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Checked my brake pads today...

Discussion in 'Gen 3 Prius Care, Maintenance & Troubleshooting' started by Rebound, Oct 12, 2019.

  1. Rebound

    Rebound Senior Member

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    I checked the brake pads on my 142,000 mile 2012 Prius Plug-in. I’m still on the original front pads, which measure 5mm, or 50%. Spec is to replace at 1mm! Rotor thickness: Brand new is 25mm; these measure 24.75mm.

    Pretty sure these pads and rotors will last a full 250,000 miles.
    Adjustments.JPG
     
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  2. Raytheeagle

    Raytheeagle Senior Member

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    When I sold our 2010 with 200k miles on it in April, they were still at 6mm on the front:).

    If you use regen as your primary source for braking, they last a LONG time(y).
     
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  3. The Critic

    The Critic Resident Critic

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    You will probably need brake pads by 200K.

    Once the pad thickness gets below 3mm, the pad material tends to crack and because you have less material, the pads tend to run hotter. Plan to replace at 3mm, 2mm at the latest.


    iPhone ? Pro
     
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  4. NutzAboutBolts

    NutzAboutBolts Senior Member

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    I’m at 201k miles and my pads are still original, I just re-lube the sliding pins and put it back together.
     
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  5. Raytheeagle

    Raytheeagle Senior Member

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    Thickness :whistle:?
     
  6. NutzAboutBolts

    NutzAboutBolts Senior Member

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    didn’t check but it looks like 4-5 mm
     
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  7. Raytheeagle

    Raytheeagle Senior Member

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    Not bad for 201k miles:).

    The regen braking appears better on the Prime, so I can’t wait to see how long the pads last;).

    Long ways to go though (y).
     
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  8. Rebound

    Rebound Senior Member

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    We’ll see...
    200,000 miles on a set of brake pads would still be amazing. I’m calling Guinness...
     
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  9. Raytheeagle

    Raytheeagle Senior Member

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    @NutzAboutBolts and I beat ya to it:).

    You’ll need to go to 300k to be safe for that record(y).
     
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  10. NutzAboutBolts

    NutzAboutBolts Senior Member

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    lol will report back once I hit 300k
     
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  11. Raytheeagle

    Raytheeagle Senior Member

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    If you still have it:p.

    If you ever want to shoot some videos on the Prime, let me know;).

    We still haven’t “randomly” met yet(y).
     
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  12. NutzAboutBolts

    NutzAboutBolts Senior Member

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    that might not happen, been busy with everything in life.
     
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  13. Raytheeagle

    Raytheeagle Senior Member

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    I’ve been as well:(.

    Maybe one of these days(y).
     
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  14. NutzAboutBolts

    NutzAboutBolts Senior Member

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    yeah maybe... ;)
     
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  15. ChapmanF

    ChapmanF Senior Member

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    They probably will, if you don't neglect them. The flip side of that longevity is it can lead you to be complacent, not notice some small issue developing, and then have to replace stuff a hundred thousand miles or more earlier than you were expecting (which in a Prius is not just inconvenient but flat-out embarrassing).

    A good routine check involves more than touching the pads with a thickness gauge. It involves flipping the caliper up, taking the pads out, confirming the condition of all the visible rubber, the free movement of the caliper on its slide pins, the free movement of the pad ears in the dry teflon-coated "fitting kit" clips that hold them in the caliper mount grooves, and attending to anything you notice needing attention. On mine it's the fitting kit more often than anything else, which is a cheap easy replacement. Some people will disassemble and regrease the slide pins; I only bother if they don't slide smoothly and greasily when I check them. (Often, the grease will be a bit stiff at first and loosen right up with a couple strokes of the pin; the normal motion of the caliper is very slight, so the grease can take a bit of a set with the passage of time.)

    Toyota's service schedule suggests that sort of in-depth inspection at least every three years. It doesn't hurt to do it more often, say when you have the wheels off for rotation.

    Keep up with inspection and solving tiny problems when they're tiny, and yes, the pads and rotors will last out their full natural lives.
     
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  16. Rebound

    Rebound Senior Member

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    Thank you. More tips always appreciated!
    I’ve been doing all that stuff. I didn’t replace any of the metal bits, though I took the backing plates off, cleaned and re-lubed them, and of course the sliding pins. My car’s been in pretty temperate environments all its life.
     
  17. Mendel Leisk

    Mendel Leisk Senior Member

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    Last time I checked my brakes was in 2017 (fronts in the spring, rears in the fall). That was around 70K kms. All pads were around 7mm thickness.

    A lot of short trips, urban driving. Extrapolating, think I'd be replacing by 200K kms at the latest. Really doubt we'll ever get there though, more'n likely will have traded well before then.

    I would replace if pad thickness was down around 2~3 mm, wouldn't hesitate. That's more than close enough for me.

    I do a full check tri-yearly btw.
     
  18. Joele3

    Joele3 Active Member

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    I feel like I already know Nutzaboutbolts from watching his videos so many times. But check out these pads at around 163k. I guess too much auto crossing in the bay area wasteland. ;) Went from Monday did I just hear a grind while braking low speed and towards the end of a stop. To Wednesday wow the grinding is full throttle now i'm not even applying the brakes! I parked it pulled the pads. I already knew the rotors were toast too much vibration coming down the Santa Cruz mountains. I planned on getting new ones.

    IMG-1830.jpg
     
  19. Mendel Leisk

    Mendel Leisk Senior Member

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    Did you ever have the brakes serviced??
     
  20. Joele3

    Joele3 Active Member

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    I'd always inspect them while rotating my tires. I seen they were getting low but I wasn't expecting the metal to metal noise to happen as fast as it did. The caliper pins another surprise, dry and black. I was a bit worried to work on the Prius brakes at first but its actually one of the easiest brake jobs i've done. I kept thinking that caliper was going to pop back out and i'd need techstream yadda yadda. I plan on lubing the pins in my V with 72k real soon. Add an EGR and intake cleaning to the list as well.
     
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