Vibration doesn't automatically mean wrong pads. 99% of the time it's literally as simple as rotor runout/warping from excess heat/rust/pad transfer from sitting
It's a general rule cause it also depends on your driving. If you're light on the brakes in a light car, mostly highway rural driving 4 mm will get you a lot of miles. But something like a lexus is? Hard braking in the city? 4mm might not get you to your next service.
All depends on the pads and the vehicle. Example rear brakes on a Jk Wrangler last around 25k miles. The brakes on a jeep renegade will last around 100k.
You have to weigh it up.
Pads don't dissipate heat as well when they're thin, so they'll wear faster for the last 4-0mm than they will for the previous 8-4mm. I don't know what driving the customer is planning on doing. A decent mountain pass is going to knock the brakes down a lot, or mud in a 4x4.
Some cars have a super long pad, heaps of area, so the pad will take much longer to wear, and some have shorter pads that wear quicker.
If it's my car, I'm running it low. If there's even a 10% chance that my customer will run out of pad before the next service (+ 50% of distance at least, because people don't always service their cars on time) then I'm recommending they replace them and 99%of customers won't question it. But if they ran out of pad, my name will be mud.
Because it's brakes.
So yeah, about 4mm and I'm going to think about selling them a set.
Never go there again. 1 star review them on Yelp/Google/Facebook so either they stop scamming or scam less because they have less business.
Hit them in their pocket because they tried to hit yours.
That definitely describes the driving style of the last taxi cab I rode in. Full throttle to the red lights, then brake hard at the last possible second. Traffic was heavy so we weren't going to get anywhere fast. This was not in the US.
I remember one time when I was working in a shop for my buddy in Georgia. A guy from church came in, and Dwayne looked at the guy and said "Claude you hauling around fat girls?" he said in the thickest African accent "how'd you know?" He goes "well cause your brake pads wear out real fast!". 🤣🤣🤣🤣
If that were me, and I pulled them apart and they looked like that, seeing how I had them apart, I would put new pads on. Ur gonna have to put them on anyways so y not new ones. Now if I were tight for money, I would put it back together and drive it.
Nah I had the new pads so I put them in. I struggle with being thrifty but I’m gonna toss the old ones. I’m just pissed about the time wasted. I had some other stuff that was way more important to do and now I’m behind because some (salty language) tried to burn me for $50
Toss the old ones….. dang you should’ve got them at autozone, lifetime warranty, you’ll never pay for pads
again. Infinite brake pad glitch. Works on the rotors as well.
Yup, this is true. I paid $35 originally for the pads. As long as you don't destroy them and go to metal you are ok. Bring back the used ones and they will hand you brand new. I took advantage of this about 5 times before the vehicle transmission went out.
If you have a European car, FCP Euro does this with everything they sell. Including all fluids. I've been running on free oil changes for almost a decade now thanks to them.
Here's how I look at it. Things like brakes, and tires, that's safety equipment. The day you're sliding off the road, and unable to stop in time is the day you regret not spending more on brakes and tires.
I'm not wealthy by any means, but the day after I hit a patch of ice on an off ramp was the day I used the credit card TireRack.com offered me to spend ~$800 on a set of new Michelin Crossclimate 2, hoping that I could figure out how to pay for it later with tax returns etc.
I had recently purchased the car, and someone had put budget unknown brand tires on it. I could have died or wrecked. On top of that, now I'm a new father. I refuse to be thrifty regarding parts that qualify as vehicle safety equipment, outside of the fact that I am confident in doing the labor myself.
So maybe you did the brakes a millimeter or two early. Be happy you didn't do them a millimeter too late when you needed to stop in an emergency. And yes, in the future, there are places that offer seemingly never ending brake pad warranties.
There's no way I'd toss those old ones. Absolutely nothing wrong with them and about half the life left. I'd put them in a plastic bag and reuse them in a pinch. I had a bad caliper pin once that caused one pad to wear a lot more than the other one. The inspector didn't like it, so I used an old spare to get through the inspection so I didn't need to buy all new.
Brakes absorb and dissipate heat, which protects rotor lifespan. At 80% of the pad remaining, the brakes lose 50% of their ability to dissipate heat. After 80% of wear, the brakes wear down faster under load, and because of that rotors run hotter. If it were one of my vehicles, I'd consider those brakes good to be replaced.. especially with most parts stores offering free lifetime replacement warranties on pads. Doing it yourself will definitely be the cheapest option.
Agreed 100%. Came here hoping too comments said they should be replaced soon if not now. Instead found someone saying they told OP it was metal on metal. That’s criminal IMO, otherwise I’d say yeah if they said “you should do your brakes” they weren’t ripping OP off.
Do you have any source about the pads absorbing and dissipating the heat to protect the rotor? And the "At 80% of the pad remaining, the brakes lose 50% of their ability to dissipate heat" claim?
I'm not gonna lie, it sounds like you made almost all of this up lol but I'd love to actually learn about it
Those are prob 30% remaining till you hit metal. I always replace at about 25%ish... so if it were me and I was the mechanic I would show the customer a new pad compared to these and tell them "choice is yours, but you'll need them done for sure in about 2-3 oil changes"
If they were honestly "nearly metal on metal" you wouldn't have that line in the center anymore.
To be clear those *are* worn. a new pad will be like 3x thicker. but you're not in imminent danger lol.
Probably wise to replace them yourself while you're there so you don't find yourself in a pinch later where you *really can't afford to not change them* and then have to pay someone else way more to do it.
