Do Grand Prixs in stock form eat brakes?

**spazzz** · 07-28-2015

Okay my brother is buying a 2002(he didn't know what trim) Grand Prix. It will be his sons first car.
$1000 and 130,000miles.
He is actually buying it from a neighbor who is a mechanic at Pomps in Milwaukee.
Apparently his neighbor told him it goes through brakes(meaning 20,000 miles) no matter what brand,expensive/cheap or pad material.

I replaced my fronts a month ago because I wanted to see how Akebono pads are. Before that they were Raybestos professional ceramic with 20,000 miles on them.
I could have run for another 20,000 the way I drive.

I'ld say his neighbor beats the snot out of the car. quick accel/quick stop will do it.
I want to see this race car
I call B.S.

**stealthee** · 07-28-2015

They don't eat brakes unless you drive like a major jackass. I think I have replaced my front brakes once in 4+ years of ownership, and that was probably 4 years ago.

**EHB** · 07-28-2015

the tiny 11 inch rotors are the problems on these cars. if you want better breaks , go with bigger rotors. there's an entire thread on here about upgrading rotors

http://www.grandprixforums.net/threa...d-Brake-Thread

**bandook** · 07-28-2015

Maybe he should have been replacing/turning rotors too. New pads on beat up rotors won't last long.

**EHB** · 07-28-2015

or he's got calipers sticking

**spazzz** · 07-28-2015

Well apparently he is a mechanic so I would hope he knows the above statements.
Yep on the front brake upgrades for people who need them or even care to want them.

I'm thinking he probably forgot about Callahans

I told bro to send me some pics later.

**idrivejunk** · 07-28-2015

With 75-80K miles on stock brakes to reference (3 cars), I also call bs.

**Travisgt2** · 07-28-2015

i used have to replace mine every 9 months but i drove like a major jack a$$ and changing them was free cause auto zone does a life time warranty on them. i got duralast gold C+ $55 life time warranty

**REDCRAPGP** · 07-28-2015

Yea.. It's gotta be the way he drives.. I've only replaced my brakes once in the 7+ years that I've owned it and that was simple because I wanted to try ebc Reds when I had it apart. Still had quite a bit left in the old setup.

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**mars5l** · 07-28-2015

I drive spirited, one time I bought the cheapest pads from a/z and I think they lasted 6 months. I bought nicer NAPA ones and they lasted a few years.

**Scottydoggs** · 07-28-2015

i killed a set of pep boys rotors and pads with in a year and only a few thousand miles of driving. and im not hard on brakes at all. but do mostly local stop and go.

up graded to F bodys and never looked back.

**16MustangVet** · 07-29-2015

cheap impala brackets and good centric rotors and ceramic pads is enough until you start shutting down @ about 130mph lol been there done that.....

centric rotors and ceramic pads, semi metallic dust like crazy and are junk.

Rest is either A. drives like a dipsh1t or B. has a caliper sticking or C. unlikely but proportioning valve isn't working right.

Hell even sticky pins on the caliper slides causes pads to wear quickly if people don't grease them.

**HighOctaneRacing** · 07-29-2015

My guess would be he beat the car and/or has faulty brake hoses. He might be lying about what brand he uses too. He could be using Advance's cheap ass silver pads which will last about 2 years.

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**Scottydoggs** · 07-29-2015

Originally Posted by HighOctaneRacing

My guess would be he beat the car and/or has faulty brake hoses. He might be lying about what brand he uses too. He could be using Advance's cheap ass silver pads which will last about 2 years.

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advance auto wagner cheap ass pads, one month and dead as sh it, do not buy them, pure trash. this was with the f bodys too. trash i tell you.

**HighOctaneRacing** · 07-29-2015

Originally Posted by ScottyDoggs

advance auto wagner cheap ass pads, one month and dead as sh it, do not buy them, pure trash. this was with the f bodys too. trash i tell you.

Rachet moment....

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**Bronco Boy** · 07-29-2015

From my experience, the don't eat pads, but they do warp rotors.

**stealthee** · 07-29-2015

Warped rotors are a myth. Besides the only time i have had issues with shaky brakes was when my rear caliper was hanging up and caused excessive buildup of brake material on the rotor.

Simply put, use your brakes right and you going get shaky rotors.

**HighOctaneRacing** · 07-29-2015

Originally Posted by stealthee

Warped rotors are a myth.

You're kidding right?

If not, why do they have brake lathe machines? To cure Run out provided that there isn't too much. If there is too much Run out that means the rotor is warped. Basically Run out is warpage. Also common causes for run out is cheap quality rotors like the ones advance sells and overtorqued wheels.

When I worked at advance, we had rotors on the shelf that had quite a bit of run out.

Some customers were so stupid that instead of buying quality rotors from a place like carquest, NAPA or even autozone, they would take the brand new rotors to my buddies shop and have him cut them. He charged $10 per rotor.... It would have been cheaper to go to the other parts stores listed and not have them cut.

BTW, carquest, napa, and autozone use raybestos rotors.

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**stealthee** · 07-29-2015

Not kidding. The shaking in rotors are caused by brake buildup. Do research.

http://www.stoptech.com/technical-su...nd-other-myths

http://www.brakeandfrontend.com/warped-rotors-myth/

There are many more articles out there of the myth of rotor warpage.

BTW I have cheap Advance Wearever rotors on the Grand Prix and not a hint of shimmy during braking.

**Bronco Boy** · 07-29-2015

Originally Posted by stealthee

Warped rotors are a myth.

Gonna highly disagree. I use my brakes more than properly, and the fronts start pulsing after a few months are being machined. I have two sets that I rotate as needed, one is OE and he other aftermarket and both do the same thing. These cars are known for their small brakes, as are a lot of other cars from this era.