There is nothing safer on a vehicle than having good brake pads. Brake pads should be inspected regularly and changing them when necessary is a key part of routine vehicle maintenance. But when should brake pads be changed?
What is the service life of a brake pad?
Brake pads and brake discs are the components of the braking system most exposed to wear. The degree of wear will depend on the mileage and driving style.
Accordingly, drivers who subject their cars to considerable braking efforts, e.g. on mountain roads, driving with heavy loads, with fading of the braking system, should check their brakes more often.
Excessive wear of brake pads and brake discs can lead to serious risks to vehicle safety, and can even damage other components such as brake callipers or rims.
A braking system that is not in good condition is one hundred percent likely to cause an accident. As we have said in previous posts in this blog, the braking system must be inspected each time the car goes to the workshop for any service (oil change, filters, etc.). Under no circumstances should you exceed 20,000 km without checking the braking system. However, this does not imply that such an overhaul will require us to change any of its components.
What are clear signs to determine a change of pads?
- Check the thickness during the vehicle inspection and repair any abnormal pad conditions that you have detected. A new pad has a thickness of about 15 mm, when the thickness decreases to 2-3 mm, you need to replace the pad. Drivers should check the thickness of the brake pads on a daily basis, and the pads on the front wheels will wear out more quickly than those on the rear wheels.
- Observe the light signal on the dashboard: Some vehicles are equipped with an electronic wear indicator which, by means of an emergency indicator light on the dashboard, warns the driver when the brake pad is worn and needs to be replaced. Those cars that do not have such an indicator will have to have routine brake pad inspections.
- Listen to your car: If you hear a metallic sound when braking, this usually means that the brake pad material has worn out and must be replaced immediately. Failure to do so could result in serious damage to your brake discs.
Precautions to be taken when changing brake pads
- Change the brake pads before they are completely worn out.
- After replacing them, keep in mind that new pads need an adaptation period to provide the best performance. Drive with caution during this period.
- Both front and rear axle pads should be replaced at the same time on both sides (right and left) to ensure stable braking.
How should brake pads be chosen?
In the aftermarket we can find products of both high and dubious quality, so how should we choose our brake pads? Of course, first of all, we must select reliable manufacturers that guarantee the quality of their products.
REMSA is one of the world’s leading braking brands. Our history of technological progress and improvement has made us one of the world’s leading brake pad manufacturers.
For now, our recommendation is to change the pads when it is appropriate, and remember that if they are REMSA pads, the quality is guaranteed.
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