Replacing Brake Pads: Should You Do It All At Once?

You are looking at a brake pad that is at the end of its rope. But should you do all four operations at the same time when replacing brake pads?

First, you should replace both front brake pads or both rear brake pads at the same time. Unless something is really wrong, one should wear at roughly the same rate as the other. But this doesn't necessarily apply to all four brake pads.

Front brake pads wear out faster

In most cars, 70% of braking comes from the front brakes. Some of this is intentional and attributable to the way car manufacturers design their braking systems - some of it is just physics. Manufacturers bias the braking system toward the front to prevent the rear from locking up. This puts more work on the front brakes to stop the car.

The physical part? Ever notice what happens when you apply the brakes in most cars? The nose drops in some way. This is weight transfer. The weight shifts to the front of the car, pushing down on the front wheels with more force, thus making the front brakes. This means more wear and tear. As a result, you are more likely to need to replace the front brake pads before you need to replace the rear ones.

Your travel costs may change

Yes, I know we're talking about brakes, not fuel. However, different cars with different brake assist devices will wear more on the rear brake pads than others. Some newer cars have a feature called Electronic Brakeforce Distribution (EBD). It's great for vehicle stability, but it uses a processor to safely apply more braking force to the rear wheels, which means more wear on the rear brake pads than cars without it.

An older and more common feature is anti-lock braking (ABS). It cycles the brake pressure on and off at the rear and front. This also increases the wear on the rear brake pads. Some cars have both EBD and ABS.

Style Matters

Your driving style, that is. Aggressive driving usually means aggressive braking, which means your brake pads wear out faster. Every time you apply the brakes, the pads wear a little - even gently. The way you drive and stop determines the difference between light wear and a lot of wear, and how often you need to replace your brake pads. Your brake pads will also wear faster if you do a lot of mountain driving or stop-and-go city driving.

Check the timing

The best advice is to have your brakes checked. If all four wheels need new brake pads, by all means do so. But most drivers find they replace the front wheels twice or more before they have to replace the rears.