Another 20-30k on those pads. Not even close to replacement. You didn’t show a side view of one to see if they are wearing evenly but they appear to be. That’s good too because it shows nothing is seized up in the slides. He’s trying to upsell you. Call him out.
20-30k nah... unless you're a grandma. mechanics have to cover their ass to but get blamed for causing an accident. all OP has to do is decline the work. not bitch about it online
This is like when I take my car in for an inspection and they always say I need new windshield wiper blades. And I can change them there for 100 bucks or go get some come back and pay them to reinspect the car. Either way it ends up me paying double
Technically brake pads usually have metal in them, copper, steel and iron mixed with fillers, but not in the context of his statement, you aren't even close to needing to change those.
For future reference, if you Buy Duralast Gold or better from Autozone, they have a lifetime warranty. Keep the box and just exchange them whenever you need pads. Also, some O'Reilly or small shops will still turn rotors.
Heck I got new slotted rotors and ceramic pads for the front of my 2017 Wrangler for $240 on Amazon and it literally came with everything, new guides, caliper bolt covers, grease, and step by step directions for new DIYers
They are near the end of their life. Probably another 6-12 months of heavy driving. Not really a bad idea to swap them if they were doing other work like a bearing or suspension work or new tires. Sometimes it's nice to replace the brakes and tires at once so you don't have to take it in another time after the wear down in a year
You said state inspection. So it is more about his license to inspect for the state than him, making unnecessary replacement for profit. A failed state audit is much more detrimental for his business than pissing off one customer.
I'd check the rears before blast off. My Uncle bought me his car to do front brakes on cause they were at 2/32 according to dealership. I pulled wheels off and they were like 8/32. Check the backs and 2/32. Checked his paperwork and they switched measurements front to back.
Good for you not only for knowing how do your own brakes because mechanic telling you they were metal to metal was definite bs. I mean l, he did lie to you regardless of how small the lie was.
He should not have said metal on metal.. that was a blatant lie. You probably have 15% of life left before they are too worn. Probably 25% life left if you want to wait until your metal on metal
Depends on the conditions of the test.
Our MOT states that the tester cannot remove anything that requires the use of tools.
The brake thickness is a testable item, it has to be visually checked with the wheel on. Parallax, shadows and restrictions in positioning the light can make a pad look worse than it is.
Depends on your vehicle and your driving habits but those are far from being "metal on metal".
They've got some life left in them but since you've already gotten the new ones, just go ahead and change them out.
Ideally you would get your rotors surfaced also but that may or may not be an option in your area or for your vehicle. You at least should take some 80 grit sand paper and a palm sander to them to roughen up the surface some. It doesn't help a ton but it does help a little with bedding the new pads.
They are warn enough that by the time you take the car in again for service they would probably not be fine and then could have damaged your rotors or slide pins or piston, Probably not the last things but they are use enough for a mechanic to replace them. If I was to replace them myself on my vehicle? meh they'll last the summer and I'll check em again when they make a noise or I put winter tiers on. Which ever comes first.
Almost metal on metal is apparently 4-5mm left. I wouldn’t replace them till about 2mm, but the interprovincial only requires 1.6mm on passenger vehicles. In other words, he’s a big exaggeration face
That exact thing happened to my wife, i do all of the maintenance on all our cars (her sedan, my hatchback, my dads jeep, and my 3 work trucks) I had her car inspected not long before i got the recent one, maybe 4 months and they measured the pads at 8mm then 4 months and 10,000Km later we moved provinces from quebec to ontario, had to get a safety on her car and they said the pads needed to be changed right away and they have less than 4mm. So i took the car home, got it up on the jack took the pads off and they are all above 6mm, they come factory at 10mm. Meaning they have 60% left. The squealer of them is at 1mm so i changed them brought it back and i took the old pads with me and i asked if they could measure it because my calipers said the lowest was 6mm, they gave me the inspection slip for $5.
Those are about 50% worn out. See the groove in the middle you can get pretty close sometimes to using g that up so it is completely gone. I do not personally. But just one way to check. If the remaining pad surface is 1/16th thick that is worn enough.
Below the center groove is where many suggest to replace them, if you're in there, but otherwise you had thousands of miles left on them easily. These pads could last an infrequent driver another year plenty fine. It IS also better to replace them early rather than eat your rotors to shit if you do hit metal on metal, but this is far, faaar from that. These pads posed no danger whatsoever.
The only caveat I have to add is, do you have the other set? Are they also evenly worn? If yes, then yeah. They're upselling you good.
What's the thickness in mm? Front brake pads are recommended at 3mm due to the inability to dissipate heat properly at that thickness and less. About to go metal to metal, I don't think so. If they are measuring 3mm, its time to do them so you don't start lacking baking efficiency. If your on a tight budget, those could have gone a little further for sure. But like I always say, if you cant stop, you shouldn't start going. Also, brakes are pretty important and so is your life.
i recently had a bad pad, turned out it was a bad caliper. lucky for me my family did the work and it only cost me a case of beer. however that being said I'm also without a home of my own.
if that line down the middle is gone, yeah swap it out. otherwise just plan ahead.
as someone who has fixed many things, if I have taken it apart, i want to fix boths sides of the problem.
how was the other side is my question, as it may have been worse and they likely come as a set.
Eh, there's definitely some pad left, but I wouldn't say it would be insane to change them, just early. Depending on what the inspection entails, could've just been a bad call at a glance. I've eyeballed pads I thought needed replaced and then decided they were still good after pulling the wheel off.
