Do I need a brake inspection?

yes 

Brake Check At AFP 

Regular brake checks are an important part of any vehicle preventative maintenance plan. Brake checks can identify a problem before it begins to impact on your braking efficiency, thus providing an opportunity to restore the effectiveness of your vehicle's braking system to its intended operating performance. At AFP we know how important the regular inspection and maintenance of your brakes can be to ensure your brakes continue to work effectively. We have over 600 brake specialists nationwide who are fully trained and committed to maintaining your brakes in an expert and cost effective manner. 

 

When to replace your brakes

Different driving patterns have a dramatic effect on how often your brakes need servicing.

For example, a set of brake pads could last up to 60,000 miles or more on a car driven mostly on the motorway. However the brakes on the same car driven mostly in busy city centre traffic may last only 25,000 miles or less.

Front brakes normally wear out before rear brakes because they handle a higher percentage of the braking load, especially on front-wheel drive cars.

It is often recommended that brake pads should be replaced if the pad friction material has worn down to a thickness of 3 millimetres. Brake disc thickness should be measured if they are at or below the manufacturer's safe minimum thickness specification they should be replaced.

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Did you know?

AFP also recommends that brake discs or drums are replaced in axle sets. Replacing one brake disc or drum could cause an imbalanced braking performance that could lead to further premature wear.

When new parts are fitted, it's vital to drive gently and carefully until they bed in, which takes approximately 200 miles. Excessive braking action on new parts can potentially damage them and lead to a loss of braking efficiency and performance.

As best practice for drivers whose annual mileage is considered average or high (around 8,000 miles per year or more), AFP  recommend that your vehicle's braking system is checked at least twice a year. You may also want to check your braking system before a long journey or in advance of your MOT - your vehicle will fail its annual MOT test if your braking system does not meet required standards to allow your vehicle to come to an efficient stop.