Despite that long lifespan, though, your brakes will eventually require maintenance. With that in mind, you may be wondering what you can do to extend the life of your brakes and avoid emergency repairs or maintenance.
In this blog, we’ll discuss the best ways to make your brakes last longer and keep your car safe.
Let’s dive in.
5 Ways to Extend the Life of Your Brakes
Want to make your brakes last as long as possible? Here are five maintenance tips:
1. Take it slow
When you drive fast, you cause lots of wear and tear on your brakes. Stopping a car traveling at 50 or 60 miles an hour generates a great deal of friction and heat on brake pads, which can cause them to break down rapidly.
Over time, this repeated heat can also cause the rotors to warp, leading to extensive (and expensive) damage to your braking system. Instead of driving like a lead foot, keep your speed low in heavy traffic and do your best to avoid sudden braking.
2. Use engine braking in hilly areas
Are you driving downhill? Hauling a heavy load? Use engine braking instead of your vehicle’s brakes.
In manual transmission automobiles or cars with a mode that allows you to manually shift gears, you can use engine braking (which uses the car’s transmission to down-shift and show the vehicle) to preserve your brake pads and rotors.
While engine braking is a great way to reduce brake burnout on steep hills or when hauling something heavy, it will not stop your vehicle fully, so you’ll need to supplement it with your brakes.
3. Invest in routine brake maintenance
Every time you take your car in for routine maintenance, have the auto repair shop inspect your brakes.
A good mechanic will examine your brake pads and rotors, flush and replace your brake fluid, and remove any debris that may be lodged in your brakes and causing damage.
These routine inspections are also necessary because they allow you to replace brake pads before they wear out completely. This, in turn, will save you money on brake repairs.
4. Reduce your vehicle’s weight
Whenever possible, remove additional weight from your vehicle. Sandbags, excess junk, and anything else that’s weighing down your car is also causing excessive brake wear. In addition to helping extend the life of your brakes, removing excess weight from your vehicle will also improve your gas mileage.
5. Practice defensive driving
Defensive driving involves surveying the surrounding area and anticipating potential driving hazards (like potholes) before you encounter them. It allows you to preserve your brakes by avoiding sudden stops, tailgating, and other activities that are tough on your car.