Them’s the Brakes: Replacing Pads only vs Pads & Rotors

[UnsungZero_OldTimeAdMan]

Where is the feature to "disable brake assist" ?

In my gen 1 quad it's in vehicle settings > Driver+, scroll down a bit until you see "Regenerative braking assist".

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[Hereforthesnacks]

I was surprised to see this thread. Over a decade of EV ownership, various brands and a number of them have gone over 100,000 miles. One nearing 200,000….i have never replaced pads or rotors on a single one of them….

100% same experience as you

 

[Tucker74]

I was surprised to see this thread. Over a decade of EV ownership, various brands and a number of them have gone over 100,000 miles. One nearing 200,000….i have never replaced pads or rotors on a single one of them….

May be the weight of these vehicles, I know on my previous Land Cruisers 20-30k brake jobs were expected. I’m sure brake assist would play into it as well -

 

[Dark-Fx]

I was surprised to see this thread. Over a decade of EV ownership, various brands and a number of them have gone over 100,000 miles. One nearing 200,000….i have never replaced pads or rotors on a single one of them….

Up here in the salt belt, non-use on EVs cause rotors to start corroding and pitting, which accelerates the wear on the pads significantly.

 

[Yellow Buddy]

Up here in the salt belt, non-use on EVs cause rotors to start corroding and pitting, which accelerates the wear on the pads significantly.

You probably get more than me, but I’m in the NE so I see salt as well. Especially in my F-150 Lightning, which plows in the winter. It’s not that there’s zero use, but definitely not enough to warrant replacement.

 

[Yellow Buddy]

May be the weight of these vehicles, I know on my previous Land Cruisers 20-30k brake jobs were expected. I’m sure brake assist would play into it as well -

My ICE vehicles would see brake jobs around 30-60k as well, depending on the car, and I get the weight argument but my Lightning is within 100lbs of the R1T, actual measured weight at CAT scales, and the R1T has far more aggressive regen.

I could see the type of driving playing a factor - highway vs lots of local, as well as driving style. Perhaps brake assist, it just seems far earlier than I’ve seen in my history.

 

[Zoidz]

As long as it does not look like this, there is no need to change the rotor. Wait until you see the rotor wear indicators like this picture.

 

[mkg3]

As long as it does not look like this, there is no need to change the rotor. Wait until you see the rotor wear indicators like this picture.

Scary... Some people forget that what happens when you cannot stop the vehicle.

 

[jewwithguitar]

So I asked my SA to look into the guide pin issue based on VIN and was told the lead technician said “the brakes including the guide pins should not be greased on Gen 1 or Gen 2” and “they did not see anything that would cause a defect in the brake system”.

Worth escalating further or just get the pads replaced and be done with it?

Rotor and caliper photos attached.

 

[UnsungZero_OldTimeAdMan]

That is a bizarre response. It's a floating caliper. The pins need proper lubrication. Up to you how much you want to fight it.

 

[SwampNut]

That wear would be fairly ridiculous on ICE with 56k miles, and indicate a problem either with the vehicle or with the way you drive. On an EV? WTF!!!

 

[SwampNut]

Ran this by my brother, who is a mechanic. He thought it was ICE, I had forgotten to specify. He said on some trucks with high load and lots of street usage you might wear the pads, but not the rotors. Then when I said EV, he said this is completely insane. I think I would tell the SC to either fix the defective truck or explain how you are causing this. There's no way this should happen without a problem either with the truck or the driver.

 

[jewwithguitar]

I am not driving it like I am at the track and rarely utilize the friction brakes. Mostly highway miles with ADAS, High Regen, and did not deactivate Regen Assist (yet). In the Northeast with plenty of road salt exposure during the winter which is what the SC seems to be blaming it on.

 

[Zoidz]

If those pictures of the rotors are typical since you took delivery, IMO part of the issue is that the brakes are not getting fully applied often enough to prevent rusting, and the rotors are consistently lightly rusted with some light pitting. That rust & pitting makes a mighty fine sandpaper and wears down the brake pads.

 

[Riviot]

So I asked my SA to look into the guide pin issue based on VIN and was told the lead technician said “the brakes including the guide pins should not be greased on Gen 1 or Gen 2” and “they did not see anything that would cause a defect in the brake system”.

Worth escalating further or just get the pads replaced and be done with it?

Rotor and caliper photos attached.

Woof. Those rotors look pretty rough. Probably time to replace them, I blame NE road salting.

This is also a vehicle pre-Rivian software update that lightly applied brakes to prevent this type of corrosion. Ironically, light application makes them last longer by removing surface rust that leads to pitting/grooving (see above comments).

Rivian suggests replacing rotors with "Scoring or grooving deeper than 0.38 mm (0.015 in)". How you measure a third of a millimeter is beyond me... But I'd ask them the depth of those grooves and pits. For spite.

Very interesting, Rivian specifically states: "Installation-Installation is the reverse of removal, except for the following:
Warning:
Do not apply any grease or other lubricant to the components."

That's... Very interesting... for floating calipers.

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