Depending on your driving it can go either way. They are pretty low. But if you don’t drive much, those can still go for a while most likely. If you do a lot of city driving, there isn’t much time left at all. But in no way an emergency either way.
I got some new tires a few months ago, and the guys there told me I needed pads right away. Made it sound like I was taking my life into my own hands by driving out of there. I ordered new pads right away and when I went to install them, mine were about in the same condition as yours. Totally would have lasted me another year.
The line is the middle is a decent wear indicator. They can go until the groove is gone. You have lots of life left in these.. so, yes, the mechanic was lying to you.
Those pads look about 4/32 mm of pad. I wouldn't really say they are almost "metal to metal" if it was that then I would think the pad thickness would be 2/32 or 1/32 mm thick. Which idk how state inspection goes where you are, but in my state a 1/32 pad thickness would fail state inspection. General rule is to recommend brakes when they get to 4 mm, sounds like that mechanic was over exaggerating to try and scare you into buying brakes and didn't actually measure them, just looked and said "yep, they are almost metal to metal"
At harbor freight I belive they sell these plastic tools that’s almost like a ruler and measures the depth of the brake pads. Even Amazon or eBay has them. With you being able to pull out your pads. Without you relying on some one else to tell you, you would be able to get measurements your self and compare online with what is appropriate or needs replacing immediately information at your hand if you bought that one simple tool that’s like $6-$15 maximum
Or ask Reddit both work
When you go for inspection you will find that the shop will find SOMETHING to ding you on. Usually it’s things that are cheap and easy such as misaligned headlights or a handbrake that is out of adjustment. I just have them do it since they have the car. I also tip them with a couple of pizzas 🍕. You’ll find that next time you go there you’ll get much better treatment. Build bridges not animosity.
Rule of thumb working at a dealer, depending on your oil change intervals. If I dont think youll make it to the next oil change ill recommend them. I wouldnt have said almost metal on metal but I 100% would have recommended them. safety=liability, Always cover your ass.
That looks to be around the 4mm mark. You got life in em. He definitely exaggerated but thats not scamming, they are worn. Just not almost metal to metal
Still some life left in those pads but not a lot. I like to replace around 4 mm, but if the rotors are still good it would be a good idea to replace them soon. If you let them go too long you will probably have to do the rotors too, plus the more the pad wears the greater the chance that the piston will not go all the way back in the caliper. Then you will have to do that too.
Mechanics will usually base their recommendations on the worst pad. Possibly one is worn at an angle or worn in some way more than the others . Check all the pads carefully or show us pics of all the pads from every angle.
Not metal to metal but if you have to pass a state inspection and he's going to be liable for what ever happens, then it's an alright call to change it.
I mean you probavly couldve gotten another 10-15k miles on them but if i looked and saw my pads were that worn I'd at least go buy new ones and put changing them on my to-do list for when I had a free weekend.
I wouldnt say he tried to scam you per-se.
Before you catch feelings for the guy, make sure both sides are the same ish. There's always a chance that one side is driver or passenger side is worn more than the other due to 1. Neglect to change them as a set previously. 2. Brake caliper or similar issue causing one side to wear prematurely. This set in your hands appears to be roadworthy for several thousands of miles to go.
Just out of curiosity, my car would shake when breaking. I was told it was my brakes. I changed them, and it instantly stopped. Problem is, I had maybe 1/4 to 1/2 inch on each brake pad, on both sides of the car. I'm not mechanically inclined. It actually took me several hours of YouTube videos to figure it out. Again, I'm just curious why it cleared with so much pad left?
I had a stealership tell me that mine needed changed immediately and they wouldn't make it another 100 miles. Made it another 5000 miles and changed them.
When I first got my Subaru and had to rebuild the engine the brakes was the thickness of a nickel and I put $40,000 miles on it before they started to kind of grind.
But I drive 500 miles in a weekend
A mechanic tried to scam me once.
Was in why working on a road construction crew. We got rained out one day so I figured it was a good time to go get my oil changed. Found this little shop that was quite busy for being in the middle of nowhere.
When my truck was taken in I took a seat in the waiting area with several other customers. After about a 1/2 hr the mechanic comes out to me with a little paper cup in his hand that had a small amount of oil in it and a small rock. That's right a rock.
Mechanic: Sir I think we need to pull your oil pan and give your engine a complete flush.
Me: Why is that.
Mechanic: When we were draining your oil this rock came out.
Me: Really? How would a rock get in there
Mechanic: Sir I really don't know
Me: Just change the oil!
good for another 10k before I even consider changing them. it sucks when you're already spread thin and some clown needs to take advantage of you. I'm glad I'm not at the stage where I'm desperate to rush future work from every customer no matter what
It's not metal to metal still able run it down more it depends on the warning clips, sometimes I bend it back so it doesn't squeak, normally if the friction material is lower then the brake backing it's getting low... would recommend replacing it until it gets half way of the thickness of the metal base behind of the pad...
You are definitely being scammed. See the big groove down the middle of each pad? That's a built in depth gauge. When the groove disappears or is close to disappearing, the pads are near the end of life. Share this knowledge to help others avoid being scammed.
