so my 05 mcs has 30k on it - mostly stop n go driving. i'm starting to here a little squeal when i brake and i don't know if i'm just so used to driving the car or if it's actual fact, but the brakes don't feel as tight. that being said, though - i feel like the cars braking power is still pretty good. here are my questions:

1) is 30k an approaching point for the life of mcs brakes (pads/rotors)?

2) presuming i needed to replace the pads and rotors, what would be the likelihood of going to larger rotors and better pads (hawk greens etc) for about the same price as oem parts? (i'd have to sell it to my wife that i'm not really spending any more money on the repair)

thanks

 

Using a good flashlight, you can check the amount of pad you have left by looking at an angle down at the calipers through an opening in the rim. Try to spot the pad and the backing plate from the skinny side of the caliper. It is the part that is almost touching the rotor. There will be two colors/textures, one for the backing plate and one for the pad material (one closer to the rotor is the pad). If the pad material is less than the thickness of your pad, then it is time to replace it. Check both sides.

If you need to replace the pad, then you should look at the rotors. Run you finger down the smooth shiny area from the middle out to the edge. If it feels like there are a lot of groves and there is a rather pronounced lip at the edge(s), then perhaps it is necessary to replace the rotors as well. Sometimes, you may have to change the rotors if you change the brand of pad.

If you do not know how to do this, I think there are some national chains like pep boys, advanced auto etc that may do a check for you for free.

 

Forgot to mention, you cannot go to larger rotors w/o replacing the calipers as well, generally a much more expensive proposition. You can go to an aftermarket rotor of the same size which are less expensive. There are many vendors for this but you can look at the one that I buy a lot of my brake components from: www.autoxcooper.com

Hawks HPS is a good pad. And they are lower dust as well.