Time for brake pads and rotors?????

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garyb1st

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Our service guy told us we need new pads and rotors. The rotors have stress cracks and the pads have only 10 - 15% life remaining. Not sure what 10 - 15% equates to in terms of inches but based on a visual, there is at least a 1/4 " of pad remaining. Cost for front breaks and pads about $1550. Not sure about the price but I have questions regarding the amount of life remaining on the pads.

The motorhome is 20 years old. It has 75,500 miles on the clock and as far as I know the brake pads and rotors are original. What's interesting is 3 1/2 years ago the same guy told me I needed brake pads, rotors and calipers. At that time RF inner pad was 8mm and outer was 12mm. LF were 11mm. Rear brakes were fine. They also stated there were small cracks on both rotors. I asked the owners son for his opinion and he told me the rotors were fine. Based on that I didn't have the work done.

Since then, the shop has changed hands. The original guy that told me I needed brakes has taken over. I really don't trust him but there are not many options that don't require a 1 to 2 hour drive for service. After we leave for our next trip, I'm hoping to find another service center to check the brakes and install if their findings are the same.

I looked at the pads and they appear to be at least a 1/4 inch thick. I just don't know if that isn't enough pad.

FWIW, I don't tail gate. I slow down when I see brake lights or traffic slowing. I use the grade brake in the mountains. The overwhelming majority of our travel is on the freeways. Still, just getting out of L.A. involves climbing and descending a few rather large hills. That's what concerns me since even with the grade brake, I need to stab the brakes from time to time.

The shops pricing also seems high to me.

Thanks for your thoughts.
 
Brake pads should be at least 4/32" if they are wearing unevenly they should be replaced. Do they have a wear indicator? If so they will rub on the rotor and make noise.

If the brakes arw making a screaching or grinding noise they may need replacing.

Rotors usually show grooves or other signs of wear so you can usually go by a simple visual look.

If you have any concerns it might be worth getting them done. That is a lot of miles if they are the original. Better safe than sorry
 
I had the rear rotors and pads replaced on my 2001 F53 chassis last year at a local truck shop for ~$600. The rears are more work than the fronts since they have to pull the axles.
 
I don't know which chassis you have, but this applies to the Ford F53's from that era. I just found this on Google:

A typical new brake pad on a Dana 80 axle should be around 1.181 inches (30mm) thick, with the exact measurement depending on the specific brake pad design and manufacturer; always consult your vehicle's service manual for the most accurate information.

Key points about Dana 80 brake pads:
  • Minimum thickness: Most manufacturers recommend replacing brake pads when they reach a thickness of around 1/4 inch (6.4mm).
  • Wear indicators: Check for wear indicators on your brake pads to determine when they need to be replaced.
  • Check all pads: Always measure all brake pads on the axle as wear can be uneven.
 
Pad and rotors are easy to do if you have the right tools and know-how. In your case a heavy duty hydraulic jack and blocks or stands would probably be the most important thing. Good luck in whatever you decide.
 
With 75K miles on it chances are you're going to need all that and more.

Are you anywhere near Paso Robles?

I know a guy.
 
IMO, brakes are #1 in importance. You might call a Mobile Mechanic and get their opinion. Likely parts and labor much cheaper. I highly encourage you to have the brake fluid flushed and replaced, for safety and longevity of other expensive components.
 
Our service guy told us we need new pads and rotors. The rotors have stress cracks and the pads have only 10 - 15% life remaining. Not sure what 10 - 15% equates to in terms of inches but based on a visual, there is at least a 1/4 " of pad remaining. Cost for front breaks and pads about $1550. Not sure about the price but I have questions regarding the amount of life remaining on the pads.

The motorhome is 20 years old. It has 75,500 miles on the clock and as far as I know the brake pads and rotors are original. What's interesting is 3 1/2 years ago the same guy told me I needed brake pads, rotors and calipers. At that time RF inner pad was 8mm and outer was 12mm. LF were 11mm. Rear brakes were fine. They also stated there were small cracks on both rotors. I asked the owners son for his opinion and he told me the rotors were fine. Based on that I didn't have the work done.

Since then, the shop has changed hands. The original guy that told me I needed brakes has taken over. I really don't trust him but there are not many options that don't require a 1 to 2 hour drive for service. After we leave for our next trip, I'm hoping to find another service center to check the brakes and install if their findings are the same.

