Front brake pads wearing thin

[geek84]

Good Morning Folks

I have a 2011 Seat Ibiza and at the last MOT test in February, the report advised that the front brake pads are wearing thin.

I haven't had them changed as yet, but do you think I should get them changed asap, or wait a bit longer and hope they last for another 12 months when i will get them changed in time for the next MOT test?

Is there a way of checking how thin they are and if it I need to get them changed asap?

Thanks in advance for your responses.

 

[Mikefromlondon]

They could be down to 3mm, or even 2mm, when you should really get them changed, how many miles you cover in a year and how heavy brakes you apply all contributes to higher wear, so be safe, get them changed if you were advised in your last MOT.

You could also screw up your discs if the friction material wears right down to bare metal, then it is going to cost you even more for what they are worth.

 

[amfisted]

If you were advised back in February and you do anything like average mileage, then you need to get them done right away. Its not worth taking any chances with brakes, but do shop around for a price first. Local independents are probably best rather than fast fit, though some will argue with that view.

Alternatively, if you have a pal who can do mechanical work and who will lend you his or her expertise for an hour or so and change the pads in return for tea and biscuits, the job should cost you not much more than nowt.

 

[Burnerman]

It could be time for new discs by now.....worth a good inspection.
John

 

[mointainwalker]

I'm not certain if it is general, however my Vectra handbook calls for new discs for every two sets of pads. If you are on your second set - and have similar recommendation in your handbook - then metal to metal may be no problem at all ( my personal opinion ). The huge disincentive for this is that you would then need to change your discs immediately and this could be a big problem if you need the car every day.

 

[Burnerman]

I'm often changing discs long before the pads are due.....even on 64 plate cars with reasonable mileage!
John

 

[amfisted]

Yes, and another factor to throw into the mix is that if you fit new pads, run on them with the old discs for a few thousand miles or more and then discover that the discs need doing as well, you will need to fit not only new discs but another set of pads, because your first set of replacement pads will by then have bedded to the profile of the old discs.

 

[mointainwalker]

Thanks for your reply , John. I actually live up a mountain - 3,000 ft vertical over 10 miles to get down to the valley - and am aware that my comments may not be well regarded by everyone, but equally I am not talking about situations that I do not know from experience. From memory (!) my handbook suggests a minimum of 4 mm of friction material on the pad before replacement and I sometimes adhere to that when my discs are on their first set of pads, but will not on their second set as possible pad-scoring is no longer a major worry.

The reason I do this is a mixture of desire to save costs ( say 60% ) and the remaining 40% to say wastage ( as I see it ) because, having spent my professional life selling to car manufacturers at the engineer level, I believe i have some feeling for what is necessary as opposed to what the companies tell their customers. My current journies are are rather short ( in this particular car ) max 100 m round-trip, so any potential risk has a certain limitation.

 

[mointainwalker]

I would perhaps like to add to my previous post that my personal opinion is that manufacturers in all areas- be it electrical, building, mechanical - are adding ever greater safety-margins to products so that you will soon be enjoined to replace the product after the first usage " for safety reasons "

 

[Mikefromlondon]

agree, and it doesn't always impact safety, it is a case by case thing, on the discs, if they are excessively grooved then you should change them for new, grooved discs don't necessarily means inefficient braking, it would still pass MOT except it would accelerate pad wear. A tyre on the other hand worn below markers can impact on safety in wet conditions especially when there is lot of water on roads, in dry that tyre would have no impact on safety. But we all have to stay within the limits of recommendations and the law.

 

[DaveHerns]

Metal to metal does matter because it will affect the car's stopping ability. Plus if you have an accident the Police may prosecute and your insurance may be invalidated if they find you knew your brakes were worn and didn't follow up on it .An advisory on a MOT is not a guarantee it is safe till the next MOT. A set of pads for a Seat Ibiza isn't going to cost much. Do it now and you might save the cost of new discs. I'm not going to ask if the car ever gets a service....

 

[Mikefromlondon]

Of course metal to metal does matters, no one advocated that one can continue to drive cars with pads worn right down to metal, most modern cars have so called pad wear warning lights, my 15 year old car has a pad warning light, though I have never seen it actually come on, as I change my pads when they are around 3mm from metal, so when you get a light on your dash, you need to get your pads seen to as soon as practical, that means you don't rush to a garage on your way from a weekend out, different cars have different limits, 2 to 3 mm is what I would consider as time to must change now, even when manufacturer's may specify a lower or a different figure.

a worn disc can also mean hairline cracks on disc, disc run out, i.e. the thickness of disc forming a ridge, and excessive grooving, minor grooving is all very common, uneven wear due pads not pushing evenly and so on, on my car pads were only making a part contact and half of my disc was rusty, it still passed MOT and braking efficiency was within limits or else it would have failed, along with brake balance.

One should change brakes when advised to do so especially by an MOT tester.

 

[Burnerman]

It's curious that often enough, the outer face of the disc can look absolutely fine - yet the inner can be as corroded as hell particularly towards the centre.
I've yet to find a cracked ventilated disc but have replaced several plain front ones that have cracked......apparently this happens when the driver has a tendency to keep the brake pedal pressed instead of using the handbrake.
It's still common enough to find the disc pad delaminating though, even on vehicles only a couple of years old so it's worth checking them.
Once the pads and discs have been replaced you realise how progressive and smooth brakes can be!
John
PS when in that area, crack the bleed nipples open - and then plaster them with grease to keep them that way.

 

[Mikefromlondon]

Good tips there John, with nipples greased up to stop them seizing and when needed to bleed they break.
I have had my discs inner face half in contact with pads and outer half absolutely rusty, I replaced both discs and new pads it made a hell of difference to breaks, just a light tap on brakes and you could feel the reaction, whereas before you would have to step on them to feel any reaction, though each time the car has been passing through brake test on rollers. I don't think roller testing is like real drive testing.

 

[DaveHerns]

That's because the MOT pass level for brakes is very low. Easily the difference between crashing or not crashing. I'm as tight as a duck's ar5e but I wouldn't skimp on brakes.