Are your brakes grinding or squeaking? – Do you need to budget for a brake pad replacement cost? Let us guide you with how much you can expect to pay!
If you have grinding or squeaking brakes, it is time for a brake replacement. While grinding or squeaking noises are obnoxious, your brake pad replacement cost is relatively inexpensive, compared to more involved vehicle repairs.
A brake pad replacement is one of many repairs needed, every vehicle that you will keep for any length of time, repairs that will become inevitable as the vehicle ages.
So, for your safety, you will need to determine what you are prepared to spend on such repairs as your brakes. You will also need to save to complete such work, while not creating other problems if you ignore your grinding brakes.
A brake pad replacement cost is typically $150 per axle, and can $100 per axle, and upwards of approximately $300 per axle.
What is a Car Brake and What is a Rotor?
A brake is a mechanical system that modifies movement by absorbing energy from a moving object.
When talking about braking; when you brake, or you are describing the function of the brake allowing for stopping or slowing down a car or vehicle.
A rotor is a brake disk that connects to the wheel of the vehicle, when a vehicle is equipped with a disc brake system, the brake pad will press against the rotor.
The friction allows the vehicle to slow down or stop. Meaning; for a brake pad, you need to maintain a healthy thickness of pad to accommodate an average amount of stopping or slowing that a driver does in a vehicle.
Therefore, if you allow your brake pads to wear out( or what you hear when your brakes grind or squeak when slowing down or stopping), you risk damaging your rotors.
The Four Types of Car Brakes
Brakes are crucial safety features on any vehicle. As such knowing about the different types of brakes will help you better understand its importance and to inspect and use a safe brake system for your vehicle.
You can become informed when it gets to the time of knowing what it may cost to perform brake pad replacements. Read on and learn the four different types of brakes.
Disc Brakes
Disc brakes utilize a brake rotor that is connected to the wheel directly. By using hydraulic pressure provided from the master cylinder, a caliper will tighten the brake pads against both sides of the rotor.
When you apply pressure on your brake, it is the friction between the rotor and pads which slows and stops your vehicle.
Drum Brakes
Drum brakes utilize a brake drum which is connected to the inner side of a wheel. As the pedal is pressed, hydraulic pressure is applied to two brake shoes, which in turn apply pressure against the brake drum.
This builds friction which slows and stops a vehicle.
Emergency Brakes
Emergency brakes or parking brakes are the secondary brake system of your vehicle; also known as your hand brake. The emergency brake system operates separately from your service brake. You typically do not use your emergency brake in the same manner as your brake system.
In terms of emergency brakes, even though there are many different types and configurations, in general all emergency brakes have some type of cable system, that mechanically apply forces to the wheels of your vehicle.
When you apply your emergency brake, you are trying to maintain a resting, or in other words stationary position from your vehicle from rolling backwards. For example; many times, it is a good practice to engage your emergency brake on hilly or inclined surfaces.
Anti-Lock Brakes
Anti-lock braking systems are commonly called ABS brakes. This kind of brake type can be found on most new vehicles. Basically, if you applied your brake suddenly with your vehicle at rest, your ABS works to prevent your wheels from being locked up and your tires from skidding.
The computer brakes are somewhat useful with minor tweaks in emergency braking on wet, slippery or snowy surfaces.
To understand what goes into price for a brake job it can be useful to think in terms of disc brakes.
How Much Should It Cost To Replace Brake Pads And Rotors?
Your wheels are connected to a round, smooth steel disc called the rotor. Your caliper clamps over the rotor.
When you press the brake pedal, hydraulic pressure forces your brake pads against the rotor. The brake pads push against the rotor creating friction, which slows and stops your vehicle.
The pads wear due to friction and physics. When you apply the brakes, the weight of your vehicle shifts forward so the vehicle’s front brakes wear quicker; front brakes can wear up to twice as fast as the car’s rear brakes.
Many drivers have no problem with their rear brakes and are faced with having to do a brake job on the front axle. This is the reason for why you will have to do four wheel brake job.
For this reason we are going to consider a normal price for a front brake job and brake pads, the hardware that is supposed to be replaced with the brake pads, and the brakes rotors.
factors that affect your brake pads and rotor replacement cost:
- What type of vehicle do you have? Are you driving a SUV or pickup truck? Your brake pads on a vehicle like a Dodge Ram 3500 Cummins will cost a bit more, than the brake pads for a Ford Fiesta. The heavier the vehicle, the more the cost of your brake pad and rotor replacement.
- What is the grand name of your vehicle? When you discuss replacing the brakes and rotors of a Mercedes, BMW, a Jaguar or an Audi, that is more in cost compared to American counterpart vehicles.
- What brand of brake pads do you want and what material do you want? The quality of your parts, will affect the price of your bake pad and rotor work.
- What kind of driver are you? If you have a nickname like “Daily Driver with the Lead Foot”, chances are, you are doing a brake pad and rotor job more often than someone who does not drive as much as you do.
