Brake Wear

So a couple years ago I replaced the brakes on my Durango. Due to being tight on cash at the time, I had to do the fronts first, then the rears. I actually ended up doing the rears almost 2 months later so the fronts got some wear on them. I made sure to buy the same material for front and rear. I had the front rotors turned and put new ones on the rear.

Fast forward to a couple weeks ago. My brake light comes on, which it usually does when the brakes have worn to the point that I need to replace them. Double check everything and yes its time for new pads. I've been putting them off because I have nowhere to work on my truck right now. Late last week the left rear pads start grinding. WTF? How is that possible?

Isn't there more brake bias in the front than the rear on a stock vehicle? I would figure I would have worn down the fronts way before the rears.

brake balance is a funny thing. the rear brakes have to be big enough to do their share of the work when the vehicle is fully loaded, which makes them too big when the vehicle is unloaded. that's why we have prop valves on old stuff, and electronic proportioning (via the ABS) on newer stuff. on vehicles with electronic propping, the rears wear faster than what we're used to, because the propping is slip-based rather than pressure-based. so, short answer: not unheard-of.

In reply to AngryCorvair:

Well that's good to know. I don't know how my 2003 SUV doesn't have ABS, but it doesn't.

All of my recent four-wheel disc vehicles (anything younger than 2000) have used their rear brakes faster than the front. I don't know why, but what AngryCorvair says sound possible.

all my older than 2000 have drums in the rear ... don't seem to wear anywhere near as quickly as fronts ... my '91 CRX goes through fronts like a hot knife through butter .. but it's a track/a-x car .... so ...

my 4runner with traction control goes through rear pads faster than fronts living in Chicago (snow and more traction control activation).

I did my rears on the Kia about 10k miles ago (at 80k)
the original fronts are still okay at about 3-4mm

my ZX2SR's rear brakes lasted forever. Yes they were disc.

Of course , the fronts did most of the work, being 60% nose heavy.

Weight distribution undoubtedly ould affect the proportion of wear.

I just have never heard of any vehicle wearing the rear brakes faster than the fronts.