[Streaky]

My 2009 GU had it's 45,000km service last week. It's been used for highway use most of it's life by the previous lady owner.

I was told by Nissan that the brake pads needed replacing and they discs needed skimming at the same time.
I've looked at the condition of the discs and can't see any signs of grooves, scoring or un-even wear...although their is a half millimeter lip at the edges of the front discs. All in all they look perfect to me!

How often do you get your discs skimmed at what level of wear is deemed acceptable before doing so?

 

[kymbo75]

If there isn't any vibrations when braking I wouldn't skim them. In my opinion it is not needed every pad change.

 

[Overboard]

If there isn't any vibrations when braking I wouldn't skim them.

+1

Even if there are minor grooves in the disc it won't present a problem. As long as there is no wobble in the steering wheel or pulsating from the brake pedal I would not machine them.

Cheers,

 

[new driver]

I get a 4" angle grinder and very carefully take the lip off both sides and new pads and never had a problem. Have done the same for all my different cars. I have never machined the discs on any of my cars either.
I am sure there will be many opinions about this, but it has worked for me.

Rob

 

[dbsep]

Poor response from the brakes. Vibration and glass like finish on rotor. Run your finger across the rotor and if you lumps or a lip they need just a skim. If you have vibration they need several skims. Use a softer pad like bendix.

I've fitted ceramic on T3 and T2 and if not warm you can end up nearly killing your self like I did a few days back. They not come on until they get a bit heat. Good for trailer work but normal use as I have found out is pointless.

Get some shims so as the pad wear down the pads are constantly running even and grease the pad slides in the calipers with valvoline part number VV614 so it not melt.

 

[Jamie4800]

Lots of brake pads have a tough outer layer that helps bed in the rotors anyway.

 

[Streaky]

dbsep....I can feel a very tiny lip at the outer edge of the disc...but since the cars only done 45,000km I thought it was a bit premature to skim them....the surface isn't shiny either.
By comparison I get better longevity from the Brembo brakes on my Range Rover Sport which is why I thought it strange Nissan wanted to skim them.

I'll be replacing the pads with standard Nissan ones though...the brakes feel fine so I see no reason to change specs.

How would pads wear down unevenly on the same axle? Is that common on these cars then? Rather than messing around with shims surely it makes sense just to replace the pads again?

And the last question....how many KM would you expect to get from a set of standard pads? I'm not a fast driver or aggressive user of brakes......but the Patrol looks quite a heavy vehicle.

Thx.

 

[geeyoutoo]

If there isn't any vibrations when braking I wouldn't skim them. In my opinion it is not needed every pad change.

X2 (or 3, whatever we are up to), my GU is 14 years old, I have had to light skim the discs twice during that time, both times due to coming across standing water with hot brakes resulting in a pulsing of the pedal, little ridges etc don't really effect braking as long as you don't get a warp.

I know it's way to early for you but I have just replaced my discs with RDA slotted and dimpled and fitted Nissan genuine 4.8 pads, man, the best thing I ever did, brakes have a real progressive feel to them now.

I had over 100,000k on mine when they were first skimmed, pads still had a lot left on them but changed them anyway for the new face, the next lot were on there for 160,000k, when I replaced the disks, and still had material (I didn't replace them at the second skim).

 

[mainey88]

Just read this and wanted to know if you changed the 3.0 litre calipers out and fitted 4.8 calipers to fit the 4.8 pads ??

X2 (or 3, whatever we are up to), my GU is 14 years old, I have had to light skim the discs twice during that time, both times due to coming across standing water with hot brakes resulting in a pulsing of the pedal, little ridges etc don't really effect braking as long as you don't get a warp.

I know it's way to early for you but I have just replaced my discs with RDA slotted and dimpled and fitted Nissan genuine 4.8 pads, man, the best thing I ever did, brakes have a real progressive feel to them now.

I had over 100,000k on mine when they were first skimmed, pads still had a lot left on them but changed them anyway for the new face, the next lot were on there for 160,000k, when I replaced the disks, and still had material (I didn't replace them at the second skim).

View attachment 199657

 

[geeyoutoo]

Just read this and wanted to know if you changed the 3.0 litre calipers out and fitted 4.8 calipers to fit the 4.8 pads ??

No, the 4.8 pads fit straight into the original 3.0 calipers. Well worth it mate, you can feel the improved bite from the moment you touch the pedal. I did a good bed in process to get the best out of them, nothing over the top, just no hard braking or sitting at the lights with foot on the pedal and hot brakes. Went for a weekend drive with the missus so I had more control over environment than in traffic, I could heat them up and cool them down at will.

Really happy with the result, the old girl has never stopped this good in its entire life.

