What are the effects of thin brake pads?
2 Answers
Thin brake pads may cause damage to the brake discs. The most severe consequence could be brake failure. Potential issues caused by thin brake pads: Abnormal noises may occur when braking during normal driving; The pedal travel distance may become longer when braking during normal driving; It may cause damage to the brake discs; The most severe consequence could be brake failure. Service life of brake pads: The service life of front brake pads is approximately 20,000-40,000 kilometers, while rear brake pads last about 60,000-100,000 kilometers. Typically, a new set of brake pads is about 1.5cm thick. During use, as the calipers and pads wear down, the pads gradually become thinner. When the visible thickness reduces to about 0.5cm, the brake pads should be replaced immediately.
My old car recently had the issue of worn brake pads. The most noticeable symptom was the spongy feeling when braking, requiring me to press the pedal much earlier than usual. Once on a rainy day, I almost rear-ended another car and realized the braking distance had increased by at least 3-4 meters compared to when the car was new. I also kept hearing this annoying 'screeching' metal-on-metal sound, like nails on a chalkboard. During maintenance, when they took it apart, wow—the brake pads were only as thick as a coin! The metal backing had even exposed and gouged grooves into the brake disc, forcing me to replace both the discs and pads, costing me several hundred extra. My advice: if you hear unusual noises, get it checked immediately—don’t wait until it causes serious damage like I did.
