cost to that cheap (free) price.
You will not get out of there for free. (As already suggested in another response.)
Avoid chain stores like the plague.
Avoid any store that has "brake" in their name.

I can see them telling you
ZOMG IT ONLY HAS 8/32" LEFT!!!1! PANIC PANIC PANIC
scare tactics. If they even measure or mention it at all. I doubt they do.
The measurement alone means nothing without reference.


Find the person that is honest enough to tell you the truth, and stick with them.

Don't bounce around to different shops like a pinball.

Off of the wheels?
No.
Soap and water, and a scrub brush.
You can get wheel cleaners that work well too.



Yup. Humidity and moisture causes rust. You also have salt down there, that makes it worse.




Nope. We use factory brakes, almost ZERO noise problems.
If you have real squeaks and squeals, you probably already have aftermarket brake pads on it. (The cheaper they were, the shorter their life is.)
If you just have grinding after it sits for a day or two, there isn't a darn thing that will stop it.

ezone

From your other thread: Good point here.

I had assumed the measurement given was from the thinnest pad. I guess this might not be true, since I wasn't there to do the checking.

Pads don't always wear perfectly evenly.
Even when they are done perfectly, the inboard pad wears faster.
The measurements must be taken at the thinnest point of the thinnest pad out of the set.
Rust buildup behind the stainless clips can cause pads to bind up and wear extremely unevenly.
Sometimes it is tough to see the true pad wear without removing wheels and calipers.