You have to change the brake pad set of your vehicle at particular time period. This also depends upon the usage of the vehicle. If you are using it frequently and make hard stops often then you have to replace it sooner. High pitched squealing is the first indication of brake pad wear. If you get that noise then you can easily understand that your brake pad set needs to be replaced. There are some other signs like the automobile pulling to one side under braking or vibrating, etc. If the brake pedal appears softer to depress then you should get ready to change your brake pad set.

 

Before you attempt to change your brake pad set, you have to check the owner’s manual. Any brake related recommendations might be given in the manual. If you find anything about pad replacement intervals then you may easily arrive at a decision of whether to change the brake pad or not.

 

There are so many types of brake pad set to choose from. The semi-metallic type is made of chopped steel wool or wire and graphite mixed together with inorganic fillers. These pads last for a long period of time and have good heat transfer capacity. However one disadvantage of this type of brake pad set is that this wears down rotors faster and is often noisy. Also this may not give good performance in low temperatures.

 

The organic brake pad set is made from fibers like carbon, rubber, Kevlar or glass and high temperature resins. They are softer and do not create much noise. But they create much dust and create less noise. For better braking and heat transfer you may go for low metallic NAO brake pad set. If the addition of metal in this type is more, this may create more brake dust and might be slightly noisier.

 

The brake pad set of ceramic fibers is made of nonferrous filler materials together with bonding agents. This contains small amounts of metal. This light colored brake pad set is quite expensive when compared with other types, but are cleaner and quieter with effective braking capabilities. This also does not wear down rotors. So do not be taken in by slick packaging or clever brand names. Some pads do not have content labeling. So you must be very careful in selecting the right brake pad set. You may have to read the labels carefully before you buy one.