As a car owner, the last thing you want to deal with is making repairs to your car. And if your car begins to squeal or grind when you engage the brake, it means you need to purchase new brake pads. With efficient pads, you will be able to stop quicker and you and your car are safer off for it. The general recommendation regarding the frequency of change of your brake pads is every 25,000 – 75,000 miles accounting for use.
And although you expect to change your brake pads a couple of times within the total lifespan of your car, your brake pad life is dependent on the way you use and handle your vehicle and in extension your typical brake pad life.
We Have Put Together Several Pointers Highlighting Tips You Can Take to Extend Your Brake Pad Life:
Bleed your pads often:
Bleeding your brake pads simply means removing the air out of your brake lines. When the air gets into your brake lines, it creates a noticeable delay in the response of your brake which is very dangerous. Air is definitely in your brake lines when you have to press your brake pedals all the way down before your brakes respond.
If you have experienced any of these, there is most likely air within your brake lines. The way to go about this is for your mechanic to bleed your brakes or whenever your vehicle goes in for a tune-up.
Going fast does not do your brakes any good:
We’ve all watched the fast & furious series and odds are you have wanted to replicate their speed before. Well, the faster you go, the more you will need to slam on your brakes to bring it to a stop and the more friction you place on your brake pads which leads to them being worn out. if you frequent an area that is rough, and you have to brake often, drop your speed by a few miles so to reduce the stress you put on your brakes.
If you are driving on the highway, turn on cruise control. Of course, this does not excuse you from paying attention to the road but by turning it on, it allows you to keep your speed constant meaning your brake and gas pedal would be used less reducing the friction your brake would have caused.
Another way to keep your brake pad in top condition is by slowing down by downshifting instead of using your brakes. This method can be used when you are coming towards an intersection or an area that has a reduced speed limit.
To summarize, the more you slam on your brakes, the more damage you are causing your brake pad.
Change your Vehicle’s rotors when necessary:
Your brake pads are only as effective as the rotors they are linked to. Think of rotors as the neck of your brake pad and they usually last longer than the pads meaning they are replaced less often. But in order to ensure they work and keep your brake pads from getting changed often, you need to have them returned or rotated as often as possible.
If your brake rotors have holes or they are charred, you should immediately get them replaced even if your brake pads exist in top condition. Your mechanic could ask you to replace them when you get new brake pads. This is usually because your worn rotors could easily wear out your new brake pads which would cost you more money to fix in the long term.
Do not apply two-foot to your brake pad
The average brake pad life should be between 25,000 – 75,000 miles depending on the car type and usage. But if you two-foot your brake, which is applying your brake while your accelerator is also engaged, you are causing “brake taps” which do not do anything to stop your car but reduces your brake pad life.
Don’t brake – coast
Depending on the flow of traffic around you, you could decide to coast to slow down your car instead of applying your brakes. Consider going uphill. If you are driving uphill towards cars that are parked, you could choose to crest the hill before applying the brake. All you have to do is coast up, lose some speed and brake if you need to. Or if you are going on a freeway, coasting before engaging the brakes would save your brake pads some unnecessary friction.
Do not stop in a hurry:
Beyond helping you save money on gas, doing this will help you extend your brake pad life. A good rule of thumb would be to begin to slow down three seconds before you need to finally stop. The truth is, there is no reason to increase your speed and hurry to a stop when the cars ahead of you are not moving. Doing this just makes you waste fuel and increase the friction of your brake pad.
Reduce the weight of your car:
You might not be one of those people that keep heavy objects in your car but having a lot of objects in your car could also cause the weight to add up which could cause a large kinetic load to be placed on your brakes when you bring your car to a stop.
Use the right brake methods for the right terrains:
A lot of people do not know this but using the right brake methods for the right terrains will help improve your brake pad life. If your vehicle is moving downhill or moving on dry pavement, you might want to engage the lower gears of your car. To do this, simply put your vehicle in gear which would allow you to travel at a safe speed as you begin the incline. Then apply the brakes gently for a few seconds if the car speed increases in order to maintain the right speed.
Your brake pads are arguably the most important part of your car. Practising maintenance methods like these alongside regular mechanic inspections would save you money and keep your vehicle out of any possible accidents.