Why did it do this???

[jcmseven]

Fellow Posters,

A quick question for the group. I started to hear rumblings from the brakes on my 2002 Ford F250 diesel last week. I took the truck into a local brake shop (not the dealer) and asked them to check it out. The answer: front brake pad worn and disc on left needed to be turned. Received truck back, still has problem. Took truck to dealer (my original choice, but they were backed up several days) and mechanic said the front brakes are fine, and he doubted ever were the problem. Back brakes, however, were worn and the rotors had to be replaced also. Total cost: $415.00 for all work. My question: is there any particular reason a truck with 64,000 miles on it and in really great shape (babied) should wear the rear brakes faster than the front??? I have never seen this before.

John M

 

[jcmseven]

Oh, one more thing. At the dealer today, I saw two 2008 F350's. Both with the new 6.4L diesel. Both were in XL work truck trim, so the interior features were a little sparse, but it seems they are now coming available at the local dealers.

John M

 

[DieselPower]

Simple answer, No. Back brakes on average in my experience as a mechanic last 2 to 3 times as long as front brakes. The front brakes do around 70% of the braking of a vehicle due to the fact that a large portion of the weight of a vehicle is transfered to the front during braking.

Could be any number of thing's that could be causing this. Rear brakes were adjusted to tight. This can happen if you do alot of hard braking in reverse, braking in reverse is how the auto adjusters work. Could be a sticking proportioning valve. Another thing to consider is that if you carry alot of weight in the back of the truck it does not nose forward as much when you brake and the rear brakes will therefore wear faster since they are then doing more of the braking. It could just be the nature of the beast.

Without actually having seen them in person it's hard to diagnose online.

 

[Soundguy]

I have an idea. this happened to me by the way. When i got my dodge ram.. after only about 6k miles.. my front brakes went.. a pad disintegrated almost.. and rotor died.. It was probably from a piece of gravel that got picked up and circulated while braking my mechanic said... GRR...

Soundguy

 

[Jstpssng]

Simple answer, No. Back brakes on average in my experience as a mechanic last 2 to 3 times as long as front brakes. The front brakes do around 70% of the braking of a vehicle due to the fact that a large portion of the weight of a vehicle is transfered to the front during braking.

Could be any number of thing's that could be causing this. Rear brakes were adjusted to tight. This can happen if you do alot of hard braking in reverse, braking in reverse is how the auto adjusters work. Could be a sticking proportioning valve. Another thing to consider is that if you carry alot of weight in the back of the truck it does not nose forward as much when you brake and the rear brakes will therefore wear faster since they are then doing more of the braking. It could just be the nature of the beast.

Without actually having seen them in person it's hard to diagnose online.

My company F150 (Gas) has 83K on it and I can't guess how many times the pads have been replaced. Unlike drums, rear pads and rotors on a pickup seem to wear out faster than on front. (GM has returned to drums on back)
Granted I run in adverse conditions; snow, mud, dusty gravel roads. Yet that is what trucks were MEANT for, until they became a fashion statement.

My truck is due to be traded this fall; I hate to admit it but I've asked for a Toyota as a replacement. The only other trucks I've ever ran with so much repair time at under 100K were both Dakotas.

 

[thcri]

John,

Is this truck an automatic?? If so by chance are you riding your left foot on the brake pedal. When you apply pressure to your brake pedal the back brakes are engaged first if I remember right for stability. With ABS this might not be true anymore. Back when I did some service on vehicles on cars where the backs went out first we would always go look at the brake pedal and if we saw wear on the left side of the pedal it pretty much told us the driver uses his left foot for the brake and rides the pedal while he goes down the road.

Just an idea not sure.

 

[jcmseven]

Yes, My truck is an automatic. It has been a very good truck and aside from replacing a glow plug relay for less than $100, has required no repairs other than regular maintenence. From past experience, I have proven to be VERY easy on equipment. I have always seemed to get great tire wear and brake wear, despite pulling trailers on occasion and living in the Western NC mountains, which are not outrageously high, but are steep with windy roads. I do not double foot brake. My only generated theory unique to where I live is my neighborhood. I live in a gated community which runs from a the end of a small two-lane to the top of a local mountain. The entrance is at 3000' and the top is about 5500'. We live on a side service path at about 3500' give or take. Since we have lived here, we have not gotten as much snow as previous years' dictated. We have gotten some dustings and some smaller snows of less than 6". Due to the steepness, even a little frozen precip will cause some major sliding down hills, so our neighborhood hired a man to spread salt/sand and plow the main access road (but not mine). He has been salting the road to death and spreading this briny substance regularly this winter--just as he did last winter. I have wondered if the overspray off the truck driving through this even after bad weather--say if it rains--is showering the rear brakes/assemblies with a gritty substance that makes them wear faster. Theoretically, the fronts run in "clean air" and would not be subject to this, even though they are doing more work. I race bicycles as a hobby and I do know that I go through more brake pads in the winter here than other times of year, and that I use about four pad sets per year, where in previous years I could usually get two seasons out of one set. Just a thought....

John M

 

[hazmat]

This is (potentially) normal.

Auto manufacturers have been biasing the braking to engage the rear first in an effort to "balance" the wear of the 4 brakes. In my experience this has resulted in my needing to replace the rear pads first on two occasions - a volvo V40 and my Ford F150.

The problem will be more pronounced if you "baby" the truck - the fronts won't see much use untill you get to "moderate" braking.

 

[N80]

Probably none of us do it, but I see people all the time riding their brakes. It usually is an old guy in a Crown Vic or a soccer mom in a minivan, but you can watch them, even accelerating up a hill with the brake lights on all the way. One foot on the gas, on resting lightly on the brake pedal.

FWIW, I've always been a fan of Japanese imports, particularly Nissan but when I needed a full size pick-up Nissan hadn't released the Titan yet and Toyota's Tundra was pretty wimpy for a full size (at that time) and very expensive. So I bought a new '03 F-150 4x4 Super Crew. I don't love it. It is not very exciting. I'm not impressed with its off road capabilities (I'll fix that later). However, at 50k miles it has been perfectly reliable. No mechanical problems at all. An interior rattle or two which I've found and fixed myself. Still has original tires on it and brakes seem to be fine. It has essentially done everything I've wanted it to including towing my tractor with ease. So I can't complain and so far remain fairly impressed. I'd pretty much expected any American product to fall apart in a year or two the way my '76 Jeep Cherokee did, which was when I swore I'd never own another American made vehicle.

Of course the 'Service Engine Soon' light came on about a week ago. I'm interpreting 'soon' very liberally, like maybe next oil change, or never. Or I might just reach under there and unplug it.

 

[NewToy]

My '99 F250 also has the 4 wheel discs. I replaced the front pads at 100K and the rear was still at 50% or better. Replaced them anyhow since I had already bought them. My truck is a standard trans and I have always marveled at the superior function of these brakes compared to any other truck I have owned. Unless they changed the composistion of the pads or the proportioner srtting you have to have something strange going on. I also pull a 12,000# trailer a good bit and still am amazed at the brake wear, (or lack of.)

John