When it comes to driving safely, there are many parts of your car you must regularly keep an eye on. Keeping your brake pads maintained is one of the most important elements, if not THE most important element. It goes without saying, the risks you run without a fully functional braking system.
No car will be able to stop effectively with worn brake pads, and nobody wants to have an accident, so you should always make sure that your brakes are working to the best of their ability before you head out on the road. You should be able to touch your brake lightly and have the car respond accordingly. You will be able to tell if this is not the case.
The way your brake system works is that when you hit the brake pedal, it forces the brake pads to press against the rotating disk rotors which are installed in the vehicles braking system. This slows the car down then eventually brings it to a halt. You can see the same principle in action when you apply the brakes to a bicycle. When somebody says the brakes need replacing, what they usually mean is that the brake pads need replacing, this is because they take the majority of the friction and heat when the car is braking.
It is recommended that you change your brake pads approximately after every 30,000-35,000 miles. Although, obviously, there will be many factors which determine their life span. The nature of your driving, the conditions you drive in, whether you regularly brake suddenly etc. The materials used in the manufacturing of your brake system will also be a large deciding factor in how long they last. We all put our vehicles through different day-to-day wear so it is critical you know what to look for in order to assess any brake damage.
There are ways to determine when your brake pads need replacing, both by eye or by ear. If you see that the depth of your brake pad has been worn down to less than a Ă‚Ĺş of an inch then you need to look toward replacing them soon. Any depth less than 1/8 of an inch and you are in serious risk of damaging your rotor. With the majority of vehicles these days the brake pads will be quite visible. If not, you may have to remove your wheel to get a good look at them. To identify them, the outside brake pad should be looking right at you, and, if viewed from above, you will be able to see the pad pressed against the metal rotor.
Also, if you hear a screeching sound when you put your foot on the break pedal it means your brakes need work. If you hear the sound of scraping on metal then unfortunately you are too late and you have damaged your rotor. You will need to get this fixed immediately.
It is critical you pay attention to your brakes and make sure you maintain them before any real damage is done. This will save you money and will obviously help to keep you safe. After all, changing your brake pads too early is a lot better than changing them too late.