 

[MattGU4]

And the last question....how many KM would you expect to get from a set of standard pads? I'm not a fast driver or aggressive user of brakes......but the Patrol looks quite a heavy vehicle.

Thx.

Hmm, my 2010 going in for it's 120k service this week, looked at brakes last weekend when rotating tyres & they still have heaps of pads - probably 2/3 of original thickness, discs also in good nick.
I think the fact it's a manual & I slow using the gears quite a lot certainly helps, also the camper has it's own electric brakes so no stress on the Patrol's brakes when towing.
Reckon the auto's would be a lot harder on brakes.....

 

[BigPanda]

Dealers want to skim the rotors every pad change, not because you have to but with new pads they want to so they can give out warranty in case you come complaining about noise/vibrations etc.
It is better to do it as you will have a better surface and new pad can bed in better, but you can get away without doing it if you had no previous issue's. Sometimes new pads with old surface can develop noise tho, lips/scored etc

 

[q8160]

Hmm, my 2010 going in for it's 120k service this week, looked at brakes last weekend when rotating tyres & they still have heaps of pads - probably 2/3 of original thickness, discs also in good nick.
I think the fact it's a manual & I slow using the gears quite a lot certainly helps, also the camper has it's own electric brakes so no stress on the Patrol's brakes when towing.
Reckon the auto's would be a lot harder on brakes.....[/QUOTE]

Brake wear is consistent with operation.......or the operator.

Auto and changed the pads out at 147,000 K's...... with 5mm of pad left. Pad change was only due to a trip to Adelaide with van on the hitch.

Just because it's an auto doesn't mean you don't use gears to reduce speed........

 

[Don]

Have you looked at the pads yourself to see how much pad is left as 45,000 klms in my opinion is not a lot on a Patrol

My 2005 4.2 wagon that i have owned since new now has 218,000 klms on it and still has original pads front and rear and i am not particually easy on brakes when i drive

From new to about 180,000 klms it was loaded to gvm as we were travelling around Australia with all of our gear in the Patrol and we were pulling a 3 ton van part of the time

I worked at dealerships for around 30 years and it is not unknown that pads are recommended to be changed when they still have lots of klms left in them

I would look at pads and if i didn't think they would make the next service recommend that they should be replaced but if mechanics are on a bonus for everything they upsell it is a easy way to get a few extra dollars in your pay packet

It is a easy upsell as people are paranoid about their brakes

If you remove the wheels you can see how much inner and outer pad is remaining on each wheel

New fronts are approx 12mm thick and rears are 10mm

Regards Don

 

[Porks]

The first and only time I replaced my front pads was after 12 years and 235,000kms still with about 6 mm on pads, discs have never been skimmed.
I agree with Don and think a lot of people get taken for a ride with "brakes".

I replaced the rear discs about 18 months ago with slotted and dimpled because of a rear axle seal leak, made big difference will do the same to front when I can afford it.

 

[Michael (Moss Vale NSW)]

dbsep....I can feel a very tiny lip at the outer edge of the disc...but since the cars only done 45,000km I thought it was a bit premature to skim them....the surface isn't shiny either.
By comparison I get better longevity from the Brembo brakes on my Range Rover Sport which is why I thought it strange Nissan wanted to skim them.

I'll be replacing the pads with standard Nissan ones though...the brakes feel fine so I see no reason to change specs.

How would pads wear down unevenly on the same axle? Is that common on these cars then? Rather than messing around with shims surely it makes sense just to replace the pads again?

And the last question....how many KM would you expect to get from a set of standard pads? I'm not a fast driver or aggressive user of brakes......but the Patrol looks quite a heavy vehicle.

Thx.

I changed my pads and rotors today, genuine pads had exactly 100,000 on them and still had 5 mm pad left. My rotors were only 1 mm down after 380,000 ks but I decided to change them for a set of RDA ones as they were pulsing when braking and the cost between skimming and replacing was $50 and I didn't have to wait for someone to skim them. So I went with the new ones! Michael

 

[Streaky]

I've not had time to take the wheels off but will do before the weekend...the car goes into a container soon for it's trip to Morocco and I want everything in ship shape before it goes.

 

[NZUrvan]

Anyone getting 200,000kms out of pads lives somewhere very flat, or has very cheap pads fitted, and inferior braking. I always fit cheap discs / rotors, and high quality pads.

Once a year, bleed each brake until to see fresh brake fluid. Strip a calliper of a vehicle that has had this done versus one not done. Wear and pitting will tell you which is which.

Disc skimmers should be calibrated annually. In my experience, most garages don't bother to do this, once the warranty has expired. If the skimmer isn't recently calibrated, and you have no other brake problems other than evenly worn pads, just grind the lip off when fitting new pads, so they sit correctly.