Rear Brakes before Front?

[MX3-Life]

Well just to say I'm already buying new brakes for front and back so this info is just for my own pleasure

So i recently had my car at the mechanic replacing the Passenger Control Arm when he called me saying your rear brakes are metal on metal... and of course i was like "how are the front?" and he told me they are great.
But this time last year I replaced my Front and Rear Rotors and Break pads at the same time...
Why would the rear be metal on metal and the front "great"?

Thanks in Advance!

[Ryan]

sticking ebrake cables, partially seized calipers, bad ebrake adjustment.

[wytbishop]

I'd go with sticky e-brake cable. Something is causing the rear brakes to drag...figure it out and your fuel mileage will improve significantly as well.

[hgallegos915]

e brake cable, I have mine adjusted now so that when the car is lifted and no ebrake is applied, I can turn the wheels by hand with minimal force. You have no idea how many cars you cant turn the wheels by hand without using force(read wheels on fwd cars) alot of wasted miles per gallon there.

[MX3-Life]

Huh Parking Brake... Makes sense now that i think of it! Thanks Guys!
So do i wanna loosen the e-brake a tad? or lift her up and take a look at her...?

[Ryan]

It can be difficult to pinpoint. Start by jacking up the rear end. Try and spin the tires. Go inside, crank the ebrake pretty hard, and then release it again, and go try again. Try both wheels. If they stick at all, take off the tires, and look at where the cable meets the caliper, and try pushing that junction back to rest position. Take the cable off, and try moving the lever on the caliper by hand. It should be quite possible. If pushing that lever by hand is very hard, your caliper is partially seized. The lever should also spring to the default position.

If the caliper operates normally, but the cable causes it to stick.. you know the problem is the cables.

If all seems to operate normally, but the tires are still hard to spin, take off the centre console around the ebrake and loosen off the ebrake cable a few turns. This usually means you have to pull the handle higher, but then you know its not holding the caliper slightly squeezed at all times.

Also, the springs between the pads often wear out and die. Not sure what it costs to replace those. And again, the pads can seize against the caliper too. They should wiggle by hand. Not slide, but wiggle.