It’s hard to overstate the importance of maintaining your car’s brakes properly. Along with your tyres, they’re the single most crucial part of your car from a safety standpoint; you need to be able to depend on them, not just to slow your car down during regular driving, but to bring it to a halt rapidly in an emergency situation.

A well-maintained set of brakes is very often the difference between having an accident and avoiding one. The difference between keeping your car in one piece and writing it off. Or, potentially, the difference between arriving home unscathed and ending up in hospital.

It might sound dramatic, but it’s true. Neglecting your brakes could not only affect the safety of you and your loved ones, but the safety of those around you. Although the annual MOT test helps us keep tabs on the health of brakes, it alone isn’t enough to guarantee their safety. As a motorist, it’s your responsibility to know when your discs and pads are worn and to replace them before they wear out - and we’re going to tell you how to do exactly that in this guide.

Below, we’ll cover the typical lifespan of discs and pads, the factors that affect their wear rate, how to tell when they’re worn out and how to replace them - as well as how much the job is likely to cost you.

How long can I expect my discs and pads to last?

How long do brake pads last?

As you might imagine, this is a question with no straightforward answer. Typically, brake pads last for somewhere between 25,000 and 50,000 miles, but some will expire before this and others will last for even longer. We’ll get into the factors that affect brake pad wear in just a little bit.

How long do brake discs last?

Because pads bite onto the disc to slow your car down, the disc naturally has to be harder and more durable than the pad. With that in mind, it’s no surprise that discs tend to outlast pads; it’s not uncommon for a pair to hold up for 80,000 miles or more, with some high-quality (and well-cared-for) discs even exceeding the 100,000 mile mark.

These figures are highly dependent on a range of different factors, which we’ll cover in a second. But it’s important to never ‘assume’ how long your discs and pads are likely to last based on generalised estimates or even manufacturer guidelines. Every car and every driver is different, so the only way to really know how your discs and pads are holding up is to inspect them yourself.

What causes brake components to wear more quickly?

There are a number of different factors that can significantly impact the wear rate (and lifespan) of both discs and pads. The first one on the list is the quality of the components you install. Cheaper discs and pads are often made using more simplistic processes and poorer-quality materials, and this often results in them having a reduced lifespan compared to more premium equivalents.

The type of disc and pad you choose can have a bearing on how long they last, too. Even if you opt for components from a quality brand, if you choose more performance-orientated pads, for instance, you’re likely to get more stopping power at the expense of faster wear.

The second factor worth noting is regular repairs and maintenance (or lack thereof). For instance, if your brake caliper begins to stick and you don’t get it replaced or rebuilt, you not only risk overheating and wearing out the pad rapidly, but warping the disc too. Likewise, if your pads wear out and you don’t replace them before all of the friction material wears away, the metal backing of the pad will begin contacting the disc, then necessitating the replacement of the disc as well as the pad. Put simply, neglecting to maintain one component of your car’s braking system can have a knock-on effect on other components, wearing them out much more quickly.

Factor number three is the vehicle you drive. Generally speaking, larger, heavier vehicles will be harder on their brakes than smaller, lighter ones. Even though manufacturers fit bigger vehicles with bigger brakes to match, the fact remains that the discs and pads have to work harder to stop a heavier vehicle than a lighter one, generating more friction (and more heat). As we know, friction and heat are just what you don’t want from a wear perspective. The harder your brakes have to work and the hotter they get, the more rapidly they’ll wear out.

It’s worth noting here that, despite their increased weight versus equivalent petrol and diesel cars, electric cars are typically lighter on their brakes than their internal combustion-powered cousins. Because they use regenerative braking to recharge the batteries as you slow the car down, the electric motors supplement the discs and pads, giving them less work to do.

The last - but perhaps more significant - factor is your driving style and the routes you drive. The worst case scenario for brake wear is to drive fast and regularly slam the brakes on - you’ll create far more friction between the disc and pad by driving this way, overheating them and causing them to wear extremely quickly.

Want to get the absolute maximum out of a set of discs and pads? Try to look further ahead and slow your car down gradually wherever possible, utilising engine braking if your car has a manual gearbox. Avoid pushing too hard on the pedal and stopping abruptly unless it’s absolutely necessary, and try to avoid stop-start traffic where possible. Motorway driving is far less taxing on your brakes than pootling around a city for this reason: you don’t need to keep stopping at traffic lights or junctions.

Signs that your discs and pads are worn

Dashboard warning lights: The most obvious sign that something is amiss. Not every modern car has warning lights to indicate worn brake pads however, and very few older vehicles have them.

High-pitched noises under braking: If you hear any ‘squealing’ noises from your brakes as you slow the car down, it’s likely that your pads are nearing the end of their life. 

Vibration or juddering under braking: If you feel any vibrations through the brake pedal or in the steering wheel, your brake discs are likely worn out or warped, meaning it’s time to replace them.

Scoring or damage to the disc surface: A visual inspection of the disc can give you the answers you need. If there are any grooves in the surface of the disc or there’s a lip on the edge of the disc face, it’s time for some new ones.

Brake pad friction material: When you inspect the pads, try to measure (or at least guess) how much friction material is left on them. If there’s less than 3mm remaining, the pads are due for replacement.

How to replace discs and pads

For the majority of motorists, this is a job best entrusted to your local mechanic. While it’s possible to replace your discs and pads at home, you’ll need access to all the right tools - and messing with your brakes isn’t recommended unless you know what you’re doing.

If you’re in the West Yorkshire area, we offer brake disc and pad fitting services here at LK Performance.

How much do new discs and pads cost?

That depends on the type of car you drive and the brand of discs and pads you choose. Happily, we have a range of high-quality options in stock here at LK Performance for a wide range of different vehicles. 

Manufactured by top brands like EBC and Pagid, our range of discs and pads strike the perfect balance between performance, price and longevity. To find discs and pads for your car, view the range today using the link above or get in touch with our team of experts for advice.