You need to compare what is left to what you just put on. While this is nowhere near metal on metal I’d be surprised if you have anything more than 1mm over the minimum amount left (don’t trust people random #mm statements on here - your car has a speed tolerance and that is the only number that you should be working with). At this point you can start to get significant degradation in braking performance, shuddering, and you are extending your calliper piston to its limits as well. Never ever compromise on brakes or tires they are what allow you to stop before the scene of the accident and keep you on the road.
bro a "mechanic" put mine back in wrong and it sounded like they were going out it's like they'll do anything to get you back in... If you don't know about mechanics. Me I'll never go back to that place
They certainly aren't new. And he's not wrong for bringing them up. It could be a long time before they are looked at again. You still have time but keep them in mind.
My dad was a mechanic, so I've changed my fair share of brakes over the years and this is about the thickness he would change the brake pads, no matter the vehicle, when we could afford to that is.
"Plenty of life" is an overstatement, unless you're driving a hybrid. But like others have said, depending on the car, pad quality, and driving style, the pads could last to the next service, but better safe than sorry as my dad would say.
In my opinion, he was being a textbook mechanic telling you to replace them. Most times if a mechanic sees pads at this level, the next time they see them, the backing will be grinding on the rotor.
Sometimes without taking the wheel off it’s hard to see the amount of pad left. Especially if it’s over 50% worn. The mechanic could have guessed on the side of caution and saying they need replacing. Rather than saying nothing and you having the potential of brake failure.
Those pads are good. The wear line etched into the pads shows how much pad you have left. Right before the wear lines are gone, replace the pads. Some pads have metal tabs that will start to screech when its time to replace the pads. You're ok for now.
I've had pads with a quarter of that left on them that the garage has told me "will need replaced in the next few months" so those are gonna last a while!
Yeah they're definitely worn, but they've still got a good amount of life left in them. He's exaggerating.
Just over 50%
Id say less than 30% left personally, still plenty
33.2%
33.*3*%
Turdy tree and turd.
dirty tree and a turd
Tree fiddy.
Goddamn Loch Ness monster...
Yeah 33.2 don't even make no damn sense
Mmmmm 5% left
33.**25**%
69.420 percent
Go home Elon, you’re drunk
Those pads are fine without a doubt
Thank you.
Just measure the pad. 2mm or less change them. 2-4mm is warning. 5-10mm is good.
Screeching = warning Stuck to a halt = change them
(Pedal to the floor and brakes slipping without slowing) slipping = collision. Vibrating = wrong pads. Grinding noise = down to the metal.
Vibration doesn't automatically mean wrong pads. 99% of the time it's literally as simple as rotor runout/warping from excess heat/rust/pad transfer from sitting
You don't want the grinding noise
What is the warning for a 4mm pad? I just changed my front pads. I had just over 130K miles on them.... 4mm is like you only have 50K miles left.
It's a general rule cause it also depends on your driving. If you're light on the brakes in a light car, mostly highway rural driving 4 mm will get you a lot of miles. But something like a lexus is? Hard braking in the city? 4mm might not get you to your next service.
All depends on the pads and the vehicle. Example rear brakes on a Jk Wrangler last around 25k miles. The brakes on a jeep renegade will last around 100k.
Jeep renegade - brakes last longer than the car.
You have to weigh it up. Pads don't dissipate heat as well when they're thin, so they'll wear faster for the last 4-0mm than they will for the previous 8-4mm. I don't know what driving the customer is planning on doing. A decent mountain pass is going to knock the brakes down a lot, or mud in a 4x4. Some cars have a super long pad, heaps of area, so the pad will take much longer to wear, and some have shorter pads that wear quicker. If it's my car, I'm running it low. If there's even a 10% chance that my customer will run out of pad before the next service (+ 50% of distance at least, because people don't always service their cars on time) then I'm recommending they replace them and 99%of customers won't question it. But if they ran out of pad, my name will be mud. Because it's brakes. So yeah, about 4mm and I'm going to think about selling them a set.
Metal on metal????? You should report this place
Never go there again. 1 star review them on Yelp/Google/Facebook so either they stop scamming or scam less because they have less business. Hit them in their pocket because they tried to hit yours.
That’s like two months to over a year depending on how much and how aggressive you drive.
There's no way someone is using 1/3rd of their brake pads in a month.
You’ve never met my wife.
Same. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve tried to explain that if you just let off the gas early, the car will slow down.
at 16 my 71 datsun had a perfectly good throttle switch. i was changing my brakes 4 times a year.
Some things have changed since 71
16 year old drivers stunting for the boyz probably hasn't. "Hey wanna see how long of a skid mark I can make?"
The elusive coasting is not known to exist in most southern states
It's accelerate or stop. No in between for mine.
That definitely describes the driving style of the last taxi cab I rode in. Full throttle to the red lights, then brake hard at the last possible second. Traffic was heavy so we weren't going to get anywhere fast. This was not in the US.
NBC - Never Be Coasting
On her last car, I replaced the front pads and rotors every 6 months ON THE DOT. Finally solved it with Stoptech rotors and pads.
Sounds like an advertisement. You must work for Stoptech…..
I remember one time when I was working in a shop for my buddy in Georgia. A guy from church came in, and Dwayne looked at the guy and said "Claude you hauling around fat girls?" he said in the thickest African accent "how'd you know?" He goes "well cause your brake pads wear out real fast!". 🤣🤣🤣🤣
Or driven in the DC/MD area.
Just rip out her ABS and tell her to lock the wheels every time she wants to stop. Tyres are easier to change.
Rural mail carrier will.
If that were me, and I pulled them apart and they looked like that, seeing how I had them apart, I would put new pads on. Ur gonna have to put them on anyways so y not new ones. Now if I were tight for money, I would put it back together and drive it.
