Do Brake Pads Expire?Find Out Now

It is known that brake pads suffer immensely judging by the extreme temperatures and friction that are brought to bear on them regularly. It is for this reason that they are designed using some of the strongest and most resilient materials available.

It, therefore, stands to reason why they hardly suffer any damage from ordinary handling and storage. But, do they really expire like most substances are wont to?

For all intents and purposes, brake pads are not said to expire. At best, they may glaze over due to non-use,  but if being used, they don’t have any problems.

Actually, it is highly illogical to expect any item that can withstand such monumental forces to just depreciate from ordinary storage on a shelf. So, essentially, brake pads do not expire as most other things do.

How long do brake pads last?

Ordinarily, brake pads can last for as long as three to seven years or anywhere between 30, 000 to 70 000 miles before they can become worn out completely beyond any use.

The variation in how long they actually last depends on first, your driving style and secondly, on the overall conditions of the roads you commonly ply.

Judging from the data made available by some transport authorities such as the Federal Highway Administration on how many miles people drive yearly, it is established that typical brake pads can last for as long as possible, depending on the manner you use them.

To obtain very accurate data on this, you might also want to consult the user manual of your car. It can help out tremendously here and elsewhere too.

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How often do you need to change brake pads?

Well, how often you may need to replace your brake pads will depend on several factors. All in all, after putting everything into consideration, your brake pads may require to be changed due to severe depreciation after you have driven with them across about fifty thousand miles or more.

There are still some brake pads that you may have to change after only twenty-five thousand miles, while others may go for as far as seventy thousand miles.

In a nutshell, you may have to replace your brake pads after anything between three to seven years, all things being equal.

How many mm should be used to replace brake pads?

You should always refer to the manufacturer’s recommended minimum brake pad thickness in order to determine whether you should change them or not. In most cases,  you may have to replace your brake pads when they are observed to have gone down to something like 3 mm in thickness.

Sometimes, however, you may escape with a thickness as low as even 2 mm, though that is where you should expect the metal indicator to get exposed and generate a squealing sound when they rub against the brake disc.

Is 3 mm on a brake pad bad?

Well, whether 3 mm thickness on a brake pad is bad will depend first, on the type and quality of the pads you use and second, on the weight of your vehicle as well as how carefully you drive too.

All in all, 3 mm brake pad thickness can be considered as a sort of borderline thickness. It may not actually be as bad as that,  but it is nonetheless around where you should start thinking of getting a replacement.

Do rear brake pads last longer?

Yes, basically they do. The rear brakes can at best be said to play a kind of supporting role to their front counterparts, who take much of the strain.

This is because only part of the pressure is transmitted to the rear brake pads. Again, even the weight of the engine is borne, in most vehicles by the front wheels. It is thus expected that the front brake pads should suffer a faster rate of wear and tear than those at the rear. So, yes, the rear brake pads last longer than those in the front really.

How long do ceramic brakes last?

Carbon ceramic brake discs are nothing but efficient and very durable, in all fairness to them. For one thing, they are designed to last and last, sometimes for even as long as the entire life span of the car! Can you beat that? This contrasts markedly with all other conventional brakes whose brake pads you may have to replace every 15 000 to 70 000 miles, I must confess.

Ceramic brakes last for this long because of the silicon carbide’s crystalline molecular structure that is reputed for its strength, resilience, and exemplary durability.

What is the average life span of a brake pad or rotor?

After putting everything into consideration, the average life span of a brake pad is something between three to seven years, though this could be either shorter or longer depending on many factors. With reference to distance traveled, a good brake pad can cover between 30 000 to 70 000 miles before it may need to be replaced.

The same can be said of the brake rotors too. However, in order to be on the safe side, you should always endeavor to take your vehicle to the mechanic for routine checks to determine when you are due for the next brake service. You can never be too careful with vehicle brakes, or can you? Your guess is as good as mine.

Frequently asked questions (FAQ)

When do you replace brake pad mm?

You are advised to always adhere strictly to the manufacturer’s recommended brake pad thickness before anything. However, in most cases, you should start thinking of replacing your vehicle brake pads when they get down to something like 3 mm in thickness.

Though sometimes you can wear them down to as low as 2 mm, that thickness should be the point at which you ought to start thinking of getting them replaced.

