Disc brakes stop cars by pressing pads against wheels. This creates a lot of heat that wears down both parts. As a new part, pads are meant to wear out before more expensive rotors need to be replaced. Key is keeping an eye on Brake Pad Thickness.
You’ll know what thickness new pads come in at, when you should change them, what the lowest thickness that can be, and how to correctly measure brake pad thickness after reading this.
How Brake Pad Thickness start out?
When it comes to new brake pads, there is some difference in thickness between cars of different makes. But this rule can use in general:
The new front pads will be 12 mm thick, which is half an inch.
The new back pads can be the same or a little smaller, between 8 and 10 mm (about 3/8 inch).
For some cars, the inner and outer pads of a new front pad set differ in thicknesses. Because of how the brake calipers work, the wear rate changes between the inner and outer discs on these cars.
If this is what the maker expects, they will try to make the pads so that both the inner and outer ones need to be replaced at the same time.
Minimum Brake Pad Thickness
The thinnest part of the pad should be about 2 to 3 mm (about 1/8 inch).
This is the bare minimum and means the pad needs to be replaced right away. You should drive less and get your car to your favorite brake or repair shop as soon as possible.
If you drive for a long time with pads this thick. The rotors can get very worn down, which will cost you more money to fix. Also, the brakes may not work as well as they should, which can make stopping farther away and raise the risk of an accident.
How Thick Should Brake Pads Be?
When you check the thickness of the pad. You should pay attention to whether or not the number is getting close to the minimum limit we talk about above. Pads that are 4 mm thick, for example, can still be used but are getting very close to the end of their useful life. Do not plan any long trips.
At a width of about 8 mm, the front pad will have lived half of its life. Look at your front brake pads. Because if they are this thick, they are about halfway to the number of miles they need to be replaced.
If you check the thickness of the pads and find that they are between 6 mm and 12 mm (front brakes), which is the right range for thickness. Your brakes will work well and you won’t have to change the pads for a while.
Does it make a difference which pads wear out faster?
As was already said, how you drive will affect how long your Brake Pad Thickness last. Putting this aside, the pad life will mostly depend on the friction material we talked about in this piece.
To make things easier, let’s sum up:
- Pads made from biological materials that are cheap tend to be soft and wear out faster than other types of pads.
- The use of material to make semi-metallic pads is stronger and harder than the material make organic pads. These will work better than organic pads to stop cars and will last longer.
- Not only do ceramic pads last longer, but they also handle heat better than organic or semi-metallic pads. Most of the time, these will give you the best life.
How to Find Brake Pad Thickness
You don’t have to take the wheels off to do this test for Brake Pad Thickness. especially one thing that needs to be in mind is that the wheels must have holes big enough to see and get to the outer pad ends.
The wheels take off for this test if the wheel openings are too small or don’t exist at all. The car will jack up and put firmly on jack stands.
Tools You Need:
Flashlight or shop light that works the same
Gauge tool (or a set of metric long-handled hex keys will do)
Checking the Thickness of a Pad
- On each side of the brake caliper, look for a brake pad end that you can reach.
- Hold the flashlight up to the area you want to measure to light it up.
- Use a measure tool or hex key to press the end of the pad against the surface of the rotor.
- With the right width tool, there will be no space between the rotor surface and the metal backing plate. You might have to try a few different sizes of tools before you find the right one for this spot.
- Look at the number for thickness that stamped on the measuring tool. This is how thick the pad will be.
Can the thickness of the pad be found without taking the wheel off?
Most of the time, the wheels on the car will be enough to measure the thickness of the upper pads. If you only know how thick the outer pad is, you can tell if the pads still have wear on them or if they need to be changed.
If the outer pad is very thin (5 mm or less), that’s a good sign that the inner pads should also be checked. Should you be unsure about how thick the pads should be, you should take your car to a skilled mechanic.
If you know how to do it yourself and it’s time to change your brake pads, these articles on this site might help:
Are every brake pad the same?
First, it’s important to know that the way you drive will have a big effect on how long your brake pads and wheels last. Still, not every brake pad is equal.
Take a look at brake pads.
They have two parts:
Firstly the metal backing plate (which is what the caliper pistons press against) and the friction material segment (or segments). these are connected to it and press against the brake rotor. All brake pads have these two parts in common.
So what makes each type of brake pad different?
The first one do with how the steel backing plate and friction material connect to each other. Especially bolts made of soft metal hold the rubbing material in place on some brake pads. On some pads, the friction material will stuck in place with a high-temperature glue.
No matter what, the ceiling for how much is worn out will be about the same. Before the screws or adhesives that hold the pads in place touch the rotor, the pads must be replaced.
The second and more important difference between brake pads is the material for the parts that rub against the brake shoe. Different kinds of these materials will give the brakes a different life and level of performance.
How Often Should You Check Your Brake pad thickness?
About every 5,000 miles, you should check the Brake Pad Thickness. Do this during or after changing the oil and filter.
