Worn brake discs: risks and replacement costs. Every how many km change the brake discs, how to understand if they are worn and video tutorials to determine their thickness.
The discs of the brakes allow the slowing or stopping of the wheels through the creation of friction between the brake pads and discs. In practice, when you press the brake, a caliper system presses the pads on the brake system disc and thus slows down or stops the car. Disc brakes quickly became popular as a replacement for old drum brakes because they last longer and wear harder. On this page we will see when to change the brake discs , how much it costs to change the brake discs and what you risk circulating with worn brake discs , let’s start from here!
Worn brake discs: risks
Driving with worn brake discs is dangerous not only for your safety and for those who cross your path on the road but also for your pockets: worn discs can cause other problems to the braking system with increased repair and replacement costs for the discs themselves.
The risks associated with worn brake discs should not be underestimated because you risk losing control of the car and causing accidents, keep in mind that with car brake problems you can create a rear-end collision, even hit a pedestrian or fail to keep the trajectory of a curve. When you drive at high speeds, with worn brake discs you can also overturn the car … in short: road safety is no joke.
The durability of the brake discs
After how many km do you have to change the brake discs? It is not possible to talk about a minimum duration or how many km to travel before changing the discs again , it all depends on how much you test the braking system. Generally, when you replace the brake pads, they also check the discs, informing you of any loss of thickness or grooves.
In addition, if you are late to replace the brake pads, your discs may fail prematurely and you will be forced to replace the brake discs ahead of time.
In general, experts recommend replacing the brake discs every 80,000 km, however if you always drive on the motorway, where the braking system is less stressed, you could even exceed the 100,000 km threshold before you get to replace the discs !
Is it necessary to replace a brake disc with a step?
The brake discs can also be scratch and presenting one step, this happens when for too long have neglected the replacement of the brake pads or have used defective pads. If your brake disc has a “step”, it will not need to be replaced as the pad will settle and the caliper system will conform to the shape of the disc. Trust your mechanic who should tell you the same thing, unless the discs, in addition to having a step, are also of reduced thickness and risk.
Brake disc replacement: costs
How much does it cost to replace brake discs? The cost depends a lot on the price requested for the hourly labor of your trusted mechanic and also on the spare part (from the new disc). As a guideline, the cost for replacing brake discs ranges from 200 euros for city cars and small cars up to 500 euros for sedans and more famous cars.
In general, the cost is divided as follows: 100 – 400 euros, brake disc price and about 100 euros for labor.
Minimum thickness of brake discs
Also in this case we cannot speak of a minimum thickness as an absolute value because a lot depends on the type of disc you have on your car. In general, to check the wear of the brake discs you can refer to the following video.
