Front Brake Pad Replacement

When you hit the brake pedal, the brake pads squeeze the rotors within your wheels, using friction and pressure to gradually bring them to a stop. Of course, this friction creates significant wear and tear on your brake pads over time, causing them to wear down and lose their efficiency. The front brakes take the brunt of the force, even on vehicles with all-wheel or four-wheel drive, so you’ll need front brake pad replacements more often than rear ones.

To complete a front brake pad replacement, your technician will simply need to remove the existing brake pads and replace them with new ones. There is no need to replace both the front and rear brake pads at the same time, so it is perfectly fine to change them only as needed. However, it is best not to delay in completing this service, as low brake pads create excess wear on the rotors.

In general, it is much more costly to replace the rotors, so you’ll want to minimize the amount of damage to them. If you change your brake pads before you get to the point where they are grinding against the rotors, you’ll likely be able to have the rotors resurfaced instead of replaced. The more you can prolong the life of your rotors, the more money you can save in the long run, so stay on top of those brake pad replacements as much as possible!

Overall, you should expect the service to take about an hour, so you can wait at the dealership or service center while the technician works. While they are at it, it is a good idea to have them complete a vehicle inspection as well. This generally includes checking all of your vehicle’s major components to look for any wear or damage. This way, you’ll have a general sense of what repairs or maintenance to expect in the coming months, making it easier to budget for the repairs.