new brakepads at 7500?

[TitanB]

Had my car at the dealer getting the oil changed, and they said the brakepads where getting low. The car has only 7500 miles on it. I didnt think I was a hard braker or anything. The roters ahve some groves in them. Has anyone had this happen this soon?

[DZnutz]

it all depends on your driving and where u drive... check em yourself its not hard

[TitanB]

What would I be looking for?

[MSP2746]

You'll have to take your wheel off to check your pads, and it helps if you know how thick the pads were to begin with. Look to see how much material is left. Generally, brake pads have about 3/4 to 1/2 inch of material on them new. Also, the grooves would be obvious. Just look at the rotor and see if it has a clean "polished" finish. Grooves would appear to be deep scratches in the surface ringing around the hub.

HTH

[TitanB]

Well the roters do have 2 grooves on the.

[MSP2746]

Well the roters do have 2 grooves on the.

Like DZnutz said, it's got a lot to do with where you live and your driving habits. If you drive on a lot of gravel/dirt/sandy roads, its possible you got grit and trash between your pads and rotors, which after a while could cause scarring on your rotor. Also, applying your brakes smoothly will help preserve their life. If you have a tendancy to jab at them, it'll wear them out and probably warp your rotors. There's a lot of factors that could cause premature brake wear.

[TitanB]

Ok, well that all makes sense. Hrm.. ill have to be more careful brakeing. Would you guys recommend me letting dealer fix them when time comes, or just replacing them with aftermarket parts?*note* i dont have alot of car tools or anything hehe, im trying to learn more but its slow going :)
Thanks.

[t3ase]

Aftermarket. All you'll need is a jack, lugwrench, a 10 mm socket and a pair of needle nose pliers.

Depending on cash, I may change my pads soon.. I don't think I've seen a MSP howto since we do have different calipers. I may make one.

[EVILSRT]

^ That would be nice.

[TitanB]

I agree with above.

[t3ase]

Yeah, I had no clue how to retract the caliper for like half a day or so.. I may do that.

[MSP2746]

I'm with t3ease on that. Paying somebody else to do your brakes only makes sense if you have absolutely no mechanical skill whatsoever :). They aren't too bad, especially since your car has so few miles on it. I've had good luck with Bendix pads from Advance Auto Parts, they are basically aftermarket versions of the OE pads. They aren't exactly performance oriented, but they get the job done well.

Also, do some checking around. I haven't needed to research it yet, but buying a new set of rotors *might* be just as cheap as getting yours turned (resurfaced). What I usually end up doing is buying a second set of rotors. That way you can swap them out and get your original ones turned so they'll be ready to go on your next brake job.

[DZnutz]

if you have no mechanical inclination whatsoever i highly recommend that you get them professionally done. brakes are the most important part on your car and if you dont know what your doing you can definately cause some harm. itll cost you alot more this way but atleast see if the mechanic will allow you to watch as they replace the pads and rotors that way youll have a far better chance of doing them yourself properly. i say all this because there are alot of issues that can arise from improper brake replacement... you have to sand and clean all the mating surfaces properly otherwise youll get alot of vibration... you have to know how to retract the calipers... you should have a special lube to keep the pads from squeakin and jammin themselves in the calipers... also you cant just let your calipers hang once theyre off otherwise you can crack or damage you stock brake lines. this and many more

like i said there are alot of things that you need experience from... it is very easy once you have the tools and know how but until then i strongly suggest you get it done professionally. good luck

[t3ase]

if you have no mechanical inclination whatsoever i highly recommend that you get them professionally done. brakes are the most important part on your car and if you dont know what your doing you can definately cause some harm. itll cost you alot more this way but atleast see if the mechanic will allow you to watch as they replace the pads and rotors that way youll have a far better chance of doing them yourself properly. i say all this because there are alot of issues that can arise from improper brake replacement... you have to sand and clean all the mating surfaces properly otherwise youll get alot of vibration... you have to know how to retract the calipers... you should have a special lube to keep the pads from squeakin and jammin themselves in the calipers... also you cant just let your calipers hang once theyre off otherwise you can crack or damage you stock brake lines. this and many more

like i said there are alot of things that you need experience from... it is very easy once you have the tools and know how but until then i strongly suggest you get it done professionally. good luck
Yeah, brakes are important. However, just about anyone that can work a socket can change out pads. As far as the calipers go, this'll be covered in the how-to :D

[DZnutz]

yup thats why i said no mechanical inclination whatsoever... youd be surprised what kind of brake jobs ive seen, sometimes i have no clue how the person pulled it off and didnt die

[t3ase]

If you can figure out how to use the jack, and successfully use it without pushing the entire foot area of your car up to your dash..... Then I think you can do brakes. :D

[TitanB]

So theres a chance then!! lol