vet4me

I have a 2000 with 41000 miles on the original brakes.Should i start looking at replacing the pads? i'm not getting any pulsating or grinding noise,yet.

4XLR8N

Assuming you are experience no unusual issues, a general rule of thumb for pad wear is that once the pads are worn down to the thickness of the metal backing, it is time to replace them. The pads should have "scrapers" on them that will start making noise when they reach that level of wear, but if you are curious about how worn they are, pull the wheels and check.

Vetteman Jack

You can pretty much see how much pad you have left by looking through the exposed area on the top of the caliper even with the wheel on. If you want, you could also pull the wheel(s) and get a better look at the front and rear pads on each caliper. If there is plenty of pad left, I would wait a while.

JR-01

How much is plenty of pad? 1/16th? My 01 has 60K and I do not believe the pads have been replaced. I am planning to do the brakes next summer as they work really well right now.

leadfoot4

Mileage is not necessarily a good gauge for brake life. For instance, my late-MIL drove nowhere but the city, and not all that fast. However, her pattern was stopping from 35 MPH every 500 yards, or less. She wasn't hard on brakes, but simply wore them out in about 10,000 miles.

Before I retired, I drove 24 miles each way to work. 2 stops from 40 MPH, then it was 22 miles on the expressway, without applying the brakes, then 2 quick stops and I was in the parking lot at work. The return trip was the exact opposite. I hardly ever needed to change pads.

For example, I have a '96 Z/28, along with the 'Vette. The Z has 78,000 miles on it. The OE brakes were never all that good, so around 18-20,000 miles, I replaced the rotors, and put a set of Porterfield HP-street pads on the car. They STILL have a lot of pad left.....

Evil-Twin

Do you have a visual state inspection in your State? if so 1/32 on bonded pads, passes, 2/32 on tires...
1/32 is just about 31 thousands of an inch 0.031 IN some States the measurements is in 32 of an inch. The law reads 2/32 for tires but that can also be read as 1/16th.
Some people can get 60,000 miles out of a set of brakes and others can only get 20,000 out of a set. The only way to determine the need is to visually inspect them.

donald4972

Also be aware that the fronts may not wear the same as the rears. So you kind of have to look at them all, to check wear.

If you're not knowledgeable about brakes, go to a shop nearby with a good reputation, and ask them to check your brake wear. Many will do it for free.

If there's no noise, and they don't pull one way or the other when stopping, you probably are okay, for a while. Time now, to learn about them, investigate whether you want to replace the pads with stock pads, or ceramic pads (less brake dust).

And the rotors may be fine, but you can investigate different rotors available for Corvette, as well. Some day they will need attention, too.

Lot's of good threads to search for, on brakes and options, here on the forum, for good information on what others do with their brakes when they need service, or they just want to upgrade to something different.

Don

ironranger

I have a 2001 that just turned 46,000. I have approximately 10% left on the front brakes and 50% on the rears. They are the original brakes!
I will be replacing the front pads and rotors next week with AC Delco Dura Stop ceramics.
I would have probably waited on the fronts until next spring if it wasn't for an 800 mile (round trip) trip we're taking in September!

pewter99

as stated.....depends

thisMSGgood4me

A really easy way to do this is to use a flashlight and small mirror (like the size the ladies use to check their makeup ) to see how much pad material is left (i.e., the thickness of it). But the better way, as VJ pointed out, is to remove the wheel and visually see how close the wear indicator is to the surface of the rotor. That should really give you a better indication of how much pad you have left.

leadfoot4

.........or Pampers, depending on age.

3sACROWD

The pads have a groove or grooves in them to help determine the amount of wear. If the groove is missing, it is time to replace. Make sure you check both pads in the caliper. Front brakes will wear faster than rear as they do most of the stopping.

If you're not sure what you're looking at, have a trusted shop look at them for you. Brake pads are cheap and easy to replace. If you're concerned they are too old / worn, replace them. The peace of mind and assurance your car will stop as designed is well worth it.

While you're thinking about brakes; when was the last time you had the fluid flushed? My guess is it is original just like the pads. You are WAY overdue for a fluid change but your pads may be just fine.

The Pampers vs Depends comment is hilarious