Brake pads are essential parts of a vehicle. The ultimate control of the driver over the car comes from the brake pads. Brake pads provide high frictional force to the calipers to stop the car from running. And obviously, it undergoes wear and tears over time. A vehicle needs proper maintenance to run on its full potential. And most of the time, the question comes like, “How long does it take to change brake pads.”
According to professional mechanics, it takes approximately 1 hour for the brake pads to be changed. But how does it get reversed? Today we will be discussing when to replace and how to replace the brake pads of your car and how long it takes to change brake pads.
Facts About Brake Pads
Mechanic servicing
One of the essential factors of changing the brake pads is how often you service your car’s brake system. Moreover, the mechanic will advise you to change the brake pad if they find any faults. Furthermore, the mechanic does a rigorous inspection of the brake pad while servicing. Hence, the rotors, brake lines, and brake fluid also inspected along with the brake pad. It is wise to change the parts the mechanics insist on changing. Moreover, the mechanics should again go for a test drive with the car for better inspection.
Operational Atmosphere
The life span of brake pads also depends on the environment you are driving on. Urban areas tend to have high traffic. This results in more frequent breaking; hence more work is done on the brake pad. Furthermore, this results in less life span of the pads. On the other hand, the countryside and long straight roads are impeccable conditions for the brake pad’s better lifespan. This is due to less breaking needed. Moreover, less breaking means less fiction hence less wear and tear. Therefore, urban people should change brake pads often, and countryside peoples should change brake pads less often.
Way Of Driving
Applying hard breaks deteriorates the brake pads fast. It is because of the high friction needed to stop the fast-moving wheel. Moreover, the thermal increases for which the life span of the brake pad decreases drastically. It is advisable to apply smoother breaks for a better lifespan. Furthermore, avoid using the unnecessary break to prevent stress on the pads. Always try to keep your brake pads on top shape for the optimum braking performance of your car.
When To Replace Brake Pads
It is very important to know for your vehicle how long does it take to change brake pads and rotors? If you want to know, you should follow the steps:
Warning light on the dashboard
First, check if your car ran more than 1000 miles without changing the brake pads. Show to a car mechanic for inspection of the brake pad condition. The mechanic will inspect the brake pad by checking the pad width with a screw gauge. Less width of the fiction material will result in changing the bad.
Taking a turn while you break
Observe your car while you break. The vehicle will either turn left or right if the brake pad is decayed. This is because one wheel is breaking less than the other. Moreover, the car will hang in the direction where the break is applied less. Replace the brake pads if you undergo such situations. And you know how long it does take to change brake pads.
Brake pad pulsation
The rotor also undergoes decay due to high temperature and friction while braking. Extreme thermal conditions soften the material of the rotor. They are moreover resulting in the loss of material whole fiction due to this. Pulsation is quite evident due to such situations. Furthermore, for such scenarios, you need to change both the rotor and the brake pad. Take to a car mechanic for changing recommendations.
Squeal noise
Can you hear a shallow-pitched sound coming from the tires when you break? All thanks to the decayed pad for making this noise. There is a friction material near the backing plate. The material might decay due to natural wear and tear. The result of this is the squealing sound you hear while breaking. Here is a catch. The pads are designed to make the sound intentionally when decayed. This is for the car owner’s safety, as the owner will get to know that he needs to change the pad. For this kind of situation, pad replacement is mandatory, and as you know, how long it takes to change brake pads. Don’t delay.
Emergency wear indication light of the dashboard
Modern cars are equipped with brake sensors fitted on the wheels. You can see on the dashboard of your vehicle if it is stylish enough. What the sensor does is detect the width of the pad. Suppose the decrease in width is more than 2mm. In that case, the indicator light will illuminate—a very advanced safety feature for modern cars.
We all know when to replace the brake pads. But how to change it? Below, we will be discussing the necessary steps needed to change the brake pads. However, it is advisable to take the car to a car mechanic. The process will take from around 30 minutes to one hour. Moreover, as you know, how long does it take to change brake pads. Never delay for this short-time work.
How to change brake pads
- Grab a vernier caliper and check the thickness of the fitted pad. Move to the next step if the calipers detect a width less than 2mm.
- Take visual looks at the brake rotors. Measure with vernier calipers for precise measurements of the rotor. Check if the rotor is even on all the sides.
- Now check the brake calipers along with the pads rotors and brake pads. Inspect if the caliper smoothly operates or is jammed.
- Open the old pad and replace it with the new one now. You should install any additional accessories at this point, like the rotors.
- Use a lubricant to lubricate the brake system to better operation and prevent high fiction with the parts. Less friction means less wear and tear. Attentively lubricate the sliding pins of the caliper.
- Check if there is an adequate amount of brake fluid. Moreover, Refill if needed.
- After finishing, take it to a mechanic for a test drive to see if everything is okay.
Conclusion
Brake pads are essential for the car’s braking system. Do not drive with worn-out brake pads as it might not work as intended while you need it. Furthermore, an accident might occur anytime if the brake doesn’t work correctly. Changing brake pads are not so severe, and as you know by now how long does it take to change brake pads, hopefully, you will not delay. And killing 30 to 60 minutes of your life will not harm you but will save your life. Be responsible and do not keep the pads to be changed later. If you change at home, show it to a car mechanic if you correctly fit all the parts. If necessary, take it for a test drive with an expert because the braking system in a car does count for safety. Good luck with your new brake pads.
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