any way to check pad wear without taking wheel off?

Thread Tools
 
Search this Thread
 
  #1  
Old 06-07-2006, 07:47 PM
jack_craig's Avatar
Senior Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Sep 2003
Location: aptos, ca
Posts: 157
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
any way to check pad wear without taking wheel off?

hi folks,

i know my pads are getting down near replacement and i'd love to not
have them eat my rotors.

i crawled in underneath to hopefully see how it was doing, but the
wheel is so close to the external side of caliper, i couldnt get in there to
see.

any community wisdom you can share? its a PITA to take the wheels off,
but rotors are not cheap!

all response appreciated, jackc...
 
  #2  
Old 06-07-2006, 08:35 PM
Jordan not Mike's Avatar
Senior Member
Join Date: Jul 2004
Location: The LBC (Long Beach, CA)
Posts: 1,714
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
If the wheel is rotated just right, you can see a new pad's thickness through a wheel opening.

Looking thru the same opening, a worn pad will not be visible, it will look like the caliper is nearly touching the wheel.

Not a great method, but it can give you a general idea of how much is left.

If you think you are close, just change them IMHO. You won't really be out a lot of money by doing it early, but you'll need new rotors if you guess wrong and you dig a trench in a rotor from a worn pad.
 
  #3  
Old 06-08-2006, 02:55 AM
buckdropper's Avatar
Senior Member
Join Date: Apr 2001
Location: south western NYS Latitude: 42.34 N, Longitude: 78.46 W
Posts: 918
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Originally Posted by jack_craig
hi folks,

i know my pads are getting down near replacement and i'd love to not
have them eat my rotors.

i crawled in underneath to hopefully see how it was doing, but the
wheel is so close to the external side of caliper, i couldnt get in there to
see.

any community wisdom you can share? its a PITA to take the wheels off,
but rotors are not cheap!

all response appreciated, jackc...

Just take off a tire how long could it possibly take 5 minutes??. Just go to a tire joint and get a free inspection of all the brakes...
 
  #4  
Old 06-19-2006, 12:11 AM
bigplayer6907's Avatar
Senior Member
Join Date: Aug 2005
Location: San Antonio,TX
Posts: 303
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
it takes me about 30 seconds to pull a tire off....i love air tools
 
  #5  
Old 06-19-2006, 07:03 AM
BLUE20004X4's Avatar
Senior Member
Join Date: Feb 2006
Location: Windsor, Ont.
Posts: 3,762
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
I don't think you can accurately see pad wear by just looking through a wheel. Take some time and pull one off. A way of telling the pads are going, especially in the front is decelerating/ braking off freeway speeds onto offramp. If it sounds like you're in 4wd, then that's time. Squeeling/ squeeking are also symptoms.
 



Quick Reply: any way to check pad wear without taking wheel off?



All times are GMT -4. The time now is 02:49 AM.