Skip Navigation

Select Language

brake pads

Unequal wear - disc scoring

unequal-wear-disc-scoring
  • Appearance: Unequal wear pattern on the pad.
  • Cause: No full contact between brake pad and disc, disc scoring by dust or excessive wear. New pads with a worn disc may also show this effect.
  • Effect: Lower braking efficiency.
  • Remedy: Change brake pads and brake discs.

Unequal wear - wear lip

pads-unequal-wear-lip
  • Appearance: Unequal wear on the pad surface.
  • Cause: An unevenly worn brake disc or ‘wear lip’ on the disc will cause this pattern of wear on the brake pad.
  • Effect: Premature pad wear.
  • Remedy: Change brake discs and pads.

Pad fitting not correct

pad-fitting-incorrect
  • Appearance: Pads are damaged.
  • Cause: These ‘handed’ pads are not the same to each other in this set. Not correctly fitted will result in damaged pads.
  • Effect: Pads are damaged and lower braking performance.
  • Remedy: Follow the instructions of the
  • manufacturer to change the pad set.

Damaged backplate

pads-damaged-backplate
  • Appearance: A back plate that is damaged.
  • Cause: Not correctly assembled, or needless force used during fitting.
  • Effect: Lower braking efficiency, irregular pad wear and braking noise.
  • Remedy: Change brake pad set.

Tapered pads

tapered-pads
  • Appearance: Irregular wear or tapered pads.
  • Cause: Distortion of the caliper and the slides are sticking and needless caliper clearance.
  • Effect: Premature pad wear and noise while braking. Unequal braking pressure.
  • Remedy: Replace pad set and maintain and service caliper. Note: some cars use pads that are tapered by design.

Unequal wear within a set

pads-unequal-wear-within-a-set
  • Appearance: One or more brake pads within an axle set is extremely worn.
  • Cause: The caliper guide pins or piston is not working properly or is sticking.
  • Effect: The brake pulls the car to one side. Unequal & overly rapid pad wear.
  • Remedy: Maintain all caliper slides and pistons, change pads and/or check discs and change if needed.

 

Contaminated pad

pads-contaminated-pad
  • Appearance: Contamination of the Friction material with either oil, grease or brake fluid.
  • Cause: Spilling fluid during maintenance or leakage from the caliper.
  • Effect: The vehicle pulls to one side during braking and the decreasing of the braking performance.
  • Remedy: Identify and repair cause of contamination. Replace whole brake pad set.

Glazing

pads-glazing
  • Appearance: The brake pad friction material is glazed.
  • Cause: High periodic pad temperature over short time periods. Overly hard braking during bedding-in period.
  • Effect: Temporary reductions of the brake performance. 
  • Remedy: When there is light glazing, no action is needed. If you see heavy glazing, replace brake pad set and check disc condition.

 

Pads are worn out

worn-out-pads
  • Appearance: friction material is totally worn out. 
  • Cause: There hasn’t been a regular check of pad wear or a good brake maintenance.
  • Effect: The car pulls to one side during braking, damage on the disc and brake noise.
  • Remedy: Damage check on the discs. Change pad set and disc if there is damage.

Cracked pads

cracked-pads
  • Appearance: Small cracks in the middle of the pad.
  • Cause: Cracks illustrate that the caliper is sticking. The piston flexes the back plate causing the back plate to bend, cracking the friction material.
  • Effect: Noise while braking, irregular pad wear, car pulling to one side when braking and overheating on one side of the car.
  • Remedy: Maintain/service caliper and replace brake pad set.

Side crumbling

pads-side-crumbling
  • Appearance: Unequal wear pattern on the pad.
  • Cause: Brake pad is sticking within the caliper. This causes the brake pad to stay in contact with the disc with associated needless pad temperature.
  • Effect: Pad surface may glaze which will lower the brake performance. 
  • Remedy: Determine the cause of caliper sticking. Service the caliper and/or replace the whole brake pad set.

Denaturing

pads-denaturing
  • Appearance: Part of the friction material is charred or burnt (see white sides).
  • Cause: Prolonged extreme pad temperature due to intensive braking or dragging of the brake pad on the disc. 
  • Effect: Lower initial brake efficiency, extreme material deterioration and abnormal wear. Material becomes brittle and cracks are shown.
  • Remedy: Find the cause for the overheating of the brake pad. Is the damage extensive? Change brake pad set.

Rust on pads

rust-on-pads
  • Appearance: Rust between the friction material and back plate.
  • Cause: A brake pad is sticking in the caliper bracket when braking, bending the back plate, cracking the friction material. Corrosion makes it worse, splitting the friction material and back plate.
  • Effect: Noise and soft pedal feel and once material has separated, you are not able to brake.
  • Remedy: Change brake pad set. Clean and maintain caliper to ensure pad fits smoothly into the caliper during installation.

Metal pick up

pads-metal-pick-up
  • Appearance: Metal ingrained on the friction surface. 
  • Cause: When you brake normal, small particles of the disc surface break off. Typically, these are burnt off by the intense heat as dust. During extremely wet conditions these are quenched, cooled fast to solid material, and adhere to the brake pad surface.
  • Effect: This has no detrimental effect on braking performance, however, in extreme cases, disc damage will be caused or brake squeal.
  • Remedy: Change discs and pads in extreme cases.

