How many miles once "indicators" on pads start squealing?
How many miles once "indicators" on pads start squealing?
Author
Discussion

Somewhatfoolish

Original Poster:

5,104 posts

217 months

Thursday 5th September 2013
quotequote all
Am v. busy atm and on daily driver brake started squealing today, looked at it and (both front infact) pads are on the "indicators" that make the squealing noise (sorry I dunno what the actual term is but you know what I mean!).

Due to said busyness it's gonna be a hastle to get them changed (I am not reasonably in a position to change them myself) for at least a week - generally speaking how long - in terms of mileage - does a pad in this state last? I normally would have had the things changed way before this so this is the first time I have had such worn pads hence a reasonably naive question.

Not a big deal as I'll just switch car if there is danger with my driving this before I can get it in a garage but I have no idea what we are talking about with this... 10 miles? 100 miles? 1000 miles? 10000 miles?

Major Fallout

5,278 posts

262 months

Thursday 5th September 2013
quotequote all
Do you mean they are down to the metal? As in there is no more friction material left on the pads?

They should last for as long as the bonnet and front bumper do.

Birdster

2,548 posts

174 months

Thursday 5th September 2013
quotequote all
Are they grinding as well? If so then not very far.

Andurron

1,599 posts

168 months

Thursday 5th September 2013
quotequote all
When I got my Colt serviced, they said the brakes were down to 80% of acceptable level and they started squeaking shortly after. It depends on who you listen to really. The MOT garage didn't even put it as an advisory, some people in my local car spares shop say you could probably keep running it until they're down to the metal, but part of me is fairly on edge about the squeaking myself. If I had the cash I'd get some new ones in, but alas, poor graduate...

stug45

98 posts

166 months

Thursday 5th September 2013
quotequote all
The brass indicators.

Rear (on Honda could be 000s)

Front could be 250miles.

Depends on the car

TonyRPH

13,549 posts

199 months

Thursday 5th September 2013
quotequote all
Decisions, decisions...

My 'busy' life vs. safety.

It's a no brainer really.

OP, even if you have to use Kwik Fit, get them changed!

Also - surely they have been 'rumbling' for several weeks? I know my brakes make a rumbling sound when braking from 70+ when the pads are due for a change.


Andyjc86

1,149 posts

180 months

Thursday 5th September 2013
quotequote all
Use a mobile mechanic who will do it at your workplace.

Noisy

4,489 posts

308 months

Thursday 5th September 2013
quotequote all
Get them changed before they kill the disc's as well, local garage to your work? Honestly most brake pads don't much time to change, actually they will probably wait longer for the parts to arrive than doing the job.

Riley Blue

23,212 posts

257 months

Thursday 5th September 2013
quotequote all
Somewhatfoolish said:
AI normally would have had the things changed way before this so this is the first time I have had such worn pads hence a reasonably naive question.
Appropriate user name.

surveyor

18,705 posts

215 months

Thursday 5th September 2013
quotequote all
Currently awaiting replacement brake discs. I'm also not in a position to change them myself.

Car is parked up until they arrive (I've been told that one of them is disintegrating....

Easy choice really.

Captain Muppet

8,540 posts

296 months

Thursday 5th September 2013
quotequote all
WeirdNeville said:
Take five minutes out of your busy schedule to examine the pads through the wheels if possible/necessary and make a judgement call on it.
This is what I'd do. It depends on the brake and wheel design, but it's often easy enough.

If you can't see it then it takes ten minutes to whip a wheel off and have a proper look.

heners54

286 posts

170 months

Thursday 5th September 2013
quotequote all
Noisy said:
Get them changed before they kill the disc's as well
This, because they will ruin the discs quite quickly.

Ozzie Osmond

21,189 posts

277 months

Thursday 5th September 2013
quotequote all
This thread is strong with the power of PH myths about worn pads!

Birdster

2,548 posts

174 months

Thursday 5th September 2013
quotequote all
Ozzie Osmond said:
This thread is strong with the power of PH myths about worn pads!
Please enlighten us? I like to learn new information. Especially safety related.

V8RX7

28,982 posts

294 months

Thursday 5th September 2013
quotequote all
Obviously it varies.

Firstly in the depth of the indicator secondly how you drive.

Rallying 5 miles, motorway commute could be thousands.

But very basically pads are approx 10mm new and indicators are approx 2mm so you should be fine.

Just changed my wife's and she was down to the backing metal front and back.

I noticed the scoring on the rear disc - it was hard to tell from driving it - no noise, no grinding but she drives gently.

Engineer1

10,486 posts

240 months

Thursday 5th September 2013
quotequote all
Ozzie Osmond said:
This thread is strong with the power of PH myths about worn pads!
What that having your brakes fail is a good thing?
That the warning indicator is an exact thing?
That a bloke in a office miles away from the OP can tell him how many miles he can do without knowing his driving style, I'm not proud of this but I drove for weeks on badly worn discs and pads because the performance had degraded over time and I'd compensated I got the car to the garage and the discs and pads were fked.

Ozzie Osmond

21,189 posts

277 months

Thursday 5th September 2013
quotequote all
Engineer1 said:
Ozzie Osmond said:
This thread is strong with the power of PH myths about worn pads!
What that having your brakes fail is a good thing?
Where did you dig that one up from?? If you read the thread you'll find myths like,
  • You can tell when brake pads are wearing thin by a rumbling noise
  • The brake pad indicator will damage your discs
  • etc

TonyRPH

13,549 posts

199 months

Thursday 5th September 2013
quotequote all
Ozzie Osmond said:
Where did you dig that one up from?? If you read the thread you'll find myths like,
  • You can tell when brake pads are wearing thin by a rumbling noise
  • The brake pad indicator will damage your discs
  • etc
The rumbling sound was a comment by me - and indeed - in my own experience, rumbling from the front brakes is usually indicative of excessively thin pad material, and has been symptomatic across several cars that I've owned over the years.

Of course it can also mean warped disks, but more often than not, the warped disks can be caused by worn pads due to severe overheating.

So perhaps not as big a myth as you would think.


kiethton

14,668 posts

211 months

Thursday 5th September 2013
quotequote all
Had the fronts on my old Astra start squealing, had them changed for the MOT over 3,000 miles later. The Pads weren't down to metal even then.

Although I am very light on the brakes and it lived on the motorway (60k to a set of front pads, rears and all discs still origional when I sold it at over 90k miles).

Ozzie Osmond

21,189 posts

277 months

Thursday 5th September 2013
quotequote all
WeirdNeville said:
Nope. Not anywhere I can see in the thread.
Shoulda gone to specsavers,

TonyRPH said:
I know my brakes make a rumbling sound when braking from 70+ when the pads are due for a change.
Noisy said:
Get them changed before they kill the disc's as well.....
heners54 said:
This, because they will ruin the discs quite quickly.