Do you feel like you need to take your vehicle in to a local auto shop to have the brakes repaired? If so, it may help to look at the brake pads to see how they are wearing down. There is a lot that you can tell about your brake system based on how those brake pads have worn down over time. 

Normal Brake Pad Wear

When your vehicle has normal brake pad wear, all of the pads are going to have the same amount of wear across them. The wear should also be flat across the pads as well with there not being high and low spots. You should never wear down your brake pads so that there is nothing left either. There is a piece of metal buried underneath the pad material that is designed to rub against the rotor. If the brake pads get to this point, they need to be replaced. 

Tapered Brake Pad Wear

Tapered wear on your brake pads will cause the remaining material to look a bit like a wedge. There will be a lot of material left on one side, and not a lot left on the other. This is often a result of worn out caliper bushings, or your caliper hardware in general is worn down and needs to be replaced. 

One-Sided Brake Pad Wear

If you have brake pads that are only worn down on one side of your vehicle, it could be due to a couple reasons. You could have a caliper piston that is hanging, or simply have a faulty caliper that needs to be replaced with a new one. The problem can also indicate that a caliper slide isn't functioning correctly and needs to be repaired.

Grooved Brake Pad Wear

Any type of grooves in a brake pad indicate that there is a problem with the rotor. In some situations, the rotors can be saved by having them turned, which means removing them from your vehicle and smoothing out the surface with a lathe. If that is not possible, then the rotors need to be replaced. 

Chipped Brake Pad Wear

If there are chunks of the brake pads missing, this means that there is excessive heat buildup on the brake pads. You may have a caliper piston that is hanging up, which causes the brake pads to be constantly touching and getting way too hot. 

Now that you know what is wrong with your brake system, reach out to a mechanic, like H&A Service and Sales, to help perform the proper repair.