In last week’s post, we discussed the importance of properly maintaining your brake pads. For this post, we will be discussing the Top 5 ways to ensure a long lifespan for your brake pads.

1.) Speed

The mortal enemy of all brake pads, speeding and coming to a quick stop at a red light, or sign, can hurt your pads more than you believe. Why? Let’s say you’re hitting 65 mph, and come to an immediate halt. Having done this, you’ve allowed your brakes to use a third, or more, of its energy than you would’ve going 10 miles less, or more, than you were travelling. A little less speed means a lot less energy used, which can, in the long run, preserve the life of your brakes.

2.) Keep right!

What does that mean? This means that you should only use your right foot for your brake pedal. Doing so will help you avoid pushing on both pads, and it’ll be a lot easier to combat the urge to make unnecessary brake taps.

3.) Coasting along

Doing this kind of ties in with our first tip. How? Surprisingly, coasting proves to be an easy way to get rid of a lot of brake-killing speed. Here’s an example: Let’s say you’re driving at 65 mph out on the road, and you see a freeway off-ramp that you’ll have to stop at. If you coast from that 65 to 45 and then hit your brakes, you’ll have actually reduced the amount of brake wear that the pad would’ve taken otherwise.

4.) Memorization is key.

If you can take into account the areas of your route where other drivers are likely to improperly slow down, then you can learn to either anticipate their rough driving habits, or you can avoid it all together by switching to a different lane, or route. Ultimately, this just saves you, and your brakes in the long run.

5.) Keep the weight off!

This isn’t a slam against you. Basically, you’ll want to keep any kind of unnecessary cargo out of your vehicle if you’re travelling anywhere. The weight of whatever stuff you may have aboard your vehicle can add some pounds to your car, which will put a lot more pressure on your brakes, tires, etc. than they really need.

 

Not quite sure how to maintain your brake pads? Leave it to the pros! Our Payne Auto Service Department can help you get the most out of your brake pads. Contact us to schedule a service appointment, or simply stop by and view our wide selection of inventory.