Early brake wear

[NCevGuyF150]

I drive a 2023 ER and it has 31k miles. My rear brakes are nearly depleted. There's about 3 mm left on them. This was spotted when I had my snow tires switched for summer tires at one Ford dealership, and confirmed by a different Ford dealer at my 30k check up. From everything that I have read in multiple places online, this seems very early to have to do the brakes.

The second dealer, which is where I bought the truck, offered to warranty the rotors if I paid for the pads. That would be $175. I feel like they should cover the entire thing but they were not willing to. So the question on my mind is what should I do about it?

For context, I live in Northern Vermont, meaning:
-Harsh winters, salt and sand on the roads, etc.
- lots of dirt road
- 50mph state highways with very little traffic, so not much braking and really zero hard braking
- lots of hills but always rolling through instead of stopping on them

I asked the dealership to help me understand how this could happen. Their response was that it is normal in our area. They blamed the road conditions for early wear and tear on brakes, and cited a brand new F-150 ICE that had its brakes done at 15,000 mi. I asked why the rear brakes would be more worn than the front, and they said that the rear does the majority of the braking. (Genuinely curious here. Is that b******* or true?) Ultimately, they just wouldn't get past. The statement that needing breaks at 30,000 miles is normal.

So what do I do? Look for a new dealership and try to get them warrantied? Bite the bullet and get them redone? Contact the GM?

I'm also curious if anyone has thoughts as to why this might have happened. Is it possible that the dealer is correct in road conditions can affect the brakes this much? Is it possible that my parking brake was stuck for a spell? Other ideas?

Thanks for any help and insight you can provide.

I always understood that the front brakes did more work than the back brakes.

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[mr.Magoo]

Do you frequently carry weight in the bed of the truck?
Do you brake with your left foot?

Although I don't carry anything in the bed of the truck (and I didn't think the truck is smart enough to change brake bias based on weight distribution) , but I do always brake with my left (which shouldn't matter unless you drag the brake).

My rears look pristine after 22,000 miles, so for them to be toast after 30,000 like in OPs case, I'd say something is wrong.

 

[Heliian]

Do you use one pedal driving?

Irrelevant to normal brake wear on the lightning, even if you use 2 pedal it still uses regen for braking.

Trailering or carrying a heavy box load frequently will wear them out faster though.

Best bet for the op is to get a picture of the assembly and see for yourself. You can tell just by looking if they need to be replaced, same goes for the rotor.

Here's a picture of my rear brakes at 71000kms (approx 44000mi), salt, sand, gravel roads, towing, doing truck things. No squealing yet. I'll probably replace the whole kit at 80 or 90k km's. View attachment rear brakes.pdf

 

[Heliian]

I always understood that the front brakes did more work than the back brakes.

On most front engined ice vehicles yes, the bias is heavy on the front. The lightning is nearly 50/50 for weight distribution so the rear brakes will have more bias. In any vehicle, towing or carrying more weight in the rear will wear them faster. My last ice f150 had similar wear because I tow or carry things more than most. I think I did the rears at 85000kms on that one.

 

[Avalanche]

It is not uncommon for rear brakes to wear faster on a pickup. It has been that way on several of mine in the past. They are out of warranty, you have already had two opinions. Free rotors is a good deal.

Thanks Dan, after much online snooping around I learned this is common, particularly with more modern pickups. A local dealership tech also said the same, that you can expect a 2:1 ratio of wear from rear to front. It's taken me a while to wrap my head around the concept, but I am getting there.

I made the appointment for the job and to include the rotors. The tech who I spoke to also agreed that it was on the early end, and suggested this is possibly due to the calipers getting hung up, so they're also going to make sure these are working and properly greased up.

 

[Henry Ford]

The lightning is nearly 50/50 for weight distribution so the rear brakes will have more bias.

Break wear can be engineered so wear is more or less even with different size rotors, pads, and/or calipers. However brake force is always going to bias to the front wheels. This is true in a rear engine Porche. Maybe a trike motorcycle uses more rear brake force due to relative contact patch.

 

[Dan C]

Not true.

 

[Henry Ford]

Thanks Dan, after much online snooping around I learned this is common, particularly with more modern pickups. A local dealership tech also said the same, that you can expect a 2:1 ratio of wear from rear to front. It's taken me a while to wrap my head around the concept, but I am getting there.

I made the appointment for the job and to include the rotors. The tech who I spoke to also agreed that it was on the early end, and suggested this is possibly due to the calipers getting hung up, so they're also going to make sure these are working and properly greased up.

Normal uneven brake wear is a new concept to me. Are you an aggressive driver? Have you noticed replacing brakes frequently on other vehicles?

Hanging brakes seems unlikely. Why would bother calipers hang?

 

[Maquis]

Normal uneven brake wear is a new concept to me. Are you an aggressive driver? Have you noticed replacing brakes frequently on other vehicles?

Hanging brakes seems unlikely. Why would bother calipers hang?

Agree. A caliper might stick on one wheel, but both rears would be a coincidence. And when they stick, only one of the pads wears, not both of them.

 

[Firn]

I have personally monitored the brake line pressure when stopping so can confirm the truck uses regenerative braking before the physical brakes. HOWEVER, it is possible the PID used is for the front brakes only.

The reason I say this is that although the front brakes do the majority of braking, typically the rears on most cars are engaged first. This was especially present on rear drum brakes, but it can also be done to settle the chassis before a braking event when rear disks are used.

It is possible (although I think unlikely) that the rear brakes do in fact "take up the slack" and engage lightly every time you step on the brake. With the wonderfully tuned brakes on the Lightning, with such a smooth transition from regen to physical brakes, perhaps the rear brakes do engage lightly just to make that transition more smooth.

