100,433 new rear brakes

on the last couple of oil changes, the shops have noted my rear brakes getting worn (the last change told me i had 2 mm on the rear pads).  i'm currently building a trailer (in order to tow a kayak -- can't put a roof rack on a rag top), so i wanted to get the work done before i hooked up the extra dragging weight.

i thought i'd had the rear brakes done before (the lifetime guarantee is the reason i returned to brake masters), but it turned out that those were the fronts (not surprisingly).

while i was at the shop, they suggested flushing the brake fluid as well ... and of course they would, this is a major up-sell for repair shops ... but as i thought about it, i realized two things: for one, i haven't yet had the brake fluid change; but more importantly, i don't remember ever seeing it in the owner's manual.

i told them to go ahead and do it, and during my two hour wait, i looked through the owner's manual ... sure enough, it's not there ... which i find very very odd.

now here's a funny thing ... my original front brake pads went 70K miles, but got worn enough that when they were replaced, the rotors had to be replaced as well ... the backs now had gone 100K miles, but did not have to have the rotors replaced ... odder still, they show my fronts as only having 2% wear, even though they've gone half the distance that more than wore them out before.

i don't get it.  i don't even pretend that i get it.  nevertheless, i can't complain about getting that kind of mileage out of brakes on a car that:

1. is so heavy.
2. has driven (and parked) that much in san francisco.
3. has made that many mountain pass drives -- both to CO and CA.

i had a couple errands i wanted to get done today and on my way out the door forgot to check for coupons ... could've saved myself $25 if i had*.

$278, and i now have lifetime pads on the front and the back.  still need to replace my plugs and the next oil change will also need a timing belt and radiator flush ... that'll be more than a grand.

*not that it matters on a day like today -- that's a $500 winner!