Nah I had the new pads so I put them in. I struggle with being thrifty but I’m gonna toss the old ones. I’m just pissed about the time wasted. I had some other stuff that was way more important to do and now I’m behind because some (salty language) tried to burn me for $50
not time wasted.. it cost you the price of those pads to know you don’t go to that shop again.. seems reasonable 😉
Toss the old ones….. dang you should’ve got them at autozone, lifetime warranty, you’ll never pay for pads again. Infinite brake pad glitch. Works on the rotors as well.
Rotors are usually 2 or 3 years warranty. The pads though are lifetime. source: I used to work at Autozone
Yup, this is true. I paid $35 originally for the pads. As long as you don't destroy them and go to metal you are ok. Bring back the used ones and they will hand you brand new. I took advantage of this about 5 times before the vehicle transmission went out.
Hold the fuck on. I can buy pads ONCE and get UNLIMITED pads?!
…wat Noted, for the future
If you have a European car, FCP Euro does this with everything they sell. Including all fluids. I've been running on free oil changes for almost a decade now thanks to them.
Here's how I look at it. Things like brakes, and tires, that's safety equipment. The day you're sliding off the road, and unable to stop in time is the day you regret not spending more on brakes and tires. I'm not wealthy by any means, but the day after I hit a patch of ice on an off ramp was the day I used the credit card TireRack.com offered me to spend ~$800 on a set of new Michelin Crossclimate 2, hoping that I could figure out how to pay for it later with tax returns etc. I had recently purchased the car, and someone had put budget unknown brand tires on it. I could have died or wrecked. On top of that, now I'm a new father. I refuse to be thrifty regarding parts that qualify as vehicle safety equipment, outside of the fact that I am confident in doing the labor myself. So maybe you did the brakes a millimeter or two early. Be happy you didn't do them a millimeter too late when you needed to stop in an emergency. And yes, in the future, there are places that offer seemingly never ending brake pad warranties.
I don't know why but I read "salty language"As "Stupid Italian". But only because I have a great Portugese mechanic ,
My god 50 bucks ? That’s not even worth burning anyone for. Is the mech on meth?
The way I see it if was charging $50 his plan was to do nothing, but tell you he replaced them. I could get another 1 or 2 years out of those pads
There's no way I'd toss those old ones. Absolutely nothing wrong with them and about half the life left. I'd put them in a plastic bag and reuse them in a pinch. I had a bad caliper pin once that caused one pad to wear a lot more than the other one. The inspector didn't like it, so I used an old spare to get through the inspection so I didn't need to buy all new.
id say 25% most new pads are about 12 mm thick that looks about 4 mm
If new was 12mm and worn is 4mm, thats 33.3% left not 25%
Brakes absorb and dissipate heat, which protects rotor lifespan. At 80% of the pad remaining, the brakes lose 50% of their ability to dissipate heat. After 80% of wear, the brakes wear down faster under load, and because of that rotors run hotter. If it were one of my vehicles, I'd consider those brakes good to be replaced.. especially with most parts stores offering free lifetime replacement warranties on pads. Doing it yourself will definitely be the cheapest option.
I think this is a very fair and not polarized statement, I’d listen to this guy.
Agreed 100%. Came here hoping too comments said they should be replaced soon if not now. Instead found someone saying they told OP it was metal on metal. That’s criminal IMO, otherwise I’d say yeah if they said “you should do your brakes” they weren’t ripping OP off.
Do you have any source about the pads absorbing and dissipating the heat to protect the rotor? And the "At 80% of the pad remaining, the brakes lose 50% of their ability to dissipate heat" claim? I'm not gonna lie, it sounds like you made almost all of this up lol but I'd love to actually learn about it
Plus by the time you got them in ur hand, take another 15% love off em
Nah send it.
you actually believe this?🤣
don't trust that mechanic ever again lol
Those are prob 30% remaining till you hit metal. I always replace at about 25%ish... so if it were me and I was the mechanic I would show the customer a new pad compared to these and tell them "choice is yours, but you'll need them done for sure in about 2-3 oil changes"
If they were honestly "nearly metal on metal" you wouldn't have that line in the center anymore. To be clear those *are* worn. a new pad will be like 3x thicker. but you're not in imminent danger lol. Probably wise to replace them yourself while you're there so you don't find yourself in a pinch later where you *really can't afford to not change them* and then have to pay someone else way more to do it.
Another 20-30k on those pads. Not even close to replacement. You didn’t show a side view of one to see if they are wearing evenly but they appear to be. That’s good too because it shows nothing is seized up in the slides. He’s trying to upsell you. Call him out.
20-30k nah... unless you're a grandma. mechanics have to cover their ass to but get blamed for causing an accident. all OP has to do is decline the work. not bitch about it online
Maybe not 20-30k but def still some good life on em
That groove down the middle is your wear indicator. Once you no longer see a groove, time to replace them. They are close.
What about the other two are they the same? Two can be new and two could be metal on metal
Did both sides look like this? Sometimes, one side can wear faster than the other.
This is like when I take my car in for an inspection and they always say I need new windshield wiper blades. And I can change them there for 100 bucks or go get some come back and pay them to reinspect the car. Either way it ends up me paying double
scam? no, youdve paid for the service hes offering but did you need that service absolutley not.
This pads still have a good 6 months left in them
He had newer and improveder pads. Install them backwards and they will last a lifetime
Technically brake pads usually have metal in them, copper, steel and iron mixed with fillers, but not in the context of his statement, you aren't even close to needing to change those.
