Life expectancy - rear brakes?

[Gary - K7GLD]

This subject has been covered here before in the past - but with many more trucks now reaching higher mileages, hope there might be more accurate data now available on rear drum brake life for our older trucks...



MY early '91 Ram 250 now has about 118,000 miles, and still has the original rear brakes - the drums have never been off the truck. We tow a 7000 lb or so fiver - about 30,000 miles on the truck/5er combo - and as far as I can tell from the outside, the rear brakes are still performing perfectly - no funny noises, the normal amount of "drag" as I rotate the jacked-up rear wheels. Shucks - the PAINT is still quite evident on the whole outer surface of the drums, leading me to think they really haven't been stressed TOO much!



By way of comparison - and possibly an insight into my driving style - I just checked the semi-metallic FRONT pads on the truck, and with about 70,000 miles on them, they still have well over 50% of their thickness remaining...



Since I subscribe to the "if'n it ain't BROKE, don't try to FIX it", I am reluctant to start breaking rear gaskets and axle seals merely to take a "look-see". unless it clearly time and mileage to do so.



SO - what rear brake mileage mileage are some of the rest of you guys seeing from similar year and mileage trucks, and in use similar to ours?

 

[brkoyle]

I have a 1 ton dually (see sig). I seem to get about 100k on each set of rear shoes before needing replacement. Not a bad job, but you need a special 2 9/16" socket available from Napa for the job. Takes about a 1/2 day to do the job properly.

 

[Gary - K7GLD]

YUP - it IS a pain to remove all the involved axles and hardware, just to inspect the condition of the brake shoes! The current seals and gaskets in mine are still totally dry and leak-free - I sure hate to unnecessarily disturb them unless I can be completely certain it IS needed...



I hear guys here from time to time with 150K miles and more, on the same original rear shoes - but am hoping that with increasing numbers of higher-mileage 1st generation trucks out there, I can establish a more accurate target as to what I can expect for mine.

 

[Gary - K7GLD]

BOY - what's HAPPENED to this board?



Hardly any activity - is it just the 1st generation section, or the whole board? Is it because of the "big crash", or just lost interest?



I'm beginning to have serious doubts as to renewing my TDR subscription/membership, what with the LOW degree of interest in the magazine towards the older trucks, as well as the absence of new products and accessories for us - seems like we are rapidly becoming orphans...



This board WAS my last bastion of info and support for my truck - and now this TOO seems to be going down the drain...

 

[nascar mark]

Took alook myself afew years back at 60,000 miles and could not believe how much meat was left on shoes. As i also was wondering what kind of life the brakes have in them. The only problem i have had with brakes, has been the passenger rear tightens up every month or so due too the best i can fiqure is a bad spring.



Easier to crawl under truck once a month to adjust then pull axles.

 

[Grey Wolf]

Hey Gary my fronts went to 214,000 and the rears went to 223,000. This is about 95% highway with occasional towing. I also waited until I started to hear the familliar sound of a weekend project coming on... ... shusssssssss, with the binders on!!

 

[JFitzgerald]

Sorry, can't pass on any info on the rears. Mine has 122K, and from what you guys are saying, they're probably the original linings. Just adjusted them last oil change.



I replaced the front pads and rotors at about 120K. They were worn down to the squeakers. The rotors were really rough, so I didn't even try turning them. It appeared to be from rust, not from running the pads down to the rivets.



It's good to hear that the brakes are made to last on these trucks, like the engines. I've had trucks and cars that needed brakes about every 20K.



I hope you can get some more helpful input Gary.

 

[WestTN]

rear brake life

Gary,

I sold my 1989 last fall to a local fellow and drifted to the 2nd Gen forums since I am now driving a 2001. 5 2500 Sport QC long bed. My old truck used 3 sets of rear shoes in the 225,000 miles I had it. There were problems with the rear adjusters on the oldtimers. Your estimated brake wear sounds a little suspicious to me. I would expect more rear wear and less front wear would be apprpriate. Possibly your rear adjusters aren't keeping pace. Mine never did. I adjusted the brakes about every 15,000 miles to keep the rears active.

 

[Gary - K7GLD]

DUNNO - my rear wheels had a definite drag to them whe jacked up and I attempted to turn them by hand - they certainly SEEM well adjusted, and WILL slide the rear tires when applied hard. BUT, as stated, no indications of metal-to-metal so far...

 

[Midnite]

Gary, I thought the same as you until the first winter I had my truck. With the rears jacked up, they would stop immediately with a tiny amount of pedal pressure. However, on glare ice the fronts lock up if I just *look* at the pedal, and I have to *stand* on the pedal to get the rears to lock.

To me, it really does seem like a 99% front brake bias and 1% rear. I would absolutely love it if I could change that to 75% front, 25% rear. Ideally I want the fronts to lock up an instant before the rears.



I'm sure with mine it's either an adjustment issue, or possibly something else, but I'm about to the point of ripping out that goofy proportioning valve with my bare hands...



Mike

 

[amsoilman]

Gary,

My 94 has over 140,000 miles now, and this past december when I went to have it inspected for license re-newal, the left rear whell was removed to check the brake shoes. The person doing the inspection said I should get them replaced wich I did. But they had 138,000 on them. Incidently, they didn't look that thin too me, but I took his advice since they wouldn't padd it until they were replaced.





Wayne

amsoilman