Hey guys,
How long should a 45 foot conversion brake pads, drums and rotors last? This bus has a retarder and two stage jakes. It has 215k on it. It has sat for a number of years but I'm surprised that the brakes would be worn out and in need of a complete rebuild already. The quote to fix them is pretty significant.
Thanks
Rick
I replaced the factory original brakes on my OTR semi-truck at 450,000 miles. State roads and city driving wears out brake pads a lot faster than 11 hr/day of interstate. If those pads are factory original, you did well getting 215,000 miles out of them.
If you are interested in saving a lot of money and like getting greasy, change them yourself.
Get a YouTube Masters Degree of Heavy Duty Wheel End Maintenance (https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLdiwqjO1xQV0s2fHe_UqZlGFSFx9-5MPI)
Be safe! ~ Spark
I replaced the friction material on my drum brakes on my first coach at 250,000 miles. They had not worn to the point they needed replacement but they were starting to crack around the fasteners. My total cost was for the friction material and it was relatively cheap. I did all the work myself.
On my second coach I replaced the front pads at 170,000 miles. I think it took less than 1/2 hour if I recall. Don't remember the cost. Sold that coach when it had 250,000 miles on it and the brakes were nowhere near needing service. I did replace brake chambers on both coaches every 5 years.
I agree that you can save a ton of money doing the repair yourself. The low mileage suggests the coach had a lot of stop and go driving, poorly adjusted brakes or nobody ever used the retarder.
If you do replace your brake linings, remember there are numerous lining materials to choose from. On my last brake job (I averaged about 350,000mi on my truck)I chose a brake lining that worked best when cold since I spent hours on the interstate then expected the brakes to work on the off ramp.
They have brake lining material from metallic that works best when hot, to transit bus stop and go, to over the road linings, to dirty brakes, to working when cold, standard gray block, etc. Good luck, TomC