Replacing your Brake Pads - Shoes

On disk brakes on a vehicle, the pads rub against the brake rotors. A brake pad consists of a friction material area about a half inch thick.  The friction material and the backing plate are permanently bonded together to forma brake pad. Two brake pads are used per wheel. The friction material is made of a softer material that rubs against the hard metal rotor create the friction that stops the car.  Most brake pads manufactured today contain a small amount of tiny metal particles within the friction material and ultimately last longer.  Every time the brake pads are used a small amount of the friction material is warn off.  The more you use your brakes, the more your pads will wear down and eventually wear out. 

Replacing your Pads & Shoes
Since brake pads are designed to wear out, they are designed to be replaced relatively easy.  During the time you own your car, you will most likely have to replace either your brake pads or shoes as some point.  The best time to replace the pads is just before all the friction material is worn off. If pads are left on the vehicle until there is no friction material left, the metal backing plate will grind into the rotar and quickly destroy it. This will add a significant amount on your repair bill so you do NOT want to wait!