Brake Pads: Everything you need to know

The condition of your brake pads greatly affects the effectiveness of your braking. In order to guarantee your safety, this mechanical part must be checked in time. Here are some tips and advice to anticipate and control the wear of your pads.

Brake pads: a key role

The braking action activates the caliper which pushes the pads coming to grip the brake disc. The latter reduces the rotation of the wheel, which causes the vehicle to slow down.

Pad wear therefore creates a malfunction on the entire brake system.

What are the signs of wear on the brake pads?

The first sign to take into account is the warning light. Wear is indicated by an indicator light which is triggered during braking. In this case, you no longer drive safely and the brake pads must be replaced immediately.

Other sound signals can put you on the ear: deaf noises, whistling when braking … Also pay attention to jerks, vibrations of the brake pedal or even longer braking distance.

How to check the brake pads?

Contact between the pads and the disc causes them to lose material. This thinning is an indicator of wear to be measured. The brake pad is located in the brake caliper which is located around the disc. To check the pads, the wheels are removed and the thickness of the template is assessed. The minimum required is 2 millimeters.

When to replace the pads?

The frequency of change depends on the type of driving, vehicle, environment in which the vehicle is driven … The brake pad has faster wear than the brake disc. It therefore requires a more frequent change. Generally speaking, checking the pads is recommended from 30,000 km.

Replacing the pads then requires a running-in period of 300 to 500 km during which the pad adapts to the shape of the disc. During this step, you should avoid hard braking and press the brake pedal for too long.

Regular maintenance and inspection of the brake pads does not exempt you from taking out good car insurance: the best ally of a driver who takes to the road.