I have an '05 Scion TC. I'm on Avid H4s that still have a good amount of tread left. The front pads and rotors have been replaced within the last 6 months. Basically, I took the car to a trusted mechanic here in town and he said the back brakes were at 15% and that the rotors should also be replaced as they're in very bad shape. My older brother talked me out of the work by saying that I'm just being ripped off and that back brakes aren't that important. Needless to say, the last thing I remember hearing are a grinding noise as I tried to brake my car as my Scion flew straight into the side out of the road towards the metallic barrier. FYI, I wasn't even going that fast when I applied the brakes and I applied them exactly how you are supposed to apply ABS brakes. So...could this have been avoided if I had simply changed the rear pads/rotors, or is this grinding sound on my brakes more likely due to an ABS problem or tires that are ill-equipped to drive in wet conditions?How come every time it is even a little wet on the road, my brakes lock up and I lose all control?grinding noises aren't normal and I would bet your rear brakes are into the rotors chewing them away, get your rear brakes checked now.How come every time it is even a little wet on the road, my brakes lock up and I lose all control?Did you have the front pads changed? And did the mechanic remove the rear pads? Very rare that this can happen but I witnessed once a mechanic put the pads in the front on backwards leaving the non pad side to make contact with the rotor. This will prevent ANY type of braking from happening. If nothing had been changed, and it worked fine before this, I would say the rotors just got wet and basically lubricated the pads to the point they were ineffective.How come every time it is even a little wet on the road, my brakes lock up and I lose all control?That grinding noise is probably metal on metal on those brakes that your intelligent brother said aren`t that important. Now go get the back brakes replaced and hope that the fronts are ok. Check with your brother, Maybe if you have new back brakes , maybe you won`t need the front ones. After all, the manufacturer only put 4 wheel disc brakes on a car to jack up the price. Safety has nothing to do with itHow come every time it is even a little wet on the road, my brakes lock up and I lose all control?HI
Tell your older BROTHER to get lost.. if he don't care enough about you to tell you that back breaks aren't important... all cars a equipped with 4 WHEEL BREAKS for a reason.. to help the car stop swiftly and safely.. it well take a car twice as far to stop with only one set of breaks.
good luck
tim
