Having good brake pads is essential for your vehicle’s braking system to be able to deliver optimal performance. That’s why it’s crucial to pay close attention to your brake pads’ condition and promptly replace them when they are worn or damaged.
Proper brake pads can mean the difference between your vehicle hitting an object and being able to stop quickly before touching it. Good brake pads can help to stop a collision from happening, prevent people from being injured, and save lives. Therefore, it’s important for you to be able to recognize the signs the pads on your brakes should be changed.
Signs The Pads On Your Brakes Need Changing
There are several telltale signs you should look and listen for that will let you know when the brake pads should be changed. If you notice one or more of these signs, it means you should change the worn pads on your brakes right away or your car’s braking system will no longer function properly.
Continuing to drive your car will mean that you are compromising the safety, health and lives of you, your passengers and people with whom you share the road daily. Six signs the brake pads should be changed right away are:
1. Squeaking Brakes
Your brakes are metal discs tightly sandwiched between two brake pads. When you step on your brake pedal, the brake pads apply pressure against the metal discs. Many brake pads have steel clips that serve as wear indicators.
2. Grinding Brakes
If every time you step on your brake pedal you hear a loud grinding sound, it often means the brake pads are so badly worn that the rotor disc is making contact with the caliper. Extremely worn brake pads can grind down and cut into your rotors. This can create a major brake system problem if it isn’t addressed right away.
3. Vibration When Braking
When the brake pads are overly worn, they can begin scraping metal off of the rotors in different spots. When the rotor is thinner in some spots than others, it can cause the brakes to shake or pulse when you step on the brake pedal.
4. Taking Longer To Stop
Worn brake pads is a common reason a vehicle would take much longer than it normally does to come to a complete stop when you step on the brake pedal. When a vehicle’s brake pads are spent and should be changed, they are unable to put enough pressure on the rotors to quickly stop the wheels from turning.
5. The Brake Indicator Light Comes On
Usually when the brake indicator light comes on it means the brake pads are spent or the brake fluid level is too low. Some newer vehicles have sensors that trigger the brake indicator light when the brake pads wear thin. Plus, spent brake pads can result in low brake fluid levels.
6. Brake Pads Appear To Be Thin
For the braking system on your automobile to function properly, the brake pads should not be allowed to get thinner than ¼ inch. Brake pad thickness plays an essential role in road safety. Brake pads that measure 1⁄8 inch in thickness have reached the end of their recommended wear limit.