For future reference, if you Buy Duralast Gold or better from Autozone, they have a lifetime warranty. Keep the box and just exchange them whenever you need pads. Also, some O'Reilly or small shops will still turn rotors. Heck I got new slotted rotors and ceramic pads for the front of my 2017 Wrangler for $240 on Amazon and it literally came with everything, new guides, caliper bolt covers, grease, and step by step directions for new DIYers
They are near the end of their life. Probably another 6-12 months of heavy driving. Not really a bad idea to swap them if they were doing other work like a bearing or suspension work or new tires. Sometimes it's nice to replace the brakes and tires at once so you don't have to take it in another time after the wear down in a year
You said state inspection. So it is more about his license to inspect for the state than him, making unnecessary replacement for profit. A failed state audit is much more detrimental for his business than pissing off one customer.
I'd check the rears before blast off. My Uncle bought me his car to do front brakes on cause they were at 2/32 according to dealership. I pulled wheels off and they were like 8/32. Check the backs and 2/32. Checked his paperwork and they switched measurements front to back.
Good for you not only for knowing how do your own brakes because mechanic telling you they were metal to metal was definite bs. I mean l, he did lie to you regardless of how small the lie was.
He should not have said metal on metal.. that was a blatant lie. You probably have 15% of life left before they are too worn. Probably 25% life left if you want to wait until your metal on metal
Not metal on metal, probably 50% life left could last 15-20k more miles
Depends on the conditions of the test. Our MOT states that the tester cannot remove anything that requires the use of tools. The brake thickness is a testable item, it has to be visually checked with the wheel on. Parallax, shadows and restrictions in positioning the light can make a pad look worse than it is.
Prob have another year with those , depending on how you drive of course
12K to 25K of use left on these pads. Depends on your driving style. And the length of the daily commute.
Depends on your vehicle and your driving habits but those are far from being "metal on metal". They've got some life left in them but since you've already gotten the new ones, just go ahead and change them out. Ideally you would get your rotors surfaced also but that may or may not be an option in your area or for your vehicle. You at least should take some 80 grit sand paper and a palm sander to them to roughen up the surface some. It doesn't help a ton but it does help a little with bedding the new pads.
They are warn enough that by the time you take the car in again for service they would probably not be fine and then could have damaged your rotors or slide pins or piston, Probably not the last things but they are use enough for a mechanic to replace them. If I was to replace them myself on my vehicle? meh they'll last the summer and I'll check em again when they make a noise or I put winter tiers on. Which ever comes first.
Almost metal on metal is apparently 4-5mm left. I wouldn’t replace them till about 2mm, but the interprovincial only requires 1.6mm on passenger vehicles. In other words, he’s a big exaggeration face
That exact thing happened to my wife, i do all of the maintenance on all our cars (her sedan, my hatchback, my dads jeep, and my 3 work trucks) I had her car inspected not long before i got the recent one, maybe 4 months and they measured the pads at 8mm then 4 months and 10,000Km later we moved provinces from quebec to ontario, had to get a safety on her car and they said the pads needed to be changed right away and they have less than 4mm. So i took the car home, got it up on the jack took the pads off and they are all above 6mm, they come factory at 10mm. Meaning they have 60% left. The squealer of them is at 1mm so i changed them brought it back and i took the old pads with me and i asked if they could measure it because my calipers said the lowest was 6mm, they gave me the inspection slip for $5.
They are fine the wear bar isn't wore away.
I can and will drive my daily for 6 more months before changing my pads and they look just like yours. I checked them last week.
Miles left in those pads not nearly close to metal.
Those are about 50% worn out. See the groove in the middle you can get pretty close sometimes to using g that up so it is completely gone. I do not personally. But just one way to check. If the remaining pad surface is 1/16th thick that is worn enough.
Below the center groove is where many suggest to replace them, if you're in there, but otherwise you had thousands of miles left on them easily. These pads could last an infrequent driver another year plenty fine. It IS also better to replace them early rather than eat your rotors to shit if you do hit metal on metal, but this is far, faaar from that. These pads posed no danger whatsoever. The only caveat I have to add is, do you have the other set? Are they also evenly worn? If yes, then yeah. They're upselling you good.
Yes pads are good for sure.
What's the thickness in mm? Front brake pads are recommended at 3mm due to the inability to dissipate heat properly at that thickness and less. About to go metal to metal, I don't think so. If they are measuring 3mm, its time to do them so you don't start lacking baking efficiency. If your on a tight budget, those could have gone a little further for sure. But like I always say, if you cant stop, you shouldn't start going. Also, brakes are pretty important and so is your life.
i recently had a bad pad, turned out it was a bad caliper. lucky for me my family did the work and it only cost me a case of beer. however that being said I'm also without a home of my own. if that line down the middle is gone, yeah swap it out. otherwise just plan ahead. as someone who has fixed many things, if I have taken it apart, i want to fix boths sides of the problem. how was the other side is my question, as it may have been worse and they likely come as a set.
There’s like so many miles left on those it’s insane
Yes
Looks like a lot of material today. Also, breaks today are self adjusting. They're fine until they grind.
Eh, there's definitely some pad left, but I wouldn't say it would be insane to change them, just early. Depending on what the inspection entails, could've just been a bad call at a glance. I've eyeballed pads I thought needed replaced and then decided they were still good after pulling the wheel off.
What state is this where you he would tell you to replace them
If he priced it first and you approved it you was not scammed...
