Imagine you're driving along the road on your way to a pumpkin patch or apple orchard and you press on your brake pedal to stop at the next light, but you only hear an eruption of a squealing noise. You panic because even the radio can’t drown out the sound. If you are experiencing noisy brakes ever time you apply pressure to the brake pedal, there’s a good chance that your brake pads need replacing. Let's examine all the signs of worn brake pads.
If you drive a car, SUV, or truck, you most likely have brake pads on the front, rear, or both ends of your vehicle. Similar to tires, front brake pads usually will wear down quicker than the ones on the rear of your automobile. However, we recommend replacing them all at once to make your life a little easier.
Brake pads generally need to be replaced after 50,000-75,000 km or so, but your braking habits, the quality of the brake pads, and the make, model, and age of your vehicle also factor in your brake service intervals. Please refer to your car's owner's manual to get more accurate information that applies to your vehicle’s brake pads.
Driving with worn brake pads can be dangerous for many reasons. The most obvious reason why worn brake pads are bad is that they can increase your stopping distance, causing slower responsive brakes. In worst-case scenarios, your brakes can fail unexpectedly altogether. Not only can I brake. Secondly, it can also cause excessive wear and tear on your brake rotors. Other warning symptoms of bad brake pads include: squealing while braking, vehicle pulling to the side while braking, burning smell, brake vibrations, and brake fade.
You can constantly check on your brake pads’ wear by looking through your wheel spokes. The exterior of the pad should be pressed against a metal rotor or disc. There should be at least 3-4mm of pad left. Otherwise, you will need to replace them.
If you suspect that you need your brake pads replaced, please bring your car to Mint Auto Service for service.