Brake Wear & Tear

BRAKE WEAR & TEAR

How brakes wear differently

Different driving patterns have a dramatic effect on how often your brakes need servicing. Pads on a car that drives mainly on a motorway for example could last upto 60,000 miles whereas a City driven vehicle could find that the pads will last for just 20,000 or 30,000 miles on the same car.

Front brakes tend to wear out before rear brakes because they handle a higher percentage of the braking load.

It is advisable that brake pads should be replaced if the pad friction material has worn down to a thickness of around 3 millimeters. Brake disc thickness should be measured and replaced if they measure at or below the manufacturer’s safe minimum thickness specification.

Replacing one brake disc or drum could cause an imbalanced braking performance that could lead to further premature wear. Trojan recommend that brake discs or drums are replaced in axle sets.

Brake Bedding In

Following the installation of new parts, it’s vital that you drive gently and take great care until they ‘bed in’. Bedding in usually takes place around 200 miles. If you brake excessively before this time then you run the risk of damaging the parts and braking efficiency/performance could be seriously affected.