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How Much For Rear Brakes?

Chief

Chief

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I'm told my rear brakes are down to 5% to 10% on 46K miles. The fronts I'm told are around 50%. How much for rear brakes? I've been quoted $200 to $375 -- pretty shocked at the cost as this seems high compared to other vehicles I've owned with exception to my Porsche 944 S2 back in the day.

I've read the DIY threads but I don't have access to a garage, so having not to be outside in 35 degees and the rain is worth the money, even though I don't have it.

Edit - boy Freud would have had a field day - "my" garage - I don't even have a garage!

Changed the "my" to read "a"
 
Chief

Although I do not know the actual price for the pads, I would bet that the rear pads would be not more than $70... from the dealer. Like you, I do all my maintenance outside, in the Big Sky Garage. There is no way I would be willing to pay the dealership to do the work, not at $50-65 per hour (local). Now if the Av had rear drum brakes, the money may be well spent at the dealer, but with rear disks it would be no more than an hour's time to complete the install, up to 3 hours total if you had to have the rotors turned by a shop (2 of the 3 hours here would simply be 'down time' waiting for the newly turned rotors).

Also, look at it this way. The money saved on labor charges by doing the work yourself could be used to purchase the next mod for the Av... Cheers.
 
Autozone online is 46.99 for the front and 39.99 for the rear pads. They are the PFC Carbon Metallic.
 
Well I got the rears done complete for $171 drive out - including our local yokel 8.9% sales tax - ouch!

They told me there was about 15% left on the rears depending on how I drive - I guess I could have sqeezed another 3K to 5K out of them and got under 10% but broke is broke and rotors are too damn expensive.
 
kcole683 said:
How many miles on your Av chief?
Click to expand...

A hair over 46K - my driving is broken up into three distinct groups:

60% - In city or in highway gridlock, bumper to bumper sprint stop sprint stop
35% - Long highway cruising - 65 to 75 MPH
5% - Off-road condtions (beyond dirt or gravel road) in 4-Hi or 4-Lo - dirt mud, sand, steep terrain

The city driving ate my rears alive --
 
That seems a bit early for new rear pads. Did you actually look at them yourself? Usually most of the brake is from the front since the front end is a lot heavier. I have 68K miles and still have about 50% left on the front and rear pads.
 
the braking distribution on a heavyer vehicle isnt that bad its 60/40
-front pads have probably already been changed?
yea rear rotars are way to expensive...
 
Very shocked to see all the rear brakes that go out first-
I am old school in the thought of Front - more stopping hence more oftern to replace front pads-
Wil;l be SURE to keep and eye on the whole darn thing!

Thaks again gfor a great tip.
 
My rear brakes are being done today - at 60K miles they shop said they had about 5K miles left on them. Since I have some down time between business trips I had the shop do the work. They said my fronts still looked almost new and they had the same conditions with another AV they did a couple of weeks ago.

Also had to have the drivers side front wheel bearing replaced. It was trashed. I have heard of others having this problem with the AV, so jack your front end up and push on the top and bottom of your wheels - if there is slop have GM fix your bearings before 36K.
 
I had my 2002 Z71 in for service and brake check today. Front pads are fine, but the service manager says that the rears only have a bout 9K left on them. I am at 24,840 miles.

Is this typical? Seems awfully soon for raer pads. My K1500 went 80K+ on rear Pads.

Steve in Maine
 
I always wonder how they can tell how many miles ya have left.......
 
I want to know why the rears wear faster than the front. Aren't the disks both 12"? I've painted my calipers and to me the front and rear appear to be the same. I'm guessing that the rears are either dragging, or with anti-lock brake technology at work, the rears are working harder than they used to.
 
-They measure the pad width left

-Rears are smaller, according to my Service Manager
 
Steve said:
-They measure the pad width left
Click to expand...
They are guessing the mileage based on this granted

but they do not know for sure

If they did we would all go the same exact mileage with pads and they could tell you when to change....

 
I know this, but unless they are way off, 9K seems awfully short rear pad life. I would have guessed 50 or 60K

And the funny thing is, I abuse my transmission by downshifting to second and first gear a lot, because I like to hear my Flowmaster 40 Growl!

As I said, my 1994 K1500 4x4 got 80K, and the rears were still fine.

Steve in Maine
 
I just changed mine cause they were down to the screamer indicators, and i only had 20K on my rig. Fronts looked real good, probably about 60-70% left. I was extremely surprised that they went that quick. Especially since this was the first truck with rear discs.
 
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