Brake pads

The brake pads, also called brake stones, are located between the brake caliper and the brake disc in every car that has a disc brake. At the same time, high quality and functioning brake blocks are extremely important for your safety and that of other road users. They ensure efficient and reliable braking even at high speeds. In the lower part of the page you can find out more about the function, the structure of the brake pads and when you should change the brake pads.

The function of brake pads briefly described

As soon as the brake pedal is depressed in the vehicle, the brake pads are guided against the brake discs. Due to the resulting pressure and friction, the kinetic energy generated during driving is converted into heat energy by the brake disc. The vehicle is braked and can thus also be stopped.
Brake blocks must accordingly have the following aspects:

• Mechanical load capacity
• temperature resistance
• constant coefficient of friction

A wear of the brake pads due to external influences such as dirt, corrosion or a glazing of the surface caused by heat is unavoidable in the long run. Functioning brake pads ensure optimum friction on the brake disc and thus a short braking distance. Overheating of the brake discs is also prevented with a constant coefficient of friction.

The components of brake pads are:

ORIGINAL brake pads consist of several layers, which are structured as follows:

• damping plate - often but not always
• lining support plate
• brake lining intermediate layer "Underlayer"
• Friction material

Damping plates provide a noise reduction during braking. The friction material in ORIGINAL brake pads is approx. 15-30 millimetres thick. The composition of the friction material varies from manufacturer to manufacturer. Furthermore, the pad mixture also depends on the requirements of the respective vehicle.

The friction material used consists mainly of metals such as copper, iron and brass. In addition, there is graphite and silicon carbide, as well as antimony, molybdenum and zinc sulphides, rubber, glass and occasionally even carbon. Synthetic and natural resins are then added to the material as fillers.

Another variant of brake pads are ceramic brake pads. They contain special friction agents, fillers, binders and fibers and are thus somewhat more expensive than ordinary brake pads. They are characterized by a longer service life, greater comfort when braking, and less brake dust.

When do I have to buy new brake pads?

To check whether a brake pad change is necessary, it is not always absolutely necessary to disassemble the surrounding components. Nowadays many vehicles have a brake pad wear indicator or warning contact indicator. These inform the driver via an indicator in the car or via an acoustic tone as soon as it is necessary to replace the brake pads. Brake pads that have a warning contact cable have this either permanently integrated or must be purchased additionally. This is the case with many BMW or VAG Group vehicles. Acoustic warning contacts are often installed at OPEL and FORD.

In general, the brake pads must not be less than 4 millimetres thick. Depending on the manufacturer, the thickness can also be higher. Brake pads should be checked at every inspection. The other components of the brake system should also be checked regularly. It is difficult to generalise about the cost of brake pad replacement. Here there are large price differences between manufacturers and vehicles. The brake pad change takes about 30-45 minutes per wheel.

New ORIGINAL brake blocks provide more safety in dangerous situations. They have a predictable mileage and meet the requirements of the respective vehicles and vehicle manufacturers. Identical and imitation parts, on the other hand, usually only adhere to certain limit values. Identical parts can therefore have a lower friction coefficient, which can lead to a significantly longer braking distance.

We offer a variety of ORIGINAL brake pads from manufacturers such as VAG-Group, BMW, PSA-Group, Ford, Mercedes-Benz, Opel, Porsche and Renault. For VAG Group vehicles, the PR numbers are helpful in finding the right brake pads. Many of the ORIGINAL brake pads are available directly from our warehouse. We are happy to help you find the exact item that fits your vehicle. If you are not sure which brake pads are suitable for your vehicle, please contact our customer service with your 17-digit chassis number.