Unequal wear - disc scoring

unequal-wear-disc-scoring
  • Appearance: Unequal wear pattern on the pad.
  • Cause: No full contact between brake pad and disc, disc scoring by dust or excessive wear. New pads with a worn disc may also show this effect.
  • Effect: Lower braking efficiency.
  • Remedy: Change brake pads and brake discs.

Unequal wear - wear lip

pads-unequal-wear-lip
  • Appearance: Unequal wear on the pad surface.
  • Cause: An unevenly worn brake disc or ‘wear lip’ on the disc will cause this pattern of wear on the brake pad.
  • Effect: Premature pad wear.
  • Remedy: Change brake discs and pads.

Pad fitting not correct

pad-fitting-incorrect
  • Appearance: Pads are damaged.
  • Cause: These ‘handed’ pads are not the same to each other in this set. Not correctly fitted will result in damaged pads.
  • Effect: Pads are damaged and lower braking performance.
  • Remedy: Follow the instructions of the
  • manufacturer to change the pad set.

Damaged backplate

pads-damaged-backplate
  • Appearance: A back plate that is damaged.
  • Cause: Not correctly assembled, or needless force used during fitting.
  • Effect: Lower braking efficiency, irregular pad wear and braking noise.
  • Remedy: Change brake pad set.

Tapered pads

tapered-pads
  • Appearance: Irregular wear or tapered pads.
  • Cause: Distortion of the caliper and the slides are sticking and needless caliper clearance.
  • Effect: Premature pad wear and noise while braking. Unequal braking pressure.
  • Remedy: Replace pad set and maintain and service caliper. Note: some cars use pads that are tapered by design.

Unequal wear within a set

pads-unequal-wear-within-a-set
  • Appearance: One or more brake pads within an axle set is extremely worn.
  • Cause: The caliper guide pins or piston is not working properly or is sticking.
  • Effect: The brake pulls the car to one side. Unequal & overly rapid pad wear.
  • Remedy: Maintain all caliper slides and pistons, change pads and/or check discs and change if needed.

 

Contaminated pad

pads-contaminated-pad
  • Appearance: Contamination of the Friction material with either oil, grease or brake fluid.
  • Cause: Spilling fluid during maintenance or leakage from the caliper.
  • Effect: The vehicle pulls to one side during braking and the decreasing of the braking performance.
  • Remedy: Identify and repair cause of contamination. Replace whole brake pad set.

Glazing

pads-glazing
  • Appearance: The brake pad friction material is glazed.
  • Cause: High periodic pad temperature over short time periods. Overly hard braking during bedding-in period.
  • Effect: Temporary reductions of the brake performance. 
  • Remedy: When there is light glazing, no action is needed. If you see heavy glazing, replace brake pad set and check disc condition.

 

Pads are worn out

worn-out-pads
  • Appearance: friction material is totally worn out. 
  • Cause: There hasn’t been a regular check of pad wear or a good brake maintenance.
  • Effect: The car pulls to one side during braking, damage on the disc and brake noise.
  • Remedy: Damage check on the discs. Change pad set and disc if there is damage.

Cracked pads

cracked-pads
  • Appearance: Small cracks in the middle of the pad.
  • Cause: Cracks illustrate that the caliper is sticking. The piston flexes the back plate causing the back plate to bend, cracking the friction material.
  • Effect: Noise while braking, irregular pad wear, car pulling to one side when braking and overheating on one side of the car.
  • Remedy: Maintain/service caliper and replace brake pad set.

Side crumbling

pads-side-crumbling
  • Appearance: Unequal wear pattern on the pad.
  • Cause: Brake pad is sticking within the caliper. This causes the brake pad to stay in contact with the disc with associated needless pad temperature.
  • Effect: Pad surface may glaze which will lower the brake performance. 
  • Remedy: Determine the cause of caliper sticking. Service the caliper and/or replace the whole brake pad set.

Denaturing

pads-denaturing
  • Appearance: Part of the friction material is charred or burnt (see white sides).
  • Cause: Prolonged extreme pad temperature due to intensive braking or dragging of the brake pad on the disc. 
  • Effect: Lower initial brake efficiency, extreme material deterioration and abnormal wear. Material becomes brittle and cracks are shown.
  • Remedy: Find the cause for the overheating of the brake pad. Is the damage extensive? Change brake pad set.

Rust on pads

rust-on-pads
  • Appearance: Rust between the friction material and back plate.
  • Cause: A brake pad is sticking in the caliper bracket when braking, bending the back plate, cracking the friction material. Corrosion makes it worse, splitting the friction material and back plate.
  • Effect: Noise and soft pedal feel and once material has separated, you are not able to brake.
  • Remedy: Change brake pad set. Clean and maintain caliper to ensure pad fits smoothly into the caliper during installation.

Metal pick up

pads-metal-pick-up
  • Appearance: Metal ingrained on the friction surface. 
  • Cause: When you brake normal, small particles of the disc surface break off. Typically, these are burnt off by the intense heat as dust. During extremely wet conditions these are quenched, cooled fast to solid material, and adhere to the brake pad surface.
  • Effect: This has no detrimental effect on braking performance, however, in extreme cases, disc damage will be caused or brake squeal.
  • Remedy: Change discs and pads in extreme cases.
Back to All Symptoms

 

Find the full Brake Pads Trouble Tracers range in the PDF below

 

Download the PDF