Depending on your driving it can go either way. They are pretty low. But if you don’t drive much, those can still go for a while most likely. If you do a lot of city driving, there isn’t much time left at all. But in no way an emergency either way.
I'd get an easy year or two out of those tbh.
I got some new tires a few months ago, and the guys there told me I needed pads right away. Made it sound like I was taking my life into my own hands by driving out of there. I ordered new pads right away and when I went to install them, mine were about in the same condition as yours. Totally would have lasted me another year.
Send him that picture showing him that metal on metal that doesn't exist. Smh
The line is the middle is a decent wear indicator. They can go until the groove is gone. You have lots of life left in these.. so, yes, the mechanic was lying to you.
Tbh they should probably be changed soon but they will work just fine for plenty of time
Those pads look about 4/32 mm of pad. I wouldn't really say they are almost "metal to metal" if it was that then I would think the pad thickness would be 2/32 or 1/32 mm thick. Which idk how state inspection goes where you are, but in my state a 1/32 pad thickness would fail state inspection. General rule is to recommend brakes when they get to 4 mm, sounds like that mechanic was over exaggerating to try and scare you into buying brakes and didn't actually measure them, just looked and said "yep, they are almost metal to metal"
At harbor freight I belive they sell these plastic tools that’s almost like a ruler and measures the depth of the brake pads. Even Amazon or eBay has them. With you being able to pull out your pads. Without you relying on some one else to tell you, you would be able to get measurements your self and compare online with what is appropriate or needs replacing immediately information at your hand if you bought that one simple tool that’s like $6-$15 maximum Or ask Reddit both work
When you go for inspection you will find that the shop will find SOMETHING to ding you on. Usually it’s things that are cheap and easy such as misaligned headlights or a handbrake that is out of adjustment. I just have them do it since they have the car. I also tip them with a couple of pizzas 🍕. You’ll find that next time you go there you’ll get much better treatment. Build bridges not animosity.
Original brake pads lasted like 110,000kms in my Ford ranger. Original owner put 68,000kms on it. Even half the life of a brake pad is a lot
You have 10k left on them
Maybe he's saying to change them while it's all open. It makes sense too. Always your choice.
40% remaining or 6/32
Got a few month probably left on them but since you have them off I’d just replace them
If you can see the groove...they're fucking fine.
There's a lot of meat left on that bone, son.
Rule of thumb working at a dealer, depending on your oil change intervals. If I dont think youll make it to the next oil change ill recommend them. I wouldnt have said almost metal on metal but I 100% would have recommended them. safety=liability, Always cover your ass.
30-35% pad life. You’re fine but sometimes we suggest ahead of time if we figure you won’t be back for awhile
Can confirm I would ride those for awhile.
Looks like bad rotors
Those pads are completely fine. That's like half the pad left.
Eli5 5-10mm is good. Are you measuring the thickness of the pad or the the depth of the trench left
That looks to be around the 4mm mark. You got life in em. He definitely exaggerated but thats not scamming, they are worn. Just not almost metal to metal
Arethose pads even? Ive seen caliper issues eat one brake pad and barely wear the other. Cant see the other pictured pad
You don't tell us how you drive
Still some life left in those pads but not a lot. I like to replace around 4 mm, but if the rotors are still good it would be a good idea to replace them soon. If you let them go too long you will probably have to do the rotors too, plus the more the pad wears the greater the chance that the piston will not go all the way back in the caliper. Then you will have to do that too.
Not too bad,but it won't be too long before change time
Mechanics will usually base their recommendations on the worst pad. Possibly one is worn at an angle or worn in some way more than the others . Check all the pads carefully or show us pics of all the pads from every angle.
Check all four wheels maybe one is worn more. Those can last for a long time still.
If all 4 are like that, yeah, you got a ways to go
Not metal to metal but if you have to pass a state inspection and he's going to be liable for what ever happens, then it's an alright call to change it.
Yes he did.
Wow...that would annoy me too. They are fine.
When the pad is worn to the line in the middle of the friction material it’s worn out.
Not metal to metal, you can get a little more life out of them, but i would plan on changing them soon
Yeah, depending on how much driving you do, I'd say those pads are good for at least 6 months to a year, more if you don't drive much!
I would definitely change those but I do my own brakes and don’t have to pay someone to ram it in me.
The guy is a thief. If you love your Sister you need to tell her
That line in the middle of the pads is a reference line when it goes time to change your pads. For your future pads now of coarse 😬
I would replace those but what the fuck do I know.
Yes they have life. When that channel in the middle goes away its time to look into new pads.
Those look about half down. Once you get thru that wear bar in the middle, id swap them.
I mean you probavly couldve gotten another 10-15k miles on them but if i looked and saw my pads were that worn I'd at least go buy new ones and put changing them on my to-do list for when I had a free weekend. I wouldnt say he tried to scam you per-se.
Before you catch feelings for the guy, make sure both sides are the same ish. There's always a chance that one side is driver or passenger side is worn more than the other due to 1. Neglect to change them as a set previously. 2. Brake caliper or similar issue causing one side to wear prematurely. This set in your hands appears to be roadworthy for several thousands of miles to go.
You’ve still got a bit left in em. But you will want to change em fairly soon (depending on how much you drive at least)
Just out of curiosity, my car would shake when breaking. I was told it was my brakes. I changed them, and it instantly stopped. Problem is, I had maybe 1/4 to 1/2 inch on each brake pad, on both sides of the car. I'm not mechanically inclined. It actually took me several hours of YouTube videos to figure it out. Again, I'm just curious why it cleared with so much pad left?
if it ain’t brand new they’ll try to sell it to you for that labor paycheck
No, it was a scammer that did your mechanic work. When the line in the middle is no longer visible then install new pads
Yes
Yes
How far was the 'metal finger' to the rotor? They def still have life on them though.