If you do a lot of stopping or slowing perhaps thus explains the rear brakes wear.

 

[WoodduckMN]

Are you using 1-pedal mode or standard braking?

Too much power braking??? Lol

 

[Green Tree]

Get a proper brake inspection. Two guys at two different places say the same thing about the vehicle, they are probably telling you how it is (unless you are telling them otherwise). They also know what is normal brake wear for your area is and probably would tell you that worn-out pads at 30K are unusual.

Have you serviced the brakes on this vehicle? Should be done by the longest interval of 24 months or 20,000 miles or sooner.

175.00 for an 800-dollar service sounds like a pretty good compromise.


This is what a brake inspection entails—not just an "I think the pads are low, and you need pads."


Brake Inspection: Front Disc, Rear Disc, Rear Drum

The following steps are to be performed for standard front disc, rear disc or rear drum inspection. This service is recommended every 20,000 kilometers or 1 year, or for vehicles experiencing abnormal braking conditions. The customer should be notified of any needed repairs or services, the cost of these repairs, and the reasons for them. Only upon customer approval should the appropriate repairs be completed.
Read the corresponding work order.

Review vehicle service history.
Before starting the vehicle, press down the brake pedal and hold. Start the vehicle and see if the pedal goes down slightly. If it does not, there may be a problem with the booster.
Road test the vehicle - inspect braking efficiency and presence of any abnormal conditions such as noise, pulling, fading pedal, pulsating, low/high or soft/hard pedal, etc. Expect to drive up to 10km to complete this test. Consider the operation of shocks and handling while driving.
Step on the pedal lightly at 80 KPH. (Pulls or shakes?) Stop at least 3 times from 80 KPH to
20 KPH (to heat rotors to full temperature of about 250 degrees Fahrenheit). (any pulling or shaking now?)
Record brake temperatures before removing wheels if possible. Front temperatures should be over 200 degrees but less than 300 degrees for accurate test results. Side to side temperature variation should be less than 25 degrees. Rears should be lower in temperature.

Test the operation of the parking brake (Does it hold the vehicle)? Apply and release parking brake before lifting vehicle (if it sticks applied this will make it easier to release)

Inspect operation of brake tail lights and dash panel brake warning lights.

Inspect brake fluid level and condition (Is it clean?).
Inspect master cylinder for external wetness buildup or leaks.

Inspect proportioning valve and or the ABS module for wetness buildup or leaks.

Inspect wheel bearing for excessive play and remove all wheels.

Remove brake calipers. Inspect slide pins and components for sticking, excessive rust or other damage.

Inspect caliper slide pin and piston boots for correct installation, tears, cracks etc..
Press pistons back into calipers using a push back tool. (The pistons should press back using one hand of force on the tool).

Inspect front disc pads for excessive or uneven wear, rust, cracking, and proper installation.
Recommend pad replacement at 3mm. Inspect disc hardware.
Take a photo of brake pads (front and rear) showing the measuring tool on the pad.
Inspect front rotors for minimum rotor thickness, excessive rust, or unusual wear.
Note: If it is the second or greater brake job and/or the vehicle has high mileage (80,000+), let the service advisor know there is a good chance the rotors will have to be replaced.

Inspect rear disc pads for excessive or uneven wear, rust, cracking, and proper installation. Recommend pad replacement at 3mm. Inspect disc hardware.
Inspect rear rotors for minimum rotor thickness, excessive rust, or unusual wear.
Note: If it is the second or greater brake job and/or the vehicle has high mileage (80,000+), let the service advisor know there is a good chance the rotors will have to be replaced.
Remove brake calipers. Inspect slide pins and components for sticking, excessive rust or other damage.

Inspect caliper slide pin and piston boots for correct installation, tears, cracks etc..
Press pistons back into calipers using a push back tool. (the pistons should press back in using one hand of force on the tool).

Inspect drum brake wheel cylinders and calipers for leaks and binding.

Inspect the operation of the drum brake self-adjusters.
Inspect brake hardware for damage and wear. Recommend replacing hardware for high mileage or for a second brake job.

Inspect rear brake drums for minimum drum thickness and excessive rust or unusual wear.

Inspect rear brake shoes for excessive or uneven wear, cracking, and proper installation. Recommend shoe replacement at 1.5mm.

Take a photo of brake shoes showing the measuring tool on the shoes, one front and one rear.
Inspect brake lines/hoses for leaks, cracks, excessive rust and deterioration.
Inspect the emergency brake cables.


Notify service advisor of any recommended service or repairs found during inspection.
Time to complete the brake inspection is .5 hours, .4 with courtesy inspection.
Schedule shop time 1.0 hours

 

[Calson]

If all that is needed are new pads I would find an independent brake shop to do the work. If the rotors are too far out to be turned then I would shop for aftermarket ones that are likely to be much better than the OEM one.

My 1998 Chevy Tahoe needed both pads and rotors at 28,000 miles. I replaced them with high end aftermarket ones and the brakes were still in good shape at 178,000 miles when I sold it.

 

[jjupi91897]

Use the one pedal drive feature. It will prolong the brakes.

 

[COrocket]

I would assume OP has a stuck caliper, because even for a vehicle without regenerative braking, that’s very early to need brakes. We had our Tesla checked at 100,000 miles and the brake pads were in “near new” condition according to the service center. I’d expect the same from the Lightning where, like the Tesla, 1 pedal regen absorbs 90+% of the braking energy of every day driving.

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