A brake pad is not just parts of your car; times, it could turn out to be an edge between your life and death. But first and foremost, it must be a working brake pad.
No matter how sturdy your brake pad is, at some point, it will stop working, just like us. You know they say, "Everything has to come to an end, sometimes." Well, it's not a big deal when it comes to your car's brake pad but, what about your life?
Yeah, a defective brake pad can be the cause of the ending of your life or your loved ones. So, you must do everything to make sure it's working. In this article, we will know how often should you get a new brake pad.
What Are Brake Pads?
Yeah, I know my car has a brake but, what the heck is this thing called brake pads? Well, you don't have to go that far to know brake pads when you already what a brake is.
Let's have a look at different types of brakes pads.
Generally, two types of brakes are found in the passenger vehicle; one is disc brakes and the other drum brakes. But we don't have to know these in detail to understand what brake pads are.
So, let me simplify it. Well, brake pads are an essential part of the disc brakes of your car. They help you to slow or stop your vehicle according to your command, that's it.
6 Signs You Need New Brake Pads
You have no ways to deny the importance of brake pads in your car. What comes next is keeping it safe and replace when needed. You will have to replace brake pads after driving approximately 40,000 to 50,000 miles.
Car back pads largely depend on your usage. If you use your car frequently for a long drive, use it to rent a limousine (a limousine rental), or drive within the city, your results may differ.
So, now you might be wondering, well, how would I know when my brake pads become defective. No worries! Here we have explained 6-signs that you might notice when its time to replace your brake pads:
1. Squealing or Squeaking Noise from Brakes
When your brake pad comes to the end of its lifespan, you will start to hear grinding noise when putting pressure on your brake pedal. Those excessively worn-down pads usually cause this squealing noise from the brake pads.
Once they become worn out, you will notice the grinding noise. It does not only feel annoying but, it will start to damage your rotors. And resulting in skyrocketing your repair cost.
2. Grinding Noise When Braking
You have seen what we have mentioned above; if you get the grinding noise while applying pressure to your vehicle's brake pedal, that's a clear sign that you need to replace those pads ASAP.
Brake pads come with built-in metal wear indicators, which were specially designed to produce those loud noises to alert you it's time to replace your pads. If you don't take action in time, this might cost you a fortune to fix it next time.
3. Vibration When Braking
If you experience vibration when you press the brakes, this is a major sign of brake pad damage. Most probably, your vehicle's rotors are warped and caused uneven brake pads to wear, as well.
4. Taking Ages to Stop
When pressing the brakes, if you notice a loss of performance this could be a clear indication of brake pads damage.
If your vehicle is taking longer than the usual stoppage time when pressing brakes, it usually means your brake pads are worn down completely, or it is experiencing a lack of fluid supply. In such scenarios, you should immediately get a mechanic to inspect your car.
5. Brake Pad Indicator Lights up Automatically
You know, most of the vehicles nowadays have brake warning lights. One is called, ABS meaning Antilock Braking System and, another is your brake system warning lights.
If there's an issue with your brake pads, then the brake pad light may not respond at times. On the other hand, if your vehicle's braking system lights turn on even if you haven't pressed the brake, it's time to get a take it to an expert and let him inspect.
6. Brake Pads Becoming Thin
A great way to check up your brake pads is by inspecting them visually for wear. If you look between the spoke of the wheels, you are supposed to see the brake pads. Have they become too thin (less than a ¼ inch thick)? Well, then it's time to get a new one.
Some Common Queries about Brake Pads
In this section, we will answer some common queries vehicle owners get to ask online. Such as
how often to change brake pads?, How often to change brake pads? Or how long do brake pads and shoes last?
Well, brake pads and shoes usually last till 40,000 to 50,000 miles of driving in an urban area. You will get far better results if you are just divining in the highway under light traffic, reaching almost 80,000 miles even more. I hope our answer has made everything clear about the lifespan of brake pads and rotors.
What Happens If You Wear Out Pads?
When you go driving with worn-out brake pads, calipers, or rotors, you may have pressed the brake pedal a lot more than usual when requiring to slow or stop your vehicle. And all this unusual hard braking would likely wear down your tires and lead them to an unbalanced state, as a result, you get uneven tire wear
How Much to Replace Brake Pads?
To replace your brake pads, you might have to spend near about 150$ per axle. It can reach up to 100$-300$ per axle
Can I change the brake pads myself?
It will pleasantly surprise you to learn that you can replace it easily. You can change your car’s disc brake pads without special tools. Doing it yourself will save you a lot of money. You can ask as well.
Can you check the brake pads without removing the wheel?
Believe it or not, most of the time, you can check pad pads without wheels. Believe it or not, most of the time, you can check the brake pad without taking off the wheels.
3mm or 4mm, which brake pads are good?
Therefore, anywhere from 3mm to 4mm is the recommended thickness for your car brake pads. You should follow the thickness to Replace brake pads in most cases. You may be able to escape with slightly less than 3mm, but of course, nothing less than 2mm. At that point, the braking performance can suffer you.
Tips on Extending the Life of Your Brakes
Here we have included some essential tips to extend the average lifespan of your brake pad. Let's get going:
- Use speed wisely. Having to press the brake at high speed will wear out the brake pads rapidly.
- Avoid "two-footing" your pedals while driving.
- Coast as much as you can to lower your speed rather than applying the brake.
- When you see a stop sign or red light coming up, start coasting instead of pressing the brake, this will prevent brake wear and tear, also save on gas.
- Try to avoid keeping heavy objects in your car.
- Bled and flush, your brake once every 2-years.
Final Words
So, the million-dollar question how often should you get a new brake pad? Well, buddy, look, you will have to replace your brake pads and rotors either today or tomorrow. That's just the way it is- so, it's better to get it done as soon as you require to.
Try to follow those tips we have mentioned above to extend the average lifespan of your brake pad. But if you notice any symptoms of a defective brake pad, then replace it as soon as you can.
