What Can Cause Brake Pad Wear On One Side and Not The Other?

There are times when driving is not as enjoyable anymore. Especially when you notice that your brakes are faulty on one side. You become more cautious since the risk of causing or being involved in an accident is higher.

What Causes Brakes to Wear Out on One Side?

Some of the things your mechanic might look into include:

  • Variance in Rotor Thickness

The size of your braking rotors may affect how quickly your brakes burn out. Brake pads are tailored to last up to 20,000 miles. But, if the rotor size is inconsistent, they will not wear uniformly and will tear considerably sooner. This implies that if you have mismatched rotors, you may need to replace your brake pads every 10,000 to 15,000 miles.

  • Misalignment

Misalignment causes the front tires to tug on one side or another during braking, resulting in inconsistent pad wear. This is because if one side wears quicker than the other, your car will not move properly, causing extra resistance in that area of your brake system. As a result, there is a screeching sound and an uneven feeling while driving.

  • Slide Pins

When the metallic slide pins rust, the caliper is unable to move. This causes the caliper to remain stuck in one position; if it becomes trapped in the correct position, the pads on that side may wear out faster. Corrosion is often removed using a wire brush and some grease.

Can you change only one brake pad?

Most auto repair shops advise against changing the brake pads on one side only. You might assume that since just one side of the brake pads has worn down, it would be ok to replace just that side. Doing so would result in more uneven wear and might be unsafe. When replacing brake pads, it is usually advisable to change both front and back brake pads simultaneously.

Driving with faulty brakes is considerably one of the riskiest things you can do. Luckily the issue can be fixed. If you need brake system repair, give Monkey Wrenches a call today.

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