After our last car died, my husband and I decided to do a little research before buying a new car. We bought the previous car without a lot of thought, and it showed. Instead of lasting the length of the loan, the car started having problems right around the time the warranty ran out. We decided that it would be smart to invest a little time into research, so that we could avoid making a similar mistake in the future. This blog is a collection of articles about cars and automotive accessories, so that you can do a lot of research without making a lot of effort.
If you live in a part of the country that has your vehicle frequently climbing up or speeding down steep hills, driving and braking in ultra-hot weather, or spending most of its time on the road in stop-and-go traffic, you may be wondering if there's anything you can do to help preserve the life of your brakes.
While bad driving conditions can prematurely age your brake pads, there are a few things you can do to help minimize this damage. Read on to learn how to maximize the lifespan of your brake pads and rotors even when you're forced to drive in less than ideal conditions.
Keep your trips short or take frequent breaks
Heat and friction are the two primary factors that can lead to premature brake pad damage, which is why overuse of the brakes will almost always cause you to replace your brake pads before they've reached their maximum lifespan. Over the life of your vehicle, this can mean replacing your brake pads (and perhaps performing more extensive brake work) several times more than the average driver.
Brake overuse can happen when you descend down a long, steep hill or spend hours sitting in traffic. If either of these events takes place in hot weather, the amount of heat radiating off your brake pads only increases, and can compound the damage done to the pads and surrounding machinery. In extreme cases, you may even notice a burning odor or a small amount of smoke coming from your brakes after stopping.
By taking breaks from braking, allowing your brake pads to cool down and avoid incurring permanent heat damage, you'll be able to extend the life of your brakes. If you're planning a long trip that promises to put your brake pads to the test, you may want to pre-schedule some stops to ensure you give yourself (and your vehicle) plenty of time to make it to your destination.
Manage stop-and-go traffic
While in certain urban areas, this type of traffic is simply a reality of automotive travel, there are some things you can do to help lessen its impact on your vehicle. By waiting until you see traffic ahead moving, and then beginning to creep forward at a slow speed, you'll minimize the number of times you'll be forced to unexpectedly slam your brakes.
You may also want to devise a few alternative routes to work (or anywhere else you frequently travel in heavy traffic) and check your GPS or phone's mobile map application to see which route seems to have the lightest traffic each day. In other cases, you may be able to flex your hours so that you're traveling at an off-peak time or driving against the flow of heavy traffic.
Reduce the load you're carrying
While today's cars, trucks, and SUVs have more storage space than ever before, this can often come at a cost to your brakes. If you're hauling heavy items (like sports equipment, baby gear, or yard sale leftovers), your brakes are regularly being asked to provide more stopping power than necessary.
Not only will cleaning out your vehicle and removing items that aren't needed help save your brakes, it can also help save you in the cost of fuel. In fact, every extra 100 pounds in your vehicle reduces your fuel economy by about 1 percent.
Have frequent brake inspections
If your driving habits or conditions place you at risk for early brake failure, your best bet to ward off future problems is to have your brakes frequently inspected and rotated. Some services recommend a brake checkup every 5 months or 5,000 miles, but those who brake heavy or hard may want to instead have this checkup performed during each oil change.
Having your brakes checked every few months should be sufficient to identify any potential problems at a very early stage, before they can harm your rotors, calipers, and tires. Any necessary repairs uncovered during these inspections will also likely be a lower cost than the more extensive repairs necessary for frequently used and infrequently inspected brakes. Click here for info about how you can extend the life of your brake pads.
Share21 September 2015