I looked at the pads and they appear to be at least a 1/4 inch thick. I just don't know if that isn't enough pad.

FWIW, I don't tail gate. I slow down when I see brake lights or traffic slowing. I use the grade brake in the mountains. The overwhelming majority of our travel is on the freeways. Still, just getting out of L.A. involves climbing and descending a few rather large hills. That's what concerns me since even with the grade brake, I need to stab the brakes from time to time.

The shops pricing also seems high to me.

Thanks for your thoughts.
$1550.00 is only about 1/3rd more than it should cost.
 
I did my fronts a couple years ago, the rears last year. Odometer ~60K. For my P32 the friction material isn't apparently quite as thick as the F53, nominally .86". Here is a photo of old/new:

1737727584837.png

The OEM had a squeaker so maybe I could've waited for that but I'd rather change the pads early than risk lunching the rotors. My rotors were in very good shape, no warp, grooves or cracking so i put the new pads on and down the road I go. If you look at the new thickness vs remaining at 60K, there's easily another 10-15K left. The only variable is not knowing how high up the rivets are in your pads (if they have rivets). What appears to be sufficient meat from the edge might be only barely clearing the rivets. Wheel bearings are another consideration, if you have the original rotors it would be a good idea to get new bearings and grease with new rotors. I'm OK with using original calipers if there's no indication of uneven pad wear. My take on it would be there's no burning urge to get this done, but I would schedule it at my convenience. At this stage of ownership putting off service might buy you a few thousand miles but unless you anticipate trading it off before then, just pull the bandaid off and get it overwith.

Mark B.
Albuquerque, NM
 
Thanks for the replies. Not sure if there's more than a 1/4 inch of pad remaining but it's close so I'm going to try to find a local truck repair shop to do the work.
 
Keep in mind that a caliper that has been in service for several years and miles will accumulate moisture and in turn will form rust behind that piston. As the piston travels further rust will follow. When installing new pads the piston is compressed back into housing, the piston O ring can get damaged and start leaking, possibly on those new pads. Regular brake fluid flushing can help fight that rust from forming. The same rust forms in the master cylinder. Picture this: After new pads installed, pump brake pedal, now you have master cyl traveling farther than normal and those cups are now getting bruised because of that rust in master. Possible leaking caliper and master where they were not leaking before. Moisture in calipers can boil under high braking and boil causing brake fade
 
826joey thanks for the post. I was not aware of the requirement for regular brake flushing. I will mention this too who ever does the work.
 
Keep in mind that a caliper that has been in service for several years and miles will accumulate moisture and in turn will form rust behind that piston. As the piston travels further rust will follow. When installing new pads the piston is compressed back into housing, the piston O ring can get damaged and start leaking, possibly on those new pads. Regular brake fluid flushing can help fight that rust from forming. The same rust forms in the master cylinder. Picture this: After new pads installed, pump brake pedal, now you have master cyl traveling farther than normal and those cups are now getting bruised because of that rust in master. Possible leaking caliper and master where they were not leaking before. Moisture in calipers can boil under high braking and boil causing brake fade
When I had the rear brakes and rotors replaced on my F53 chassis equipped 2001 Class A, the shop rebuilt one dual piston caliper and replaced the other one. The one that wasn't replaced or rebuilt was in rough condition due to the boots being torn allowing road salt, etc. to get to the pistons and bores. There was almost no rust inside the caliper.
 
Talked with two shops so far. One that works on heavy duty trucks. The other is more traditional but does brake work on some large vehicles. They quoted $1,250 for brakes and rotors. The rotors alone are almost half the price. What's interesting is their hourly labor rate. It's $130 vs the $200 charged by the RV service center. Guess the RV service centers figure we're all wealthy elites. At least the ones here in California. :mad:
 
Reports I've seen here and the other RV site I hang out on suggest that $1000-$1200 is the common price for pads & rotors on a gas chassis coach. An RV shop is always going to be expensive compared to a regular truck/chassis shop, i.e. the $200 labor rate vs $130. That's enough to make the difference in the price quotes. In general, avoid RV shops for chassis work. The RV shop will typically charge a higher labor rate for techs who are less experienced/skilled, and often a higher mark-up on parts as well.
 

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