Front Brake Pad Replacement

Front Brake Pads Maintenance

Brake pads have a unique design in the automotive-parts world as they are purposefully engineered to wear out incrementally to protect the other braking components such as the brake rotors specifically. Given the physics involved with stopping a vehicle weighing thousands of pounds, the front brake pads handle additional friction being positioned at the front of the vehicle, which causes them to wear faster on average and generally requires them to need replacement at a shorter interval.

How to Know When the Front Brake Pads Need to Be Replaced

Today's brake pads come equipped with a warning indicator that strikes the brake rotor when little pad remains; the eardrum-piercing shriek is a telltale warning sign to the driver signaling the need for brake pad replacement.

If this audible warning gets put off, the brake pads will continue to wear out until they are worn entirely and cause secondary damages to the adjacent braking components, such as the brake caliper or rotor. If you are experiencing any of these symptoms, it is time for corrective braking maintenance:

Noises when braking, such as grinding or squealing.

Pedal feels strange - excessively hard or soft.

Burning odor while driving.

Vibrations or shaking.

Pulls to a side or swerves when braking.