So, as far as your original question of cost…
So, how much will it cost for brake pads? Well, on an average vehicle, the average cost of the front brake pads are approximately $50.
And the cost of front rotors will be approximately $50 each. So your total will cost approximately $150, give or take a few dollars.
If you are having a professional replace your brakes, keep in mind there will be extra costs on top of that. For example, you will have to pay the professional for labor. That can sometimes double the cost of your entire job.
And don’t forget about parts markup too! UGH. Therefore, considering all, doing the job yourself may end up saving anywhere from two to three times your money at a repair shop.
But at least you get a warranty on repairs done at a professional repair shop.
If you are short on cash, then doing it yourself makes sense. You could even find someone who used to work at a dealership and now is retired but still loves repairing cars!
How often should you replace brake pads?
A good thumb rule to follow is that after you have driven at least 50,000 miles, you should replace your brake pads.
Although, you could find that you need to change them after driving 25,000 miles on them. Some pads can last up to 70,000 miles.
It is best to look at your replacement needs based on the many factors we talk about in this article. So, when you see these things, you will know it is time to change your brake pads:
- Brake pads are thin. You will want to make sure to check your brake pads regularly. You will want to check them, if you were said, a delivery driver, who drove constantly. One of the best ways to get auto maintenance on them, is to get your mechanic to do it at least each time you go in for a tire rotation.
- You are hearing that squealing or even once you are hearing and “feeling” grinding. Once your vehicle makes noises similar to that of a piglet, or you can hear “chug chug” from your slowing down and stopping, it’s time for a new brake pad. If you do not do this, your vehicle can damage the rotors. This can result in more repair costs.
- Another indicator is your braking is “jittery.” When you start to experience this with your braking, you may have warped rotors.
Can I Change My Own Brake Pads?
In today’s modern technological society, what appears to be a hard and confusing job, it can actually be a simple task and one you will be able to do as well!
In fact, there is a YouTube for just about everything that you may need to do in today’s world! One “YouTuber” actually offers a “complete guide” for how to change brake pads and rotors.
Considering how simple of a task it is, we encourage you to everybody who wants to learn about auto maintenance and save money doing your own repairs, learn how to do the brake pads and rotor work.
Because you know just what we know, that once you do something once, and get better and more confident over time with tinkering with your car!ing yourself, you can end up saving yourself hundreds of dollars!
” I think I might try and change my own brake pads and rotors after all! What kind of tools will I need to use?”
Generally speaking we would recommend you have the following handy and ready go to do your own brake and rotor replacement:
- Lug wrench
- Jack and jack stands
- A bungee cord, really big tie, or tough string
- A C-clamp or piece of wood that will retract the piston
- Turkey baster or tool to draw out the brake fluid
- Disposable mechanic gloves – these will protect your hands and keep them clean
- Wrench – remember to pick your specific socket, you can also use an open end wrench or adjustable wrench for this as well!
- We found another YouTube-er with information on the tools needed to replace your brake pads in the hyperlink above!
- For any questions or concern you may want to see a mechanic and ask how they do it.
You should plan on taking about an 1 hour to 1 1/2 hours to do this.
Can I Just Replace Brake Pads, Not Rotors?
Great question. It depends. You do not need to replace the rotors every time you need to replace the brakes.
Several car manufacturers, even some after-market auto parts companies recommend replacing the brake pads themselves, without having to replace or resurface the rotors.
If you are going to skip the rotors, make sure they are measured thicker than the minimum thickness, as well as spin and not warped.
How long do rotors last?
Generally speaking, rotors can last anywhere from 30,000-70,000 miles. If you fall into the light driver and or lucky category if may be above that!
But at the end of the day, rotors will last as long as the driving style, weight of the vehicle and then quality of brake parts and overall brake system.
Please take care of your brakes!
We are all guilty as drivers of not thinking about brakes until we hear sounds or start feeling things in our cars, as we drive.
To help preserve your brakes, you can view the following:
- Eco-Driving: Meaning, driving to preserve your car, everyone has their reasons as to why they need to make a trip in their car, but being conscious about the miles can help preserve your brakes and car.
- Light-footed driver the opposite of a heavy-footed driver: therefore, a heavy-footed driver typically pays for a lot more brake jobs then the alternative, so if you are one of those lead-foot drivers, I mean no harm just “lighten up” a little!
- Load: If you are a pickup driver or delivery driver, consider how much weight you sustain in your car in a week. If you are spending a lot of money on brake jobs consider changing some of that spending into money in your pocket with regards to your deliveries, not brake jobs!
- Routine Maintenance: I think we all understand that when we take care of our cars they “take care of us”, from oil changes, to tire rotations, we have to invest in our cars. Don’t forget to ever so often inspect your pads and other car parts to care for your car so it can be your dependable machine!