Wheel

How to Check Brake Pads without Removing Wheel

Jeep Meister
Advertisement

Brake pads need to be regularly checked on cars. The reason for that is simple – If a car owner fails to check the brake pads there is a great chance of damaging them. This can result in severe damage. Further, if you are looking for ways to check brake pads then this article will help you a great deal in checking your own brake pads without removing wheel.

Lift the car up and support it on jack stands

  • You can check your brake pads without removing the wheel.
  • Lift the car up and support it on jack stands.
  • Using a screwdriver or crowbar, pry off the plastic covers over each wheel. These usually have square or hexagonal heads.
  • Remove the dust cap from the rotor. The cap may be either bolted or clipped to the rotor hub. If it’s clipped, use a flat-head screwdriver to pry it off. If it’s bolted, use channel locks or a crescent wrench to loosen it.
  • Use a screwdriver or crowbar to pry out any remaining chunks of old pad material that are still stuck on the rotor surface. This will help you see how much pad material is left when you go to examine your brakes later on in this procedure.

Remove the tire from the car

You can check your brake pads without removing them from your car by following these steps:

  1. Remove the tire from the car. You will be left with the brake pads visible.
  2. Look inside the caliper, which is mounted to the rotor, for signs of wear or damage. If you see any corrosion or pitting on the rotor surface, it’s time for new rotors and pads. If there are no signs of wear or damage, move on to step 3.
  3. Check how much material is remaining on each pad by placing a ruler flat against it. If you can see more than 1/8-inch (3 mm) of material left on either side of the pad, they are still good and don’t need replacement yet.

Check for wear by removing the rotor

Checking brake pads without removing the rotor is easy. You can do this yourself at home. It’s a good idea to check your brakes regularly, especially if you’re driving an older car.

Here are the steps:

  1. Park the vehicle on a level surface and set the parking brake.
  2. Remove the wheel cover by prying it off with a flathead screwdriver or plastic trim removal tool (which can be purchased at any auto parts store). If you don’t have one, use another flathead screwdriver to pry off the wheel cover.
  3. Place a rag under each wheel in case anything falls out during this process (brake dust).
  4. Using a 12-inch extension bar or breaker bar, remove the lug nuts from each wheel one at a time, holding onto the tire with one hand while loosening each lug nut with the other hand. If any of your wheels are equipped with locking lug nuts, refer to your car’s owner manual for instructions on how to remove them properly without damaging them or causing injury!

Look at the brake pads. There should be about 1/4 inch of pad available for braking

How to check brake pads without removing wheel

Checking the brake pads on your car is a simple process that can help you avoid an expensive repair bill. Here’s how to do it:

  1. Park the car on a level surface and apply the parking brake. Turn off all electrical systems (lights, radio, etc.).
  2. Remove the cap from the reservoir, if there is one present. Using a dipstick or other similar tool, remove all of the fluid from the reservoir and replace it with new fluid before checking for leaks. Replace the cap securely after doing so.
  3. Look at the brake pads. There should be about 1/4 inch of pad available for braking. If less than 1/8 inch remains, then replacement may be needed soon.
  4. If you see any slivers of metal or other debris on top of the rotor or in between two rotors, then this indicates that there is damage to your brake rotor and should be replaced immediately before further damage occurs to your brakes or other components of your vehicle’s suspension system!

Compress the caliper into the pad to check for leaks and tightness.

If you don’t have the proper tools, it’s easy to damage the caliper and make the problem worse. If you’re not sure if you have the right tools, a professional mechanic should be able to help.

Checking brake pads without removing wheels:

  • Compress the caliper into the pad to check for leaks and tightness.
  • Check brake fluid level and add if necessary.
  • Check parking brake function (if equipped).

Spin the hub to see if there is any scraping or grinding in your brakes

The first thing you need to do is find out if your brake pad is worn out. To do this, you will need to remove the wheel from your car and spin it. If there is any scraping or grinding in your brakes, then they are worn out and need to be replaced.

The next thing you do is locate the brake pad that needs replacing. This can be done by using a metal pick or screwdriver and prying up the edge of the pad that is closest to the rotor.

Conclusion

Checking your own brakes is really easy. At the very least, you’ll probably save money. What’s more, you’ll gain peace of mind knowing that your car’s braking system is in good working order, and you won’t have to worry about an emergency situation on the road being a potential disaster because you didn’t check your brakes regularly.