The need for a brake pad is not realized until something goes wrong. Then it can be disastrous, as the slowing down or stopping of the car turns into a nightmare with a threat to life in severe cases. This piece might not cause you much in terms of money but it will definitely take away your priceless life if you neglect it for too long,
Here are 5 observations that tell you about new brake pad need:
Click Sound for Damage
To avoid wobbling around of brake pad some cars have the special holding device. The others have clips, pins, or bolts to keep it stable. The brake pad can loosen when the hardware gets damaged and they start to rattle. This results in sound whenever the pedal is pushed or released.
Car inclined To One Side
The brake pads work in pair and at times both of them do not wear out at the same rate. This means that one is thinner than others, leading to slight inclination on one side. If it is remained unchecked it impacts ball joint, wheel bearings, and steering knuckles; stressing the rack. It may be because of uneven tire pressure, malfunctioning brake caliper, or defective wheel bearing; so take the opinion of a mechanic first. And if it is the unevenly worn-out pads buy two new sets together. It is recommendable that you change the brake pads together, no matter if one looks ok.
Car Stop Takes Time
If you experience the problem of movement for a certain time even when you have applied the brake, the situation is called brake fade. It is because of maneuver where you intentionally apply break without bringing the car to a fully stopping position. Such a condition happens once in a while, but if you do it daily this type of result happens. If you live in a hilly area where you regularly drive down-hill, it will impact the braking mechanism in the long run. Here the pads and rotors heat-up as by applying the brake, the pad and rotor come in contact for long uninterrupted time. Hence the needed friction between the two for smooth braking is not generated.
The Vibration Feel When Brake Put
If your brake shakes when you step on it; your pads might be the culprit. The binding resin that held the brake pads together heats up and gets unevenly distributed. It causes a block on the disc surface. In the ideal condition when the brake pads wear out the adhesive should smear across the rotor forming an even layer over disc surface, but as it does not happen this glazing makes brake pedals vibrate.
Hit the Brake and Sound Disappears
It is perfectly normal if you hit the brake in an emergency and screeching sound comes. But what about the mysterious sound that ends only when you hit brake and rest of the time it keeps coming. It is an indicator that tells about a worn-out brake-pad. The wear indicator is a metal tab that has the sole purpose of emitting the unpleasant screech, but when the brake-pad is at its last stage this noise warns the driver that any moment the complete eroding might happen.
If you observe any of this, I hope now you know where to check.
Change your brake pads on time to avoid stress (
De Paula)
