What is the life expectancy of the the front pads, rear pads and rotors for the front and rear?

What are the relative advantages and disadvantages of ceramic versus semimetallic pads?

What do I need to watch for if I change the pads myself? Is it a normal procedure or do you need special tools?

Thanks in advance.

 

Life expectancy of most brake components depends greatly upon driving style as well as the percentage of highway driving vs. stop-and-go driving. There's no question, though, that the OEM S-Type brake pads are relatively short-lived compared to most of the other cars we've owned. I think that if you can get 40,000 miles out of your factory pads on your front axle, you've done an outstanding job. 30,000 to 35,000 miles seems to be more typical for these S-Types, and less than that for the STR. Our rear factory brake pads may very well go 60,000 miles or more. My dealer indicated that our car had about 70% of the rear pads left at 26,000 miles. We had only about 30% left of the front pads at 26,000 miles.

Ceramic pads generally last longer, usually create less visible dust, but can also create more heat. Rotors don't like excessive heat and some can warp more easily if they are not engineered to handle ceramic pads.

Semi-metallic and organic pads typically provide more initial "bite" when the brakes are applied relatively hard at higher speeds. Some sets can last nearly as long as ceramic pads, and they are usually less expensive. I happen to like Wagner ThermoQuiet organic pads, and will put a set up front on our S-Type probably before 35,000 miles.

Again, brake components are truly subject to how the car is typically driven. Hard driving and therefore hard braking will go through pads and rotors sooner. So will city driving as opposed to highway driving....

 

Thanks for that information. I have 54,000 miles on mine. I'm not sure if the prior owner replaced pads, but I'm going to replace them. Thanks for the brand recommendation. Who sells them anyway?

 

Many of the national auto parts retailers (NAPA, Advance Auto Parts, Pep Boys, Carquest, etc.) sell Wagner, but that can vary by geographic location. Just call around in your area or Google something like "Wagner ThermoQuiet brake pads in Florida" and you'll find them within minutes. There are others on this forum who like various pads sold online by companies such as brakewarehouse.com. Hopefully they'll chime in here and give you some recommendations as well. When it comes to pads and rotors, different customers look for different attributes and it is important for you to have a chance to compare and contrast....