Did You Know

Quick Tips

The power generated by the braking system of even a modest family car can exceed 500bhp (375kW), outstripping the engine output of virtually everything on the road.

Modern braking components need exceptional wear resistance, heat resistance and of course exceptional stopping capabilities because, under extreme conditions, their operating temperatures can average over 350 Celsius and peak at up to 700º Celsius.

In race use, 400 to 600º C is common on smaller cars. In touring cars and larger race cars temperatures shoot up to 800 - 900º C where the discs will glow red or orange.

Disc Brake Pads for a Formula 1 car cost 18000 Rs apiece, and during the course of racing and testing, a team will use around 1000 of them each season. That makes for an annual bill of Rs 1,80,00,000 for pads alone. Then there are the rotors, calipers, fluids and other components before you even start considering the things that make a cargo rather than stopping.

Indicator

The sound the brakes make when applied is a way to tell it is time for replacement.

Brake pads come equipped with a pad wear sensor. This metal tab rubs against the brake rotor when the actual pad wears out too thin. This is usually about 4mm from its mounting outboard.

The sensor will emit squealing sound, letting you know is time to replace it !!

Check

Don’t wait for the wear pad sensor to squeal as it may damage the brake rotor if the brake pads are not replaced immediately.

Most vehicle owners who drive within the city in moderate traffic should inspect their brake pads for wear after a year or at least every 20,000 Kms whichever is earlier.

However, if you drive mostly in heavy traffic, with frequent stops, this should be done every nine months or even sooner.

How It Works

When you apply the brakes on your vehicle while driving, lining on the brake pads wears.

As you release the brake pedal, you are actually operating the master cylinder and brake booster. This cylinder contains a set of pistons that build pressure on the brake fluid. Booster actually helps multiply this pressure on the fluid inside the brake lines.

These lines transmit this pressure to the brake caliper and pads on the wheel assemblies. When the caliper pushes the brake pads against the rotor, the friction produced slows or stops the vehicle.

The Shift 

From pre dominantly Asbestos based lining material, brake pads are shifting to organic or semi metallic material.

This along with being Eco-friendly is highly resistant to heat, which make it very useful on fleet vehicles used on delivery routes that require very frequent stops.

Caution

While replacing brake pads, make sure to wear proper gear with mask so as not to expose yourself to inhaling brake dust. In case the earlier brake pad is Asbestos based, this dust can be carcinogenic.

According to research reports, older brake pads are made of asbestos, which is known to cause cancer if inhaled in large quantities. Clean as much friction dust from the assemblies using brake parts cleaner before changing the pads.