Brake Pads Christchurch
Car Brake Repairs Christchurch
Your car brakes are one of the most critical parts of a motor vehicle. Want to know more about brakes? Find out more about how car brakes work here.
Failing brakes can cost you dearly, but most issues give you plenty of warning before failure occurs. Want to know more about why brakes can fail? Find out more about the reasons for car brake failure here.
A Warrant of Fitness (WoF) inspection will check how well your brakes are working and whether there are any faults such as leaking fluid or worn pads. Noisy brakes are one of the most common braking system issues a car owner will notice.
Indicators of potential issues with your car's brakes can encompass the following:
1. Audible Warnings: Your brakes may emit grinding or squealing noises.
2. Pedal Sensation: You may notice variations in the brake pedal's behavior, such as it feeling low, hard, soft, or spongy.
3. Steering Feedback: The steering wheel might exhibit shuddering vibrations when you apply the brakes.
4. Traction Loss: Your car could experience reduced grip or skidding while braking.
5. Pulling: Your vehicle might veer to one side during braking.
Brake pads constitute the most commonly used type of braking components in automobiles. Over time, these brake pads naturally wear down and require replacement once they reach unsafe levels of thickness. Typically, brake pads endure for approximately 45,000 to 60,000 kilometers, although this duration can vary depending on your driving habits.
These brake pads reside within the brake caliper, responsible for exerting pressure on the disc rotor when you engage the brake pedal. In most modern vehicles, there are two brake pads within each caliper, resulting in four brake pads for the front and another four for the rear brakes.
They are usually made of a metallic friction material and once this friction material has worn down passed a certain level, usually a few millimetres, the brake pads will need to be replaced. There are several types of brake pads, see Servo’s guide to the different tyres here
It is normal practice during brake pad replacement for the brake rotor to also require attention. While they are steel they still wear overtime and provided they are not to thin they can be machined skimmed back to a smooth surface. If they are too thin and no longer meet the minimum specification the rotors can be replaced.
The hydraulic brake fluid should also be flushed and replaced every 3yrs or 45,000kms as it absorbs moisture over time which can lead to less effective braking systems and lead to premature failure of braking system internals.
Find out more about how a mechanic replaces a cars brake pads
By placing you job for brake pad replacement on Servo you can compare quotes and get the best value for money at a location and time that suit you.
Page updated 18 October 2023