How Long Will 4mm Brake Pads Last?
Although wearing out of brake pads depends upon the individual and how he drives and how often he brakes during traveling but on average, a 4mm brake pad can last up to 50,000 miles.
The brake pads will be worn out when the brake shoe or drum is below 10% full or when no brake pad material is visible. The most common signs are excessive noise and loss of effectiveness.
New brake pads that have not been used can last longer than the used ones. However, despite their high life expectancy, it can become more expensive over time and less safe due to uneven braking and failure to stop more quickly in emergencies leading to serious injury.
Braking pads are the essential component of the braking system of the vehicle. Thus it would help if you did not forget to maintain and check braking pads from time to time.
Overlooking issues in brake pads can lead to catastrophic failure and a situation that surely you do not want for yourself.
So instead, you can take your vehicle to the mechanic for the regular checking up of braking pads to ensure that they have not worn out beyond the minimum requirement.
Table of Contents
- Should I Replace Brake Pads At 4mm?
- How Do You Know When Your Brake Pads Are Worn Out?
- What Percentage Should Brake Pads Be Replaced?
- Can an MOT fail on brake pads?
Should I Replace Brake Pads At 4mm?
You must follow all the guidelines of the manufacturer of the brakes for the safety of yourself and another passenger while driving the car. Thus it is advised that if your brake pads have been worn out to less than 4mm, it is time to change them.
4mm thickness is the minimum value of brake pads onto which they can work fine, but any less than this is a cause of serious concern.
For your safety, it is recommended that you must look after your brake pads and not forget to get them checked by a professional from time to time.
Inside the brake pad is a spring that applies pressure on the brake to stop the car. The spring gives pressure which pushes the disc, and the disc is pressed against the wheel. The friction between wheel and disc causes it to slow down or stop.
If your brake pads are worn out, there will be less friction and less force applied to the disc, and thus, you are at great risk of an accident as there will be no proper resistance from the brakes to bring down/stop the vehicle.
Thus, using the vehicle at less than 4mm brake pads can damage the rotors and badly affect your vehicle’s performance.
Therefore it is better that you should not take risks with the brake pads and get them changed before they get less than 4mm. You can do a simple test and check the thickness of the brake pads. If you find that it is less than the minimum valve, do not waste a minute in getting them replaced.
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How Do You Know When Your Brake Pads Are Worn Out?
Brake pads are necessary for good braking; thus, they should be in good shape and above the minimum required thickness. If you do not want any damage to your car’s braking system, you should know the signs suggesting wearing out braking pads.
This way, you will be aware and be able to find out about it before it gets too late.
Thus here are some of the signs that your vehicle shows when it has worn out brake pads:
Squealing noises
When you apply the brakes, if you hear a squealing noise, you should know that the worn-out brake pads are causing this noise.
This noise can get louder with time and irritates when you apply the brakes. The noise comes from worn-out brake pads connecting the wheels and scraping against them.
Vibrating
When you apply brakes, your vehicle will start vibrating, making driving difficult. Such vibrations should be considered seriously as they may damage the parts of your car or even cause accidents if those vibrations are serious enough to make you lose control of your vehicle while driving.
Increased in time to stop the car after braking
This is one of the most common signs that your vehicle needs new brake pads; as you apply the brakes and slow down, the time to bring your car to a stop increases.
This signifies that your current brake pads will not be able to stop your vehicle in time when you apply brakes.
One of the signs that your brake pads need replacement is when you apply them and feel pulsing in them.
The pulsing can make controlling the braking difficult as it can cause unexpected stops and sudden movement after applying brakes. Thus, this pulsing should surely be considered a warning sign for worn-out brake pads.
Clicking noises
When you apply the brakes, if you hear a loud click noise that is different from the squealing noise when you apply it, the click noise is a good indication that your brake pads are worn out and require replacement.
This clicking noise can be caused by metal-on-metal contact and can only be solved by getting new brake pads.
This is how you can check your brake pads if you are well aware of these signs and symptoms of wearing out of brake pads. Thus whenever you notice one of these signs, make sure to get your brake pads checked or replaced if it has worn out.
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What Percentage Should Brake Pads Be Replaced?
According to the experts, you should change the brake pads when they are eighty percent worn out. Yes, any less than it can cause trouble in braking and be hazardous for people traveling in your car.
So to make sure that you diagnose the brake pads correctly, take your car to a good mechanic who has the precision which can tell you if they are evenly worn out or not.
If it is worn out, you should replace the old ones with new ones to properly stop the car whenever you hit the brakes.
Can an MOT fail on brake pads?
MOT can fail on brake pads if it reaches below the level of 1.5mm of thickness. Thus unless you have not worn out this many brake pads, MOT will be fine and won’t fail.
As you know, brake pads are the most common part of the whole braking system, and it wears out with time and uses; thus, you should keep checking as they can affect the braking and performance of your vehicle.
It can make braking less effective, which can be dangerous if you are on a busy road or driving in town.
