Do Brake Pads Come in Pairs? [Reasons Explained for Beginners]

Pairs. That’s what you’re thinking of, isn’t it? You and your partner, two peas in a pod. But no, that’s not what I’m talking about. When I say “pairs,” I’m referring to the two brake pads on each side of your car. So, do brake pads come in pairs?  

Yes, they do. But what if you only need to replace one brake pad? What do you do with the other one? Do you throw it away? Do you keep it in your glove box in case of an emergency?

We’ll discuss all that in our article. 

Do Brake Pads Come in Pairs

Do Brake Pads Come in Pairs?

Yes, brake pads are always placed in pairs to ensure braking balance. Because heavy trucks are offered by the wheel, you’ll need two sets (4 brake pads) to complete one axle.

Front Brakes

Just to know it simply, front brakes are those brakes that are with the front wheels. They got more rigidity and can tolerate more temperature changes. Because of the smaller size of their brake calipers, they have less clamping force. Surely, they take more load while stopping the car. 

Air is drawn through the brakes by aerodynamic characteristics on the body and then under the automobile, helping to dissipate heat. Front brakes have larger brake pads, along with larger, thicker, and ventilated brake rotors.

Rear Brakes

The rear brakes, as their name implies, are attached to the back wheels of the vehicle and do not receive as much load when the vehicle is stopped. Brakes on these cars are less susceptible to temperature changes as a result of this. These brake calipers are small, which means they have less clamping power.

Their solid brake rotors don’t have to dissipate that much heat. Rear brakes have smaller brake pads, along with smaller, thinner, and closed brake rotors.

Disc Brakes

Disc brakes work by forcing the pads to rub against the discs or rotors. Because of the rubbing, the wheel slows down, lowering the car’s speed. Those are in the front brakes and rear brakes as well. Disc brakes usually generate a lot of friction to make the process appear to be much easier than it is.

How Many Brake Pads Come in a Box?

In a box, the manufacturers serve four brake pads. They are for one axile, as you need all four for your car (both sides). Some manufacturers fit some other necessary pieces of machinery to fix them nicely to your car. 

There is a complete set of pads in the box. To make your job easier, they provide lubricants, cables, rubber bags, and other supplies. Supplier to supplier, these additional items can vary.

How Many Brake Pads Does A Car have?

Normally the cars have 2 pads on each wheel. We need 4 -pads for a car (usually for private cars and small trucks). But some cars use 2 pads for a single wheel. Those need 8 pads for the car in total. The larger cars and heavy vehicles often follow this format.

What Happens When I Don’t Change Brake Pads in Pairs? 

You may find both opinions out there. Some people say it to be changed in pairs, and another group of people doesn’t think it is necessary. For some valid reasons, we opt to choose the first one. Let’s understand the issue.

Because they handle the bulk of the work, the front brake pads will need to be replaced more frequently. It’s possible that the work will become unbalanced if we don’t swap out the rear pads this time. So if we swap out the pads in pairs, that’s a nice idea.

Signs for Brake Pads Replacement

Signs for Brake Pads Replacement

Brake pads take a heavy load while the car is working. So it gets damaged on a regular basis, and it needs to be replaced. I am going to list 5 signs to understand the replacing time of the pads:

  • Repetitive noise from the brakes
  • Brake Pedal with Waves
  • The front side moves in one direction when you stop your car
  • Takes a longer time to brake
  • inexplicable leaks

Brake pads should be replaced if you see any of these five indicators with your vehicle. Procrastination just serