Brake pad wear

[K1W1]

What is the general consensus regarding how long the original front pads last?

I have no reason for asking other than curiosity and that fact it's 5km downhill (about 400 metre drop in altitude) to anywhere from here so brakes get used a bit.

[CanberravRS]

I can tell you that my 60,000klm old Octavia vRS had 3mm-4mm left when i sold it.. with the original pads.

[bobski]

After almost 15000k's my VRS's brakes are starting to feel spongy. Will know in a couple of weeks after its first service. I'd expect them to last at least 30000 though....

[CanberravRS]

After almost 15000k's my VRS's brakes are starting to feel spongy. Will know in a couple of weeks after its first service. I'd expect them to last at least 30000 though....

Id be shocked if they do less than 50k, they are very hard high carbon pads. I wasn't easy on my vRS and regularly used the brakes in a big way.
Easy thing to do is to watch the MM thickness report from your mechanic.

[brad]

65,000km & still have 7mm left. I rarely use the gearbox to brake either. I do tend to look a fair way up the road & anticipate what's going on. Not many hills around here, lots of traffic.

I expect to get about 150,000km out of them.

[K1W1]

Thanks to everybody but Brad I think you might be a little optimistic.

I expect to get about 150,000km out of them.

I assume that like other European cars the disc rotors are also a wear item so it will be a set of rotors with every second set of pads.
After the varying responses I think I'll have to actually go look at mine.

[brad]

Thanks to everybody but Brad I think you might be a little optimistic.

My driving style/habits/environment is so benign these days. I think it will romp it in unless something changes. Look at all the other "environment induced" wear items that I get big numbers on compared to others in the Skoda forum: Average fuel consumption 6.6L/100km; tyres 45,000km; oil tests like new after 15,000km.

Brake pads are 10mm when new IIRC, so I'm using about 1mm every 20,000km. I usually run them down to the thickness of the backing plate (2.0mm-3mm) so I've got another 4-5mm left = ~100,000km. If i don't get there it's no big deal.

I changed my Liberty brake pads at 100,000km because the mechanic doing the timing belt said they were buggered - I didn't bother to look & bought the pads & they were still good for many miles more (20k-40k) - changed them anyway rather than leave the new ones on the shelf.

I assume that like other European cars the disc rotors are also a wear item so it will be a set of rotors with every second set of pads.
After the varying responses I think I'll have to actually go look at mine.

If your lucky. From what I can see, nobody wants to machine the rotors & I hate fitting new pads to lipped rotors (I actually filed the lips off the rear discs on the cabrio when i had it). I'll probably change 1:1 if I'm getting 100k+ out of the pads.

[woofy]

I've had manuals for a few years and did 90k in our 6.5 yr old Mazda 323 SP20 which was "overbraked" it pulled up fast and I've never seen the ABS go on it. It still had plenty of the original pads left and I had bought new ones years before that were still in their box in the boot when I sold it. Our 2006 Mazda 6 man, has done over 60k and still has heaps to go, the Skoda is late 08 and has done 35k with heaps to go.

I know lots of people on the Mazda forums complain about the Mazda 6 brake pads and how they don't last long, and same with the rotors, but I've never seen it. They tend to have one of two things that I think contribute, auto gearbox, and bad driving habits. I drive hard at times and have in all 3 cars, but don't churn as much through them, so they must be really giving them a hard time.

[CanberravRS]

I've had manuals for a few years and did 90k in our 6.5 yr old Mazda 323 SP20 which was "overbraked" it pulled up fast and I've never seen the ABS go on it.

Oooh overbraked cars are wonderful.. I love the fact that the V6 Superb has enormous brakes, its very confidence inspiring and braking a towed ski boat is dead easy.With 345×30mm ventilated front rotors and 310×22mm ventilated rear rotors, its serious stuff when you really hook in.

The Octavia vRS is partially overbraked, and over the 3 years i had mine, it was certainly never a worry, Although I think Brad's hoping for the best I would have considered 80-90k from the pads a likely outcome for me..
I have to admit although the continual brake dust is a pain, the disc/pad combination that VAG use are brilliant in standard form for the performance models.

[Skodite]

Oooh overbraked cars are wonderful..

Have to agree!
I've fitted VW Racing UK's big brake kit to my Octi 1.8tsi - 353mm slotted discs and 6 piston calipers on the rear are r32 brakes with slotted 312mm discs. The brakes are phenomenal! The front pads are ferrodo's and after 10k there is hardly any wear. Brake dust is a pain..

[CanberravRS]

I swear your rotors at 353mm must be filling the inside of your 18's perfectly.. Like others comments.. I would love to see you do an article on your mods with Pic's as you have done much from what i read in the modification thread.

I feel there are many here who would be interested to see whats possible..

[woofy]

The SP20s and our Sports edition were "overbraked" as the same car came with a turbo engine in Japan, we got everything in Oz minus that and the optional AWD. Typical of Japanese cars, but they did experiment with the MPS 6 bring the AWD and turbo engine over for the first time in years. It was even set up to be a drifter stock, not that many of the elderley people who bought them did.

Unfortunately people prefer auto over manual, so the Libertys stole the sales.The MPS might do better being the hatch next time though.....wish the RS was AWD or better still wish Skoda was allowed to make an R version of it.

[MarksVRS]

I am not a heavy braker and with a manual TDI i tend to utilise the engine as much as the brakes to slow down or maintain a speed down a hill. I have to admit I expected high brake wear based on the brake dust alone, which is the main indicator for when a wash is due!

So what is the price range for OEM/aftermarket pads, since we are on the subject?

[K1W1]

I found some EBC Redstuff pads on ebay Australia (Sydney) for Aus$279. Looking at UK sites on ebay the same pads didn't seem to be much cheaper.
I guess there are better places to go but that was about my 30 second attention span for ebay.

[CanberravRS]

Green stuff are about $50 cheaper and a lot more quiet than reds... very noisy pad indeed from my experience in using them on my 2003 Cooper S about 7 years ago.
Ferodo DS2500 are another option about the same price, $260ish... and noisy too.

Just remember if there are a performance based pad then your likely to get squeaky brakes when your braking lightly. Its why our factory pads are so dusty as the high carbon level makes them quiet.