How To: Check Your Brake Pads

Want to ensure that your car is running at optimal efficiency? One of the things you want to do — for vehicle performance and for the safety of you, your family, and others on the road — is regularly check your brake pads.

Checking your brake pads is relatively easy depending on how in depth you want to get, but it’s an important step to take in order to ensure they are working correctly.

CHECKING THROUGH THE WHEEL

In the simplest possible form, looking through the wheel can often give you an idea of how thin a brake pad is, but it’s not the most efficient or surefire way to determine if it needs to be changed. If you look through the wheel an see that the brake pad is thinner than ¼”, it’s time to replace them.

REMOVING THE WHEEL

In some cases, it’s best to remove the wheel completely and check the pads. Removing the wheel gives you an even better idea of pad thickness, helping you make a decision regarding whether or not to replace the pads. This will also let you check the rotors to determine if there has been any damage done due to worn brake pads.

WHAT TO LOOK FOR

Aside from the wear and thickness on the brake pad, look for grooves on the rotors that may indicate the wear is causing even more problems. The brake pads should be changed regularly, especially when you start hearing grinding or squealing sounds.

If there is any indication that your brake pads are bad, you should work quickly to get them replaced. Leaving them too long can result in serious safety risks that you don’t want to deal with. It can even lead to a serious accident.

At Hare Wynn, we help protect individuals who have been injured by others who have not properly maintained their vehicles. You can count on us to put your best interests first and seek the most favorable outcome you deserve.

Call us today for your consultation.