At this stage, the metal of the brake pad is likely to start scraping against the inner surface of the disc, and you don’t want that happening.

Trust me on this. This scraping contact will start generating a very eerie and disturbing noise. Essentially, replace all brake pads when they are worn to as low as 3 to  4 mm for maximum braking efficiency.

What is the brake shoes thickness chart?

Under normal circumstances, your brake pads should be thicker than about 6.4 mm or one-quarter inches for them to function effectively.

Should it be any thinner than this, you ought to start thinking of a replacement. In fact, your brake fluid can give you a good idea of how much braking time you’ve got left before you need new ones.

Most brakes actually start from about 9 to 10 mm, and when it gets to around 5 mm, you have roughly about 50 percent of the brake pads left, which means that you should start thinking of their replacement.

In the United Kingdom, for instance, the minimum thickness for brake pads is about 1.5 mm, while a new one may be as thick as 10 mm. Replace your brake pads once they get to around 3 mm thick.

How many months do brake pads last?

There is really not a definitive answer to the topic question so say, because how long your brake pads last will depend on several factors among which are the quality or type of the brake pad, your manner of driving, as well as the nature of the roads you drive on.

All the same, after looking critically at all these factors, your brake pads should last for anything between three to seven years, more or less.

How long do brake pads last?

Just like in the case of the time for which your brake pads are expected to last, the distance they should cover also depends on the same factors too.

These are the nature of your driving, the kinds of roads on which you drive mostly, and finally, the class or quality of the brake pads you use.

In any case, with due recourse to all these factors, your brake pads can last for as long as 30 000 to 70 000 miles before you may start thinking of any replacements. This distance may be a little bit more or less than the given range, which also depends. Wow! So many things are depending on one another here, right?

Can I drive a car with only three brakes?

Yes, you can, but be aware that you risk a major brake fluid leak, which may in the extreme leave you without any brakes at all.

Additionally, if you plugged the off somehow, your braking efficiency may be so messed up that it may become totally unsafe to drive under this condition. Conversely, you should not drive with only three brakes regardless of any temptations. (Read Also: Can Brake Drums Be Relined?)

Can you drive with a missing brake pad?

First off, do not drive with any missing brake pad not until you get it fixed. It is just not safe to do so, and besides,  you are likely going to cause a lot of damage to other important car parts.

For instance, by doing this, you may obviously need new brake calipers, brake pads, and a rotor too, which might have frozen in the process.

What are the consequences of driving with worn-out brake pads?

Well, to begin with, worn-out brakes are commonly indicted as a strong factor in causing severe injuries or fatality on most of our city roads or highways.

In addition to any risks to yourself and others, driving with worn-out brakes can also affect you financially, though this may not mean much if you have so much that you can waste some.

If otherwise, watch it then. In driving under this condition, your rotors may warp too, when your brake lining wears itself out,  and that is likely to cost you much more than just replacing your brake pads.

How much does it cost to change brake pads?

How much it costs you to replace brake pads will basically be determined by first, the kind of brake pads you wish to install, and second, by any additional cost of labor. This is because the cost of brake pads varies as you choose from one type to another.

All things being equal, however, the average cost for any brake pad replacement is about one hundred dollars per axle to something like one hundred and fifty dollars per axle tops.

There are other pieces of hardware in the brake system that may have to be serviced at the same time too. These include the calipers, rotors, or even the brake pads.

Are all brake pads of the same size?

No, definitely not. Brake pads come in all sorts of bewildering sizes, shapes, and prices too. What really matters is that you should make sure to buy only those that are strictly recommended for you by the manufacturers. If you wish to know more about this, the user manual of your car is certain to come in handy in such situations.

Do Brake Pads Expire – Conclusion

Brake pads suffer a lot considering the roles they play and the forces that militate against them regularly, and to counter all these challenges, brake pads are manufactured using the choicest materials around.

Of course, like most things in life, they are bound to depreciate with time and will need replacement, but before doing so, make sure that you know everything about them,  starting from the make of your car and down to their sizes too.

There is a standard thickness they must retain at all times if they are expected to be effective in their functions, and once they lack this required thickness, it is time to start thinking of replacing them without any delay.

Learn how you can identify their symptoms for any malfunctions and how to equally attend to these matters when they happen, and you will be glad you did. Bonjour.