I have an AC 500 auto. It has 1364 miles on it. Within the last few weeks there have been numerous posts on brake wear on the big cats. I just this afternoon went out to check my pads and to my amazement, I didn't need to replace them. The fronts are still .021 inches thick. The fwd rear is .020 thick. The back rear is .021 thick. These are just the pad thicknesses and not including the metal backing plate. Am I doing something wrong in that my brakes haven't worn out yet or what? I ride mostly in the mountains, you have a lot of severe braking situations, but not a lot of in water riding. I do have to cross streams and the like. I also ride the desert, not a whole lot of water or mud there. So is the culprit water and mud or what? Enquiring minds want to know.

 

It is mostly the mud that wears down the pads. They are constantly rubbing and the mud in between the pads and the rotor just increases the wear. I was BS'ing with the dealer and he said he has replaced brakes in as little as 250 miles and as much as 3000 miles. Mud riding vs. dry trails.

 

Wow. Wish mine would last that long. Half of my riding is done in the mud. That is the only reason I believe my pads wore out as fast as the did. I am going to order a pair of the solid brass pads that I just found out about. I want to put them on the rear and see how they wear compared to my fronts.

 

When the mud dries on the pads, it becomes more or less sandpaper. That doesn't help things. I hit about 1550 miles on my AC after a 46 mile ride earlier tonight, and my brakes still have a lot of life left. They aren't as responsive now, but I think I need to bleed the lines. They still hold fine, but you can tell a difference from now and when they were brand new.