Early indicator of brake pad failure?

[im_srini]

I guess brake pad wear is a function of how aggressive one is on the brakes. My 6-year old Alto's done 57,000 Kms. I've changed my pads five times, & my brake shoes thrice. And last year, I had to change the front discs too. A constant complain of the odd passenger in my car is that I brake too late, & too hard...

Anyway, I change my pads at around 15K intervals, & the shoes on inspection. And yes, there's very little warning when the pads get worn down past the recommended limit. I guess that even if there is a degradation in braking due to wear, it is so gradual that one gets accustomed to it.

It's best to treat them like engine oil - replace at regular intervals.

[nitrous]

Originally Posted by im_srini

A constant complain of the odd passenger in my car is that I brake too late, & too hard...

Im the odd passenger in a BHPian's car. He needed a brake pad set at the last service.
PS: The Brake is my best friend when I drive.Always.

[condor]

Originally Posted by tsk1979

I guess I will stick to 12K kms.

If you stick to the 5K km service intervals, you could sych the pad replacements to every 3rd service / every alternate oil replacement. [Assuming the Indica has the same intervals as the marina - 5k for service, 7.5k for oil change].

[tsk1979]

Originally Posted by sumitkalindi

@tsk You could have got the disks polished fom some workshop, Provided they had the required amount of thickness, and used them again, if they were thick enough it is just wastage of money by replacing them for those lines formed. BTW I had experienced this and this is from my experience. No service people will ever let you do that, they always ask you to change the disks, even my Service center told me the same. I just told them I don't have the budget right now, so just use new pads and within few days I will come again to change the disks. As soon as I got my spacio delivered, I took it to my trusted local mechanic, dismounted the disks, and took it for polishing.

When I had asked the service people about the indications, they told me that the pads hade a notch made in between them the depth indicates the life of the pads, which is to be checked during every service. No other reliable method is available.

The guy who did the job also explored this option. For this he tested the disk by hammering it. Mild hammering also left big dents. He concluded that the disk is a goner due to high heat.
I was charged 70rs labor for the entire change job of 1 disk and 2 pairs of pads.
The metal had cut it real deep.

[Shan2nu]

My first set of pads lasted for 25K kms and the 2nd set will be replaced tom after having done duty for 40K kms (65K total mileage). And both sets were from the same Honda dealership.

So, it's not just the quality of the pads that make a diff. Your driving/braking style contributes a lot.

I don't think brakes fade towards the end, as my pads are one the verge of complete wear, but the braking is still awesome.

Shan2nu

[condor]

Originally Posted by Shan2nu

I don't think brakes fade towards the end, as my pads are one the verge of complete wear, but the braking is still awesome.

Not till the very end, when they start eating into the discs .. that's when the breaks would start to literally scream to be replaced.

That there is no warning is why the brakes are opened for visual inspection as part of scheduled service.

OT, the Sumo brake pads last me 30k kms.

[dhondusaxena]

anyone knowing any reputed brand of Brake Pads for Indica Turbo!

[sgiitk]

In my old Esteem (pre ventilated discs) we had to change the pads roughly every 22,000km. The pad carrier had a small metal strip next to it which is what screeched when the pads were worn.

May be it was rapid pad wear which led to Maruti introducing ventilated discs in a hurry. My Accent has done over 38k but the pads are still Ok.

One other point, it is my experience that the linings in the drums tend to come off after about 6-7 years. This is almost certainly due to failure of the glue/cement which is used to fix them to the shoes. So if you have a low mileage car which is about 6 years old change the shoes. Once the lining comes off the shoe it gets caught in the other shoe and jams the wheel, making driving virtually impossible. I have seen this in three cars and will just not take a change any more.

[nitrous]

Originally Posted by dhondusaxena

anyone knowing any reputed brand of Brake Pads for Indica Turbo!

Sure. Tata Original Equipment

[wolfinstein]

Well, My XETA has been making squeeling noise on brake application at low speeds, but there is no brake fade,- I checked on the pads and the mech advised they will last another 1000 KM or so...But after going by Tanveers problem, I'm on the lookout for a set of new pads.

At the Auto Expo, I was quite impressed with Bosch Brake Pads, However I have till date only used RANE as an aftermarket replacement for my lancer.

Could someone shed which company should I look for :

Bosch,TVS Girling ,TATA OEM TVS Girling,KBX,Rane- What Size fits the XETA.

@ Tsk...Tanveer could you share the price and location on where to pick the TVS Girling Brake Pads.

[4x4addict]

Originally Posted by anandpadhye

What am I reading???

My NHC has done 50000KM and still no signs of anything wrong with the brake pads or shoes!!!

Am I missing something?

Please comment.

Anand, Same here. I just had my pads replaced on my OHC 1.5 after 56,000 kms, so it surprises me that pads need changing in 12 to 18K intervals.

[irfanmon]

i had replaced the brake pads of my accent crdi two weeks back from a local work shop,two days after the replacement i started hearing some squeking sound while braking and also i could feel some thing like [like brake pads slipping from the disk]when the car comes to hault.i went and asked the mechanic but he said the sound will go after one week,the new brake pads has to get adjusted with the disk and also he said there is no scratches on the disk.but now i had done more than 1000kms after that but still the sound persists.is there any problem?i am worried

[greatmana2000]

TVS pads are a bit soft - they wear faster . I suggest KBX for the indica . Pads wear is directly proportional to the kind of material used for the pads and is also related to the style of driving .

[itwasntme]

In my experience, the Indica has always been quite heavy on brakes because of the inherent weight of the car (mainly due to the heavier-than-usual engine) and the inadequate tyres.

I think I used to change mine (V2 LSI petrol) regularly around 15k. Also, I think there are brake pad indicators built in to the pads. These are something akin to the tyre tread wear (crosswise) rib which instantly (visually) allows even a layman to see how much of 'safe' wear is left.

I tend to change discs/shoes as soon as it's near the indicated limit.

[itwasntme]

I would tend to agree with tsk1979. I believe engine braking always helps in slowing down the car when decelerating/braking. If you press the clutch to the fullest, aren't you putting the entire task of slowing down the car to the brakes? Doesn't sound right from a commonsense point of view.

Maybe the TBHP experts can advise?

Originally Posted by anandpadhye

Pressing the clutch while braking was to save my clutch plate from unnecessary wear. I do that even when I know that the slowdown is not going to result in any downshift.

And no brakes pads replaced yet - for sure. I get my car serviced in my presence (though Deccan Honda is a little uncomfortable with me stying at their premises throughout the servicing time and frequently ask me to confine to the waiting launge rather than worksop ). Service records show no mention of brakes in any of the services.