Brake replacement practice

[Ace_t]

Just a thought came to my mind to share with all you bros n sis..

 

when it's time to replace brakes, do u :

 

1) replace all 4 brake pads regardless of condition, as long as the brakes squeal.

2) only replace the worn out ones

3) replace front 2

4) replace rear 2

 

and is it the same practice if the rear brakes are drums or discs ?

 

any advantages for the choices you make ?

[Saaber]

check the wear rate first and replace in pair...

[Flaser]

Was told that the rear drum linings (and even rear disc pads) can last up to 2-3 times longer than the front ones, since the front ones are doing most of the work.

 

Anything to do with wheels/tyres/suspension/brakes, definitely is safer to change both left and right together.

[Worker]

Do you replace all 4 tyres when only the front 2 are worn ?

At least I would not , unless you have been rotating them regularly and their wear are quite similar .

For disc brakes squealling is caused by hi freq vibration , can be cured in some instances by applying a wee bit of hi temp grease to the sliding surfaces and to the back of the brake pad in contact with the hyd piston ; make sure none gets on to the friction pads .

Unless you are a "hi octane" driver , the rear brakes never seem to wear out , so it is up to the individual driver if he wants to change them after a certain number of years.

Since our cars have a life of 10 years , one can replace the rear brake pads after 3.5 years or 5 years regardless of wear .

My car is > 3.5 years now and the rear pads are still looking fresh with negligible wear , can easily last another 1.5 years.

I am sure there members out there who will not agree with me , but that is the purpose of this forum , to exchange views .

Afterall there are members who replace tyres yearly regardless of condition and those who will drive for 5 years on the same set of tyres .

To each his own .

 

Rgs

[Soya]

replace onli the worn pads by pair. need not do all as wear rate is usually different between front & rear.

[Ace_t]

how to determine wear rate ?

 

amount of brake dust or the braking power over time ?

 

[reply]

 

check the wear rate first and replace in pair...

[Soya]

check thickness of pads. 3mm min is a good gauge that it's time to change.

[Ace_t]

is 3mm a general gauge or does it vary from car to car...

[Soya]

volvo's recommendation. being a anally safe brand, i would say it's good gauge.

[Buzz]

What about the rotor ?

[Ace_t]

ok, time to remove front tyre and check the pads with a vernier....

[Ace_t]

for me, my mech taught me a good method of assessing the disc thickness.

 

to run your fingers upwards from the centre of the disc to the edge.

 

If u can feel the edges or if your finger gets 'stopped' at the edge, then it should be about time to change the rotors.

[Buzz]

means the rotor got a flange?

[Saaber]

wear until that is a "lip" at the edge...

[Ace_t]

something like that.

 

new rotor discs have edges that are flushed with the face of the disc.

so with all the friction from the pads, the metal would wear off, leaving the edge protruding further out than the disc plate.

 

[reply]

 

means the rotor got a flange