This one has got me stumped.

Last summer I replaced all my brake pads, front and rear. The rear ones were shot, but the front ones still had life left. Odd thing was, the rear ones had fewer miles than the front pads. I figured it was because I did not resurface the rear rotors before installing those rear pads the previous time. Well I installed brand new rear rotors at the same time as the rear pads, so I figured it would be all good.

So now, 50K miles later (yes 50K miles in 14 months ), my rear pads are gone AGAIN! And my front pads still have plenty of life left!

I don't get it. The e-brake is not dragging, the brake handle does not feel tight or anything. The pads aren't wearing unevenly or anything. In fact, all 4 rear pads were all worn exactly evenly, across the whole pad surface, on both sides of both rotors (both inner pads were right at the wear indicators). So I know that the calipers aren't seized up or anything.

All the pads and rotors are from AutoZone (which means I can take my old pads back w/ receipt and get my money back ), but still, how could my rear pads be wearing out faster than my fronts?

 

bad proportioning valve

u can check this by holding the brakes and checking how much torque it will take to turn the wheels

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by rev-speed &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">bad proportioning valve

u can check this by holding the brakes and checking how much torque it will take to turn the wheels</TD></TR></TABLE>

What am I looking for when I do this? The car feels normal when braking. I didn't notice any abnormal behavior the last time I autocrossed, either.

*edit* wait I'm pretty sure my car doesn't have a proportioning valve, as I think the ABS serves to proportion the braking force.

However my ABS isn't working right now, hasn't for the past few months.


Modified by PatrickGSR94 at 6:34 AM 9/14/2005

 

Front brakes traditionally wear out faster because they do the majority of the braking work. But the rear pads wore out faster than the front on my '95 GSR too. I think(?) Honda chose the smaller pads & softer compound to even-out their lifespan compared to the front. But maybe they went too far??

I don't think the ABS did any active proportioning back in those days. You have to brake hard enough to get a measurable slip ratio before it can do anything, & then you'd feel it in the pedal.

 

Well all I know is that when people remove ABS from G3 Integras, they have to replace the lines with RS Integra lines and add the RS prop valve, because on cars w/ ABS, all the lines just go to the ABS pump, and then out to each wheel cylinder.

Guess I'll just keep doing what I do and just get free pad replacements from AutoZone every time.

 

How many clicks do you count when you pull up the e-brake?

 

it could be the brake hoses arent letting the fluid out of the caliper, keeping the pads tight on the rotor, do you feel the car dragging or notice it slowing down more than normal when coasting?

 

jim blake it the nail on the head.
accords 2002 and up allways have the rear pads go before the fronts due to the soft compound.