PowerStop Brake Pad Options

Both brake pads and rotors are sold in pairs for both the front and rear wheels. You have the option to replace the brake pads for either the front or rear wheels together or separately.

It’s important to note that the front and rear brake pads wear down at different rates. The front pads tend to wear out faster since they bear the brunt of the work, necessitating more frequent replacement.

To optimize your vehicle’s braking performance, it’s recommended to replace all four sets of pads simultaneously. The brakes are one of the most critical safety features of any car or truck after the driver, so it’s crucial to maintain them in top condition.

Uneven wear of brake pads can not only be frustrating but also compromise your vehicle’s stopping ability and lead to premature replacements. It’s not advisable to replace the brake pads on only one side, even if it’s tempting since only one side has worn down. This will result in further uneven wear and potentially hazardous situations. When replacing your brake pads, it’s usually recommended to replace either both front or both rear brake pads at the same time.

Installing your own brakes for the first time is quick, easy, and cost-effective – but it’s important to make sure the job is done right.

PowerStop proudly offers a variety of How-To Guides and helpful tips to help install your PowerStop Brake Kit. Hopefully, these resources will alleviate any concerns and empower you to take on these jobs yourself!

If your brake rotors are not damaged or thinned to the point where they should be discarded, it is okay to replace only the worn brake pads.

However, even if some parts (like old clips) look like they’re still in decent condition, you should replace them with new hardware when you change your brakes. When clips are bad, the pads may shift, creating uneven braking surfaces. This can impair your vehicle’s ability to stop and cause wear on every part of the braking system.

While it is “Ok” to only replace brake pads, replacing both pads and rotors together is important to ensure maximum performance of the braking system. Replacing both pads & rotors together leads to more long-lasting performance and allows the pads to create an initial layer of friction on the rotors to provide more powerful and even stopping power. PowerStop proudly offers complete, full brake kits for nearly every vehicle on the road today.

Stopping a vehicle requires significant effort; it relies upon the conversion of kinetic energy and creates substantial heat. The brake pads are the primary component responsible for this action.

If your brake pads are wearing out faster than expected or before their intended interval, there may be underlying issues at play.

A number of factors can contribute to premature brake pad wear, including:

• Bad slide pins
• Brake fluid fade
• Misaligned wheels
• Bad calipers
• Bad/failing rotors
• Sudden braking
• Braking at high speeds
• Excess load on wheels

To determine whether your front or rear brakes are experiencing problems, you can perform a simple test:

1. While driving, apply the brakes slowly and listen for any unusual sounds.
2. Repeat the previous step, but this time engage the emergency brake.
3. If you hear noise while applying the brakes normally, it’s likely that the issue is with your front brakes. On the other hand, if you hear noise while using the emergency brake, it’s probably the rear brakes that are causing the problem.

When it comes to replacing your brake pads, it’s always best to replace them uniformly. Even though the front brakes may experience more stress, their design ensures that they wear down at the same rate as the rear brakes. By replacing all of your brakes, you can avoid hidden issues that may be present on only one side. This also simplifies your maintenance schedule.

Technically, you can drive on worn brake pads, but should you? Absolutely not–especially if they are unevenly or excessively worn. Driving on brake pads that need changing can lead to a number of potentially dangerous situations, such as:

• It can wear down your tires. If your brake pads, rotors, or calipers are worn-out when driving, you may need to apply more pressure to the brake pedal to slow down or stop the car. This repeated hard braking can result in quicker tire wear or unbalanced tires, leading to uneven tire wear.
• It can cause your car to vibrate when braking. If your vehicle’s brake system is functioning properly, you should experience smooth braking. However, if your brake pads are severely worn or the brake rotors are damaged, they may produce vibrations that can be felt throughout the car.
• It can cause your brakes to have a slow response time. As your brakes wear down, it may become increasingly difficult for them to slow or stop your vehicle, depending on how the brake pads wear. If you suspect that your brakes are worn, it’s crucial to monitor their response time. When driving with glazed and worn brakes, you may need to apply more pressure to the brake pedal to come to a stop.
• You can damage the brake rotors and calipers. The braking system in your car is composed of interdependent moving parts, and when one component is damaged, it can affect other elements. For instance, if your brake pads wear down excessively, it can lead to damage of the brake rotors. During braking, the brake pads press against the rotors to stop the vehicle. However, if the pads are too worn, exposed metal on the pads can grind against the rotors, causing a grinding noise and potentially damaging the rotors.