How Do I Know When I Need New Brakes?
A question Virginia Tire & Auto experts get asked regularly is, “How many miles will I get out of my brake pads?” But this is a hard question to answer! The fact is that the lifespan of brake pads and rotors varies a lot depending on your driving style and vehicle type.
Brake pads wear with each and every push of the brake pedal. So, if your commute consists of a lot of traffic or city driving, then your vehicle’s brakes will likely wear out faster than expected.
How Brakes Work
Let’s start with the ins and outs of brakes. They are one of the most essential components of your vehicle. After all, if they stop working, your vehicle won’t stop. That’s an accident waiting to happen.
When a car is in motion, it possesses kinetic energy, the energy of motion. By using friction, the brakes decrease the kinetic energy by turning it into heat, which slows—and ultimately stops—the vehicle.
When you, the driver, press your foot down on the brake pedal, a connected lever pushes a piston into the master cylinder, which is filled with hydraulic fluid. That hydraulic fluid then goes through a system of pipes into a set of wider cylinders next to the brakes on each wheel. This hydraulic system takes the force of your foot on the brake pedal and multiplies it into enough force to apply the brakes and make the car stop.
Types of Brakes
There are two types of brakes—disc and drum. Many cars have disc brakes on the front wheels and drum brakes on the rear wheels. More expensive vehicles may have disc brakes on all four wheels. Only very old or very small cars tend to have drum brakes on all four wheels.
Disc Brakes
Disc brakes are made up of a brake disc, a brake caliper and a brake pad. When the brake pedal is pressed down, the hydraulic fluid enables the brake caliper to press the brake pad against the brake disc. The friction generated by the brake pads pressing against the brake discs converts kinetic energy into heat in the brake pad.
Did you know? Stopping a speeding car can heat the brakes to 950º F or more! That’s why brake pads are made of special materials that won’t melt at such high temperatures.
Drum Brakes
Drum brakes also use friction but in a slightly different way. Drum brakes consist of a brake drum and brake shoes. The hollow drum turns with the wheel. When you press down on the brake pedal, a hydraulic cylinder pushes brake shoes with friction linings against the inner surface of the brake drum, creating friction. This causes the vehicle to slow down.
When Should My Brakes Be Replaced?
By most industry estimates, brakes should be replaced every 20,000–70,000 miles. Since mileage estimates for brake life vary greatly, here are four tell-tale signs of brake wear that you should be on the lookout for.
Signs You Need New Brakes
- Screeching or grinding sounds: Many cars have an indicator that creates a warning sound, sending an alert that it’s time to replace your brakes. If you’re hearing grinding noises, it likely means that your brake pads have worn out completely and are rubbing into the rotors—a recipe for disaster!
- Pressing the brake harder to stop the vehicle: This could be an indication of a brake fluid leak and can sometimes be confirmed by the existence of a small puddle of brake fluid under your vehicle.
- Pulling to one side while braking: If the vehicle pulls to one side when brakes are applied could be a result of the brake lining wearing unevenly. You may need a brake adjustment, or it might be time to have the fluid drained and replaced.
- Vibration when braking or steering: This could be a sign of warped rotors.
A simple visual inspection of the brake pads can also highlight wear issues. You want to measure the thickness of the brake pads and consider replacing the brake pads at 3/32″ thickness or less.
Not sure what you’re looking for? Bring your vehicle to Virginia Tire & Auto for a free visual brake inspection.
Upon Further Inspection
Is your car scheduled for its annual Virginia safety inspection? If so, any of these issues will fail inspection in Virginia—meaning you’ll need to come get brake work done.
- Worn, damaged or missing parts
- Worn, contaminated or defective linings or drums
- Leakage in braking system and improper brake fluid level
- Worn, contaminated or defective disc pads or disc rotors
Dangers Of Riding On Bad Brakes
For many drivers, hearing screeching or grinding sounds may not seem like enough of a problem to take a vehicle to Virginia Tire & Auto, but if these warning signs aren’t heeded in a timely fashion, the result could be dangerous—and costly.
For example, let’s look at the brake rotors. Rotors are the “disc” in disc brakes that help stop your vehicle. If the rotor is warped, the brake pads will wiggle back and forth, causing the brake fluid to foam up. When this happens, the braking system does not get the proper amount of hydraulic pressure, and the vehicle may not be able to stop in an emergency situation.
Not sure if you need new brakes?
Bring your vehicle to any Virginia Tire & Auto location. We offer a FREE visual brake inspection that includes a measurement of the brake pads/shoes and a brake fluid test.