Does Your Mini Cooper Need New Brake Pads?

Brake pads fit into the calipers that sit over the wheel rotors. These pads provide friction to slow and stop the rotors and prevent contact between the metal pads and the metal rotors. If your pads show signs of wearing out, it’s time to visit your Mini Cooper dealership and have new ones installed. These are a few of the signs that your pads need replacement.

Signs You Need New Brake Pads From Your Mini Cooper Dealership

Your Car Takes Longer To Stop

The covering on the pads generates the friction necessary to stop your car. As this material wears off, you’ll notice that your Mini takes longer to come to a complete stop. Part of this problem is due to the thinner friction covering providing less resistance against the rotors. Another reason is due to brake fade that prevents the pads from working correctly.

Brake fade occurs when the pads are kept in close contact with the rotors for long periods. This could be because you often drive downhill on winding roads and ride the brakes to control the speed. The heat generated by this close contact causes the friction material to become smoother. The smooth surface of the pads means your brakes will take longer to stop your car.

Your Car Pulls to One Side

When you step on the brake pedal, your Mini should stop immediately. If it pulls to one side before stopping, this means there’s a problem with the brake pad on one side of your car. This pad may be wearing out faster then than other pads. This worn condition causes it to take longer to apply the necessary pressure on the rotor it’s connected to bring it to a stop.

Our technicians can check your braking system and find the cause. It may be due to a worn caliper that keeps the pad close to the rotor and increases wear on the pad. We can replace the pads and fix the cause of the problem. If one pad has worn down excessively, we advise replacing all the pads. This will ensure that they all have the same level of wear for safety.

Glazed Rotors

The friction covering on the pads is attached to the metal with a strong adhesive. This adhesive bonds the materials together, but it can heat up when you apply the brakes. This is especially true if your brakes haven’t been serviced recently. Some of the adhesive can liquify and spread across the rotor surface, where it will dry on the hot rotor.

This adhesive can make the surface of the rotor slightly uneven. Cast off friction material from the pads can stick to the adhesive and make the surface more uneven. This process is known as glazing. When the pads grip the rotors, part of the pad can grip a glazed section of the rotor, and this will cause your brake pedal to vibrate.

If you need new pads, call us right away at Tom Bush MINI, and our expert technicians will fit them for you.

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