How To quickly Check Your Brake Pads and Rotors - Don't Waste $$ Changing them Too Soon!!

This was very helpful ! Thank you

Isn't that what the wear noise indicator is for?

That wasn't quick...

👍

Good info. I didn’t know we can inspect our own brake this way. Usually, when I have my tires balance and rotate, Les Schwab check my brake too or at least I think they did cause my invoice always have information regarding the brake.

Thanks

What about brake pulsing? Wondering if my rotors are warped. Rotated the tires and got a little better but still there.

Ya want to know how many times I've truly needed to change a rotor? Once, when pads went to the rivets for a week of use. That was 30 years ago. Been maintaining my own cars for 34 years and owned 40+ used cars and trucks from mini economy cars to 1 ton trucks. Never replaced a rotor other than that one time. Only had 2 times that calipers needed replacing. Unless you're racing vehicles or running commercial heavy trucks, brake components rarely need replacing.

I change one pad at a time when they're down to about 3mm.

Nice video.

good video.

Great content! I run Brembos on my Challenger Scat, it's coming up on the 2 year time frame, I will check them in the spring when I take it back out of storage. You can access them pretty good from the outside with the OEM rims.

Thank you. I'd been recommended to change all four rotors and pads, and this would have been okay, as I knew the job must be pending but I did further research and ended up just taking the whole wheel off for a good look, as you showed. And this gave me a much better view. A neighbour helped me check first, as you showed. I've just done fronts for now and I'm more confident in checking periodically. Your editing skills raised the quality and value for me. You've affirmed belief that I can monitor pads more closely and finesse those last few mm. I noticed the fore part of the pad can be thinner than the aft (rear) part. Thanks again.

I have a 2009 Honda Fit with 143,000 miles on it and I have never changed my brake pads. The rotors are in good shape and the front pads are at 4mm. There is no squealing or vibration when I brake. Should I change the pads and rotors or just the pads?

Rotor'ed get hot as hell on one side. Not good. Also it is a Chryster!

Friggin great video, man! I'm a newbie to this DIY car stuff and this info really helps. Thanks! Mahalo!

Great video. It's a car dealership which is most likely to screw you on any repair. I speak from experience!

Very helpful video..thanks

Here in Maine the roads are paved with salt for 5 months. The rotors build up with rust on the inner face long before the pads are worn out. Braking is still fine but you begin to hear a grumbling sound, and feel it, when braking. Seems the outer surface always looks fine. I am always shocked when I see how bad the inside looks. Just replaced front pads and rotors on my Equinox, Rock Auto had a good quality rebuild kit (Raybestos)for $150. Just needed a tube of brake grease and some fluid film from local parts store. Took about 2 hours total working on the floor, no lift. I'm 75+ and have done many brake replacements, both front and rear, over the years. Did the Equinox rear with the electric parking brake last year with no problems.

Americans call them disc brakes but then call the discs rotors.....why?

I had my rotors Resurfaced and new brake pads put on in 2022. Recently on my 2012 F-150 Lariat, I am hearing a squeaky noise when I am backing up and on the brake. What should I do? I try brake cleaner, but I still hear the noise.

Can you recommend what type of pads to purchase. Not sure if they are made of the same material or if some are better than others. Appreciate your recommendation!! :)

pointless just use your finger

Some of those shady break guys will put the new pads on then squeeze the squeaker so it starts making noise sooner. Then they’ll say you need a new caliper. But not both. They’ll then use that same trick again for the other side. That way they roped you into 3 break jobs a 2 caliber replacements. If you haven’t caught on then it’s a repeat but it the rotors. Once again only one at a time so your constantly waiting money.

Got 138km out of the rear, maybe 3mm left. I changed them ,one slide pin was seized so it pays to check them.

Très belle démonstration

This was an awesome quick video. Helped me do my brakes today rather than paying $3-400 for the front brakes.

how do you check drum brakes?

I thought this was supposed to be quick. So take your wheels off and look at them.

My father was deceived by mechanic. He told him he needs new brake pads but they were almost new.

Remove the bloody wheen

Great vid, I started doing fixes myself on my girlfriends vehicle an she hasn’t had her brakes changed once an it’s sitting at 104km driven. I’m about to take the wheel off an see how bad the damage is. Thanks

Great video, I have never heard an explanation like this! Thank you

Thank You , for sharing your Knowledge ...

New subscriber 🔥🔥🔥

My husband overseas knows cars, I asked him how I can check my brakes, his exact response "Check the pads". Im like WTF... Thank you Budget mechanic, I can now check and manage my brakes without his lack of assistance 👍😃

I been driving on the same brake pads for the last 60,000 miles 🙃 I think I’ve gotten away with it though because I drive a lot of highway miles and I never slam on the brakes; in fact, I barely press on them. I’m changing them this week though because I finally heard some squeaking.

Helpful, Thanks for taking the time to put it out.

went to a local car shop and was told my brakes need to be replaced and that they were supposedly around 3mm. I was rebalancing my tires and just wanted to double check the brake pads and they were at 7mm.. I will never trust another mechanic again. I'll check stuff myself at this point.

What you said about heat at the end convinced me to buy new rotors. My rotors do not look at all like yours. The top edge is pimpled from rust.

Could you sand those top edges or do they even matter? They aren't flaking just rusted and look rough.

Simple and to the point, top notch shit thank you

I'm a professional mechanic going on 48 years of experience. I've worked on everything from lawnmowers and generators to Abrams M1 tanks; from 5,000-gallon tankers to motorcycles, and from go-karts to police cars. I initially gave your video a thumbs up, but I changed it to a thumbs down.

I agree with your advice, although you failed to explain why one side wore faster than the other. However, that's a different subject. The problem is that you did not use jack stands while working on the car, and I'm guessing that you didn't bother to chock the wheels either. This is a MAJOR safety issue that I cannot overlook. If I'm wrong, please correct me. Best wishes.

In New England I find that pads and rotors go bad quicker due to the rust. Slide pins get stuck, the pads get stuck in the brackets, the calipers seize, the rotors get nice big rust rings/lips, etc! Customers sometimes complain about having just replaced their brakes the previous year and only did 10k miles and not their brakes are bad again?! This can happen! The best kept cars are garaged, people who are easy on their brakes, people who don't let their cars sit too long, etc.


Didn't think I would like this video, but you literally said everything I tell customers! Liked!

nice vid, only thing u missed was retracting the piston and making sure the slide pins move freely.

If you can do the brake yourself, delaying a few months would not really save you anything.

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He should of had a jack stand under the car before he messed with the brakes.