Hi all! Have had my Mazda 07 Tribute for awhile. Love it. I have had some minor experience changing out brake pads on my Mazda Protege, Can anyone advise me of what to be prepared for besides getting my pads, and my socket set? Tell me like I'm a 5 year old, cause I don't want my wife driving with my young kids in the car and have my subpar work keep her from BRAKING at red lights!

 

I have a 2002 that I had to change the OEM rotors on after a couple of years because they seem to have been scored a lot sooner than I would expect. The Raybestos replacements (Quiet Series pads and rotors) have held up for 50,000 miles so far. I do not know if the newer Tributes are coming with better rotors or not.

There is nothing unusual with the pad replacement for this vehicle, as long as you have the proper tools.

If you need to get the rotor off, then a dead blow hammer may be necessary to break the rust layer between the rotor and hub.

There is a noticeable reduction in dust on the wheels using pads that advertise themsleves as low-dust.

 

Not trying to jinx myself, but so far I have logged 65,000 miles on the original pads and rotors on my 2004 Tribute. Just had a Full Circle Inspection done on Tuesday, and the report indicates that the pads still have close to half the material left on them and the rotors are still in spec.

Of course, living in a rural area with 90% highway driving, I am not using the brakes nearly as often as my fellow Tribute owners who live in urban and suburban areas.