Brake Pad They are one of the most important parts of our car and are key to safety. That is why it is convenient to know the state in which they are and, if they are worn, change them as soon as possible. This is a maintenance for which you usually go to a workshop, but if you decide to do it yourself, you should know that it is not too complicated. Of course, as long as a series of indications and tips that we are going to give you below are followed.
To change the brake pads, you must remove the wheels and put the car on some easels. It is not recommended that you keep it up with only a jack because it is not the safest way to work. If it were to yield, a misfortune could occur.
How to change brake pads
Once the car is safely suspended, the next step will be to remove the old pads. For this, we will have to retract the piston that imprisons the pads against the disc to facilitate disassembly. It is not necessary to collect it completely, it will suffice to remove it as far as possible. We can do this step inserting a screwdriver between the brake pad and the disc to make a bit of leverage.
We extract the screws that join the brake caliper with the supports and we will remove the caliper from its housing. At this time it is very important look at how the old pads are mounted to later place the new ones and that they are not misplaced. We remove the old pads and we must fully contract the caliper piston.
Now we put the new pads in their housing and proceed to assemble the entire system. Normally, the assembly process is reverse of disassembly. Once the caliper is completely assembled with the new pads, we will do the same process on the other side.
When we have already changed the pills, we must check the level of brake fluid y fill in a little if necessary. We will check that everything is well assembled, we will start the car and press the brake pedal repeatedly until we notice that it has a short travel and does not remain sunk. This is very important because, if we don't do it, on the first braking we do, the car doesn't brake, with the danger that this entails.
As you can see, the process for replace brake pads It is really simple and, doing it calmly, it can take us an hour or a little more. But, even being easy, we must do it carefully and looking closely, since it is a very important security element. These are some general steps, if you are not sure, I recommend going to a workshop.
How long do brake pads last?
The brake pads of a car have very varied durations depending on the type they are. In any case, the duration of the first ones that are used in a car are usually around 100.000 or 150.000 km. Although it is a number that can vary a lot depending on the type of driving let it be done Driving using the engine brake regularly is not the same as pressing the brake pedal in any circumstance.
A little advice:
A common advice for the tablets to have a long shelf life is brake intermittently. Of course, as long as the traffic circumstances allow it and the comfort of the passengers is not affected. E.g., if you are going to leave the motorway, going from 120 km/h to 40 km/h, it is better not to brake continuously until you reach the desired speed. It is better to do it at intervals leaving a few seconds in between so that the brake pad and disc cool down a bit.
When should the brake pads be changed?
To make the decision when to change the brake pads, it is enough to take a look at its thickness. A very simple task if the car in question has rims through which they can be seen. If it has few holes to look through, as it happens with the steel ones with hubcaps, you will have to remove the wheel.
The normal is change them when they have a thickness 4 mm on the front brakes and 2 or 3 mm on the rear brakes. If you are going to change them yourself, you can hurry until you reach these measurements, but if you are going to take it to a workshop, you can take into account when you are going to take it in the next revision. So you will be without a car only once instead of twice.
How much do brake pads cost?
Changing the brake pads yourself is a good way to save money. Depending on the shop you usually go to, labor can be very expensive. Especially the ones from the premium brands. In addition, in this type of maintenance, the cost of the parts themselves is very low compared to the price of the dedication of a professional.
Depending on the type of car and its brand, the brake pad price It is between 18 and 120 euros. Although you will be happy to know that it is more common to find brake pads with prices closer to 18 euros than others less affordable.
What kind of brake pads to use
If you are not very clear about which pills to use, we anticipate that you better not experimentunless you really know what you're doing. It is better that you opt for the same ones that your car uses. Internet sellers themselves take care that it is clear which car each brake pad is for. Just do a quick search and you'll find yours easily.
As for brands, we advise you not to skimp too much. Normally they are not very expensive pieces, so for a few euros it is not worth going to unknown brands. With a Bosch or a Brembo you will not risk it unnecessarily.
Pictures – 70_musclecar_RT+6, YOUCANIC, alex roberts