If you’re paying close attention to your brake pads, you can start to notice when they’re getting a little worn down. And you might also notice that they’re not wearing perfectly evenly. Mostly that refers to each wheel having a slightly different wear pattern, but individual pads can also wear down more in some spots than in others. Cool Green Auto has more information for you.
They May Not Have Started Out Evenly in the First Place
As much as modern manufacturing makes products look the same, the truth is that there are still minor differences. And the brand-new brake pads you just bought might not have started out perfectly even. That can mean that they do even out over time, or they can stay uneven throughout the lifespan of the brake pad. There’s more than one variable contributing to wear patterns, as you’ll see in a bit.
Calipers Don’t Always Apply Even Pressure
Brakes are a hydraulic system, using brake fluid to apply additional pressure so that the calipers squeeze the brake pads onto the brake rotors. As much as that system works really well, there are variations each time the process is activated. Calipers don’t always apply exactly even pressure and there may be air bubbles in the line that affect hydraulic pressure, too. It’s another example of variations being part of how the whole process works.
Rotors Don’t Start Out Perfect, Either
Your car’s brake pads rub up against the rotors, and if the brake pads aren’t always perfect, guess what? Yup, the rotors aren’t always perfectly even, either. These individual differences are part of what accounts for products having estimates on their lifespans and those estimates not always being as accurate as the end-user would like.
And Rotors Wear Over Time
Over time, your rotors take even more of a beating, too. They corrode and they can even wear thinner in some areas than in others. That can contribute to your car’s brake pads wearing unevenly, too. Small changes can have big impacts, especially in something like your car’s brakes that you use often and that you expect to work properly when you need them the most.
If it’s past time for you to get your brake pads checked, let Cool Green Auto in Shepherdstown, WV help. We’ll inspect your brakes for you and let you know what we’ve found. From there, you’ll have an idea what your car’s brakes need and what it’ll take for you to be safe on the road.