Can't understand brake wear

I can't understand it. Isn't it unusual for front pads to last so long? I have an01 yukonXL. My rear pads were replaced at 45k (pretty good b/c all hwy driving) but the fronts were like new. One of the mechanics at my local repair shop stated that extra brake pressure was applied to the rear to help keep the car from dipping when braking b/c it is such a big vehicle so GMC calibrated it that way on purpose. The owner disagreed and thought I should keep an eye on it and perhaps bring it to the dealership in case there is a problem in the lines which is causing an uneven distribution of pressure. Every once in a while I'll touch the rotors to see if they're hot (ouch!) and all 4 are. Rear just a bit hotter but neglegible. Anyway, is this normal?

My Yukon is too new for me to give a knowledgable answer about a Yukon but I've never heard of that for any other vehicle. Most vehicles with a good percentage of highway driving will go 90k miles at the very least on the front and twice that on the rear. The '99 Sierra 4x4 ½ ton that I just traded had 70k and the original pads that looked nearly new.
Are you sure both (left and right) rear pads were equally worn? If it was one side then you have a bad caliper. Our '00 K1500 had that problem at about 40k.

Left and right rear brakes were worn even-steven. I read about this happening from some earlier threads so I'm comfortable knowing that I'm not alone. I'd be even more comfortable knowing if this was normal but my hunch is that it's not. The car is not braking as well as it did when it was new but when I check the rotors they're all warm/hot. Go figure.

Left and right rear brakes were worn even-steven. I read about this happening from some earlier threads so I'm comfortable knowing that I'm not alone. I'd be even more comfortable knowing if this was normal but my hunch is that it's not. The car is not braking as well as it did when it was new but when I check the rotors they're all warm/hot. Go figure.


A couple months ago I had my brakes upgraded to Baer's on my 04 Denali. At that time the mechanic did mention that the brakes would not last as long as a passenger car or regular truck because of the extra weight and because it was AWD. He also mentioned that the rear should last a lot longer than the fronts because 80 to 85% of the stopping is done by the front brakes.

Keep in mind this is on a regular Denali and not an XL, but I don't think it would differ that much. You might want to get a second opinion on brake wear.

Logic would make me think that way also. It's not rocket science here. If you ride a bike, you know that the front brake does most of the stopping. That's why I'm confused. I would take it right to the shop if the front rotors were cool to the touch after braking, but they're not. I've actually made the ABS system engage (not sure if it was front or rear engaging) so I guess I had a false sense of comfort they actually work. But knowing that the car doesn't stop as well as it once did, I'm still a little concerned something's awry. Is there a device to measure the hydraulic brake pressure in the lines. I guess you can't really tell how much pressure is being applied if you put the car on a lift, spin the wheels and brake. Thanks for your responses WEF and Denalix5.

I brought my 2003 Youkon XL in to the dealer at 24,000 miles to check the brakes and ended up only needing rear brakes. I thought that was strange but didn't ask the dealer about it at the time. The brakes on this are adequate at best. I am having Power Stop rotors and Hawk pads put on thre front today. Should be a big improvment.

I just inspected my brakes .. 03 Denali XL
rear pads are 80% worn.
front pads are 20% worn.

I have never see this before either.
I think it must be the traction control.

I checked the brakes on my 2000 Yukon at 100,000 miles and was surprised to see that both front and rear pads had a lot of life left on them. I was comparing them to the new GM pads that I had already bought. I will probably check them again at 125,000 or so. On the other hand the parking brake quit working a long time ago.

just hit 40,500 miles on my 03 Denali. The rear pads were gone, and grinding into the backing plates. The front brakes are only about 50% worn.

It must be the stability control or traction control pulsating the rear brakes.

I really like the new Bendix SUV pads. ... even though the factory pads had outstanding life.

I checked the brakes on my 2000 Yukon at 100,000 miles and was surprised to see that both front and rear pads had a lot of life left on them. I was comparing them to the new GM pads that I had already bought. I will probably check them again at 125,000 or so. On the other hand the parking brake quit working a long time ago.


I'm with you. have a 2000 also, did the parking brakes myself, but the others are still ok after 86K.

This can be normal depending on driving habits. I used to work at Nissan headquarters and the engineers told me that the newer brake systems, especially the ones with power assist will wear the back faster. Vw has this problem with the Beetle.
what the brake system does is it applies the brakes to the rear first to help keep control. So if you apply your brakes softly you will wear the back first. Especially if all hwy driving.
Hope this explains.

My mechanic has told me that he has seen a problem with the rear pads hanging up a little. Disassemble and check for rust. Grind the rust off and use a thin coat of an anti-seize if this is the issue.