How often is the most reasonable to change the brake pads?
The safety of your vehicle is undoubtedly the most important thing for every car owner and friend.
Many car owners are very attentive to the maintenance of their vehicles, and will do it when the mileage or time comes.
But the maintenance cycle of some other items, especially those involving vehicle safety, may not be very clear.
So today we’ll talk about a very important maintenance of vehicle safety – the brake pad replacement cycle.
What is the role of brake pads?
Currently, there are two types of brakes on the market: disc brakes and drum brakes, except for a few models that use drum brakes (usually front discs and rear drums), most models use disc brakes.
The principle of disc brakes is to control the brake pads through the brake calipers and use them to clamp the brake discs to achieve the purpose of braking.
The brake pads, as the part that rubs against the brake disc, are subject to constant wear and tear.
When should I change my brake pads?
In fact, when it comes to brake pads, I believe there are many car owners who have heard of them but do not recognize them.
Under normal circumstances, the thickness of a brand new brake pad is about 13 mm, and will gradually become thinner with constant friction during use.
When the brake pad thickness is less than one-third of the new thickness, you should be ready to replace it.
Generally, there is a small bump (about 3 mm) at the ends of the brake pads, and they must be replaced when they are level with it.
In addition, some models come with brake pad sensing, and after a certain level of wear, the dashboard will alarm to indicate the need for replacement.
What other signs also need to be replaced?
There is no very fixed number of kilometres to replace the brake pads due to different vehicles and different road conditions and driving habits, but it depends on the wear and tear.
Some vehicles do not have alarm alerts and the thickness of the brake pads is not easily visible due to the wheels.
Then, in addition to regular tire removal to check, some small signs should also be taken into account.
For example, if there is a very harsh metallic sound when braking, or if the braking performance is reduced, the braking distance is prolonged, and the vehicle runs off course, then the brake pads and discs should be checked and replaced in time.
Tip: The service life of brake pads and driving habits have a lot to do with each other.
It is recommended that you observe the road conditions more when driving, judge in advance and avoid frequent acceleration and braking, which not only saves fuel but also extends the life of brake pads
