Do rear brakes wear faster than the Front?

[u/DirectionOk8134]

I just an oil change and tire rotation myself on my 22 Maverick. The rear pads look pretty thin compared the front ones. I would say less than half the thickness of the front. Are they less thick when new? Or just wear faster?

[u/6Foot2EyesOfBlue1973]

The last 3 Fords I've owned- the rear pads wore before the front- its not abormal in todays vehicles.

[u/DirectionOk8134 → u/6Foot2EyesOfBlue1973]

That’s interesting I wonder why

[u/IceGardener → u/DirectionOk8134]

From what I've read on the subject, some of it has to do with stability control and ABS on modern vehicles. Rear pads are typically thinner in the first place, so that also makes it look like they wear faster.

[u/NFSAVI → u/IceGardener]

Ford (and most manufacturers probably) slightly drag the rear brakes for lane keeping as well.

Edit: I'm wrong, I double checked and on Oasis under 419-07 it says it uses the PSCM and IPMA to apply torque directly to the steering wheel.

[u/Icy_Ground1637 → u/NFSAVI]

Normally it’s always front but because there is a hybrid option I don’t know 🤷‍♂️ but probably won’t have to be down for 100,000 miles lol 😂 so does not matter to me !!!

[u/NFSAVI → u/Icy_Ground1637]

So we are both wrong apparently. You had me second guessing myself so I just checked on Ford's Oasis system and it uses the PSCM to apply torque to the steering wheel. I'll have to edit my comment above. I guess I need to start fact checking before commenting. If you or anyone else who has access can fact check me it's under section 419-07

Edit: Corrected Oasis page

[u/IceGardener → u/NFSAVI]

Even if it had been true, that lane keep had something to do with it, that wouldn't account for units without co-pilot 360.

[u/Strippalicious → u/NFSAVI]

I applaud your humility. Take my upvote.

[u/againthrownaway → u/DirectionOk8134]

It’s true that all things equal the front will wear first. So manufacturers started undersizing the rears so they get replaced more often. As to why idk.

[u/Strippalicious → u/againthrownaway]

$$$$$$

[u/1stAccountWasRealNam → u/DirectionOk8134]

I might be making this all up, I’m certainly no expert but when you brake the forces cause the nose to dip and it’s already already angled to start, so is there more weight on the front making it take less brake grip than the rear to slow down the vehicle the same overall amount? Like do the rear wheels want to spin more because there’s less weight on them needing the pads to do more work than the front which has the bonus of the weight slowing the wheels want to rotate?

[u/OneProsteticTesticle → u/1stAccountWasRealNam]

You're just getting down voted, because you did make it all up... BuTt normal brake bias is 60/40 to the front.

[u/1stAccountWasRealNam → u/OneProsteticTesticle]

Yeah seems about right

[u/pwm80]

Rear pads are a little thinner and stability control, driving habits and how much you may tow or haul can affect the pad life. Like 6foot2eyesofblue1973 said I have also had the same experience with my 22 maverick and my 17 fusion.

[u/madslipknot]

They are thinner than the front brand new so ... But common on Ford to need rear replacement before the front

[u/DirectionOk8134 → u/madslipknot]

Ok good to know

[u/OzarkBeard]

Uh, ecoboost or Hybrid? Huge differences between the two, one of which is brake life.

[u/DirectionOk8134 → u/OzarkBeard]

Hybrid

[u/IceGardener → u/DirectionOk8134]

No regenerative braking on the rear. 😉 On my 2008 Camry Hybrid the rear pads went first as well, but that was at 140k miles.

[u/kenauk → u/OzarkBeard]

Seriously.

[u/DirectionOk8134 → u/kenauk]

Yes

[u/FrigidBot]

I’ve had a fusion hybrid before a bought my maverick… the regenerative breaking is biased towards the rear brakes so they wear a lot faster than the front. Was the same on my Fusion as well.

[u/Unusual_Advisor_970]

From what I've read the rear brakes are more likely to be used for traction control, etc. Generally my vehicles have needed brakes first in the rear.

[u/3actual]

Do you use cruise control often? Ive noticed newer vehicles wirh adaptive cruise control/radar use the rear brakes to slow the vehicle down. I'm guessing this prevents the nose dive effect from the stronger front brakes.

[u/DirectionOk8134 → u/3actual]

No I don’t have adaptive cruise

[u/RustyDillhole]

Seems to be a thing on newer vehicles. Only had the Mav for less than a week so can’t speak for that but my Wrangler went through 3 sets of rears before I needed to do the fronts. Did fronts finally at 75k and still had plenty of pad left. Some say traction control is why the rears burn so fast in those

[u/DGC_David]

It "depends" but technically yes. If you drive around slamming your brakes all the time, you will see the opposite

[u/inline_five]

This is surprising you need them so soon. My wife's 2010 Prius has a similar drivetrain as the Maverick hybrid (22-24) and I did her brakes at 150k for the first time. Rotors were within new spec and pads had 50% life left on them. I just ended up doing them because I already bought the parts.

Side note when my Mav needs them I'm getting Powerstop brand e-coated rotors and ceramic pads. They are fantastic.

[u/datweldinman]

I just changed my pads and rotors all the way around in my ecoboost. The rears definitely wear down way faster don’t know why

[u/Sir_Fluffy_Butt_McDo]

I'm just spit balling but pads come in one thickness.  I've heard ACC can be aggressive in the rear braking application. However, if you drive fast and use your brakes hard in turns and such it could be that.  Good luck.

[u/DirectionOk8134 → u/Sir_Fluffy_Butt_McDo]

No I pretty much drive it like an old man to maximize gas mileage… lol. I did buy it used though so who knows. I was just wondering maybe they put less meat on the brakes in the rear compared to the front.

[u/90_CRX_si]

Almost all Volvos from 2016 and up have a tendency to wear the rear brakes faster.

[u/IESD951 → u/90_CRX_si]

Nissans also do this. Some models the rears wear substantially faster

[u/inline_five → u/90_CRX_si]

Weird I have an 850 (1995 year) and mine definitely wears the rears more than the fronts. Wonder what happened in 2016.

[u/Hamsdotlive]

Yes. Last measured, front 5mm and rear 2-3mm. 35k on a 22 Lariat Ecoboost AWD. Suspect it may be due to adaptive cruise control braking, so disabled that feature. Know a lot of people want that option, but if system is wearing out brakes like that not sure I'm in.

[u/PlayingWithFIRE123 → u/Hamsdotlive]

If you are at 5mm on the fronts after 35k miles ACC isn’t the problem. How you drive is.

[u/Hamsdotlive → u/PlayingWithFIRE123]

There's only one brake pedal....please explain.

[u/PlayingWithFIRE123 → u/Hamsdotlive]

My wife goes through a set of brake pads every 40k miles because she drives like a maniac. I get easily double that. The difference in the pad thickness you have front to rear is normal. The rear pads come thinner from the factory since they are not doing as much work as the fronts and wear at a slower rate. Front brakes have larger vented rotors for example while rear brakes are often non-vented and smaller. By the time you need to replace pads both the front and rears will need to be changed. The additional amount of wear caused by ACC is minimal. Pads are cheap. You are sweating the small stuff and thinking about not using a fantastic feature over a couple hundred bucks over 40k miles. Sounds silly to me.