Accord 2000 - Question on Brakes wear

I brake hard and late. My rears always wear first.

It has nothing to do with the parking brake itself, but the way the rear
brakes have been designed so that the parking brake will operate correctly,
and so the brakes will heat up in use the way they should to burn off
moisture and rust.

It's a compromise that must be made in all FWD cars that have rear discs
which double as a parking brake.

 

I don't think it's wrong to apply brakes as you do--TomP is saying that
it just results in a certain kind of pad wear. Pads aren't expensive,
really, and aren't difficult to replace--and you got 2 years/60,000
miles out of those pads, even with a few times of leaving the p-brake on
while driving, which will burn them up fast. If you're comfortable
braking as you do, i.e., gently, that's just the way you brake. Don't
feel a need to change it.

Absolutely. The p-brake is there to keep your car from moving while
parked. Engage it fully, with some strength: the service manual says 200
N/20 kg/44 pounds of force. The proper adjustment for my 94 Civic--may
be different for yours--is full engagement within 6-10 clicks, and I'd
have to be completely oblivious to not realize that it's on when it's
fully engaged, not that I've repaired the rear brakes and properly
adjusted the p-brake.

Get in the habit of releasing the p-brake before you put it in gear, and
you won't have a problem.

Abe

 

Oops: "NOW that I've repaired..."

 

I just had an off-line conversation with somebody who's been following this
thread. He has efectively convinced me that parking brake operation is NOT
there reason for the small pads.

As you suspected, the physics are pretty simple: If you double the pad
area, you halve the force per unit, but then double the units, so the end
result is the same.

However, if the pad area is greater and force per unit is less, the system
has less ability to scrape off surface rust, leading to glaze. Also,
because the brakes can't heat up as much, moisture is less likely to be
dissipated, leading to more rust. And you know how badly rear discs can
rust.

My conclusion from all of this: Rear pads are tiny so they can heat up
properly to dissipate water, and scrape rust off without causing glaze.

 

There is nothing wrong with your driving/braking habits, and they do not need to
be altered. Just drive and enjoy.

Brake pad "life" expectations, should be considered more by driving conditions,
rather than raw mileage accumulated.


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Hmmm--ok. Thanks.

 

From the shop manual: BRAKES
Front Pad thickness: Standard: 0.41 - 0.45 in Service Limit: 0.06in
Rear Pad thickness: Standard: 0.33 - 0.37 in Service Limit: 0.06in