What is the Standard Thickness of Car Disc Brake Pads? Let's Find Out Here!
All car owners must know the standard thickness of the front brake pads because brake pads are one of the most important components in the braking system. The brake pads function to press the disc rotor so that the rotor's rotation can be stopped. If the brake pads are worn out, it is certain that the car cannot be stopped safely and in time when braking. By knowing the standard thickness of the brake pads, car owners can anticipate wear early on.
Instead of being curious about the thickness standard, let's directly look at the following review.
What is the Standard Thickness of Car Disc Brake Pads?
What is the standard thickness of car disc brake pads? This question is often asked by most car owners. This is because brake pads play a significant role in a car's braking. So what is the correct standard thickness for car disc brake pads?
The front brake pads of a car usually have a standard thickness of about 9 millimeters when new. Meanwhile, to find out the thickness of the rear brake pads, car owners need to disassemble that part to know. However, usually, the thickness of new rear brake pads has a standard value of 6 millimeters.
When Should Car Disc Brake Pads Be Replaced?
After you know the standard thickness value of car disc brake pads, the next step is to know when that component should be replaced. To ensure the braking system functions optimally, car owners must periodically replace the disc brake pads.
For the front brake pads, it is recommended to replace them when the car has traveled 80,000 kilometers. This also applies to multiples of 80,000. In addition to looking at the car's mileage, the replacement of the front brake pads can also be done by paying attention to their thickness. If the thickness of the brake pads has reached 3 millimeters, then you as the car owner must replace the component. Meanwhile, for the front brake pads, replacement can be done when the thickness has reached 2 millimeters.
Replacement of brake pads can also be done if the car starts to show signs and symptoms such as the following.
- The brake pedal vibrates when pressed
- The car squeaks when braking
- The brake pedal feels deep when used
- The brake fluid volume decreases drastically
- The grip is less than optimal during braking or the brakes are less effective
How to Check the Thickness of Car Disc Brake Pads
Here are some methods you can follow when checking the thickness of car disc brake pads.
1. Disassemble the wheel
Disassembling the wheel is the first step you should take when checking the thickness of car disc brake pads. The complete steps for disassembling the wheel are as follows.
- Loosen the nuts on the car wheel in a crisscross pattern.
- After the nuts are loosened, use a jack at the bottom of the chassis on the side of the wheel to be removed. Make sure you jack up the car on a flat surface to ensure safety during the repair process. Don't forget to use a jack stand for extra safety.
- Next, continue to loosen the nuts on the wheel so that the wheel can be removed.
2. Remove the bolts on the caliper
The second step, you can remove all the bolts attached to the caliper. This is necessary to facilitate the disassembly of the brake pads.
3. Check the thickness of the brake pads
The third step, check the thickness and flatness of the brake pads. For braking systems that use disc brakes, the minimum thickness threshold for brake pads is 2 millimeters. Meanwhile, for braking systems that use drums, the minimum thickness threshold for brake pads with drums is 1 millimeter.
These are the steps for checking the thickness of brake pads that you can follow. When your car's brake pads start to wear out, you can replace the components at an official Daihatsu workshop to ensure the authenticity of the installed components.
