Brake Repair - Things To Look Out For

One of the indicators that there is something wrong with your brakes can include your car pulling to one side when the brakes are applied. Your car pulling can indicate several different problems, however and braking is just one of them. This is why it’s important to have a certified auto mechanic look at your car to diagnose your problem correctly. A pulling car can indicate an alignment that needs to be adjusted or it can even be something as easy as your tires are low on air pressure or filled unevenly. However if it’s a braking problem, your mechanic will see signs of a worn rotor, thin brake pads or scoring on the rotor that has led to your car pulling.

Another indicator that you need brake repair can be your car’s slow reaction to stop. If you are putting your pedal to the metal to stop and your car is still slow to stop you may need new brake pads. Brake pads should ideally be about 10-12 mm thick when they are new and they can last a long time. By the time your brake pads hit the 3-4 mm thickness it is time to have new ones installed or risk further wear and tear on your brake system.

As the remaining pad wears down more, you will begin to hear the sound of metal on metal when you apply or release your brakes. This sound is your bare brake padding, now 2mm or less coming in direct contact with your brake rotors. This means you have almost no braking power left and driving on wet, icy or hilly conditions could leave you with no stopping power.

Another indicator you need brake repair includes brakes that grab when applied. This can indicate that your rotor was scored improperly and needs to be replaced.

Other than brake pads, other parts of your brake that may need to be replaced or maintained include your rotors. Your rotors usually have quite a long life span but how often they need to be replaced depends on a variety of factors including your driving habits, the type of car you drive, where you drive and the quality of rotors themselves. Rotors can be shaved down or “turned” so the metal is once again as smooth as new and you can get some more life out of them. Once they have been shaved down as much as they can however your next brake repair job will likely be to replace the rotors.

These tips should help you figure out when you need to replace your brakes and when you may be able to maintain and repair what you’ve got for a little while longer at least.