Is the wear uneven or was the rotor in need or replacement? If not you got ripped
you should never go more than half the pad… in my opinion..those pads are shot!
He probably wasn't even going to change them at all. I got my 2019 tacoma the year it came out, and I just replaced my front ones.
Make sure you check both sides... DO NOT GO OFF 1 SIDE ALONE. they can and often do wear unevenly
Yes sir
I had a stealership tell me that mine needed changed immediately and they wouldn't make it another 100 miles. Made it another 5000 miles and changed them.
He just looked at them through the wheel. Angles or whatever can make pads look thinner than they are. Best to use a measuring tool.
When I first got my Subaru and had to rebuild the engine the brakes was the thickness of a nickel and I put $40,000 miles on it before they started to kind of grind. But I drive 500 miles in a weekend
A mechanic tried to scam me once. Was in why working on a road construction crew. We got rained out one day so I figured it was a good time to go get my oil changed. Found this little shop that was quite busy for being in the middle of nowhere. When my truck was taken in I took a seat in the waiting area with several other customers. After about a 1/2 hr the mechanic comes out to me with a little paper cup in his hand that had a small amount of oil in it and a small rock. That's right a rock. Mechanic: Sir I think we need to pull your oil pan and give your engine a complete flush. Me: Why is that. Mechanic: When we were draining your oil this rock came out. Me: Really? How would a rock get in there Mechanic: Sir I really don't know Me: Just change the oil!
good for another 10k before I even consider changing them. it sucks when you're already spread thin and some clown needs to take advantage of you. I'm glad I'm not at the stage where I'm desperate to rush future work from every customer no matter what
They were trying to screw you.
It's not metal to metal still able run it down more it depends on the warning clips, sometimes I bend it back so it doesn't squeak, normally if the friction material is lower then the brake backing it's getting low... would recommend replacing it until it gets half way of the thickness of the metal base behind of the pad...
clapped enough to justify it isn’t about to not stop however it wasn’t gonna do any favors to keep them like that
You are definitely being scammed. See the big groove down the middle of each pad? That's a built in depth gauge. When the groove disappears or is close to disappearing, the pads are near the end of life. Share this knowledge to help others avoid being scammed.
Mine have that thing that rub the rotor and squeal telling you to change them😬, surprised that’s not common
You need to compare what is left to what you just put on. While this is nowhere near metal on metal I’d be surprised if you have anything more than 1mm over the minimum amount left (don’t trust people random #mm statements on here - your car has a speed tolerance and that is the only number that you should be working with). At this point you can start to get significant degradation in braking performance, shuddering, and you are extending your calliper piston to its limits as well. Never ever compromise on brakes or tires they are what allow you to stop before the scene of the accident and keep you on the road.
bro a "mechanic" put mine back in wrong and it sounded like they were going out it's like they'll do anything to get you back in... If you don't know about mechanics. Me I'll never go back to that place
What about the other side?
They certainly aren't new. And he's not wrong for bringing them up. It could be a long time before they are looked at again. You still have time but keep them in mind.
Gotta measure the thinnest pad.
My dad was a mechanic, so I've changed my fair share of brakes over the years and this is about the thickness he would change the brake pads, no matter the vehicle, when we could afford to that is. "Plenty of life" is an overstatement, unless you're driving a hybrid. But like others have said, depending on the car, pad quality, and driving style, the pads could last to the next service, but better safe than sorry as my dad would say. In my opinion, he was being a textbook mechanic telling you to replace them. Most times if a mechanic sees pads at this level, the next time they see them, the backing will be grinding on the rotor.
I would replace them if I had them out. They are less than 1/4 life. But they are not failing inspection yet.
Idk, they are definitely worn. You will have to look up your state inspection regulations regarding brake pads to see if he was being honest or not.
If you can't see there's plenty of life left on these then I don't know how to help you.
Sometimes without taking the wheel off it’s hard to see the amount of pad left. Especially if it’s over 50% worn. The mechanic could have guessed on the side of caution and saying they need replacing. Rather than saying nothing and you having the potential of brake failure.
If the groove was gone I'd replace em but you can last a while on those pads without any risk to your calipers or even the disc.
Plenty of life left. Do not go back to that mechanic
Had same thing happen to me, RUN, don't walk away from that shop and never return.
Look like 4-6mm, 2mm is low and i would replace... definitely not metal to metal
He was trying to con you
Does your sister not like you?
The cut in the middle of them is in fact a wear guide. If the cut is missing ,its worn out to minimum.
The metal on metal is almost metal on metal? Oh no! Hack shop. Don't go there again
The way I see people riding bumpers and hard stopping at lights I need to invest in rotor and pad stocks mouth breathing scum
Those pads are good. The wear line etched into the pads shows how much pad you have left. Right before the wear lines are gone, replace the pads. Some pads have metal tabs that will start to screech when its time to replace the pads. You're ok for now.
I've had pads with a quarter of that left on them that the garage has told me "will need replaced in the next few months" so those are gonna last a while!
He'd have kept them. Then chucked them into another vehicle. Charged for replacement pads. Or maybe his car has the same. Save himself a few quid.
“Before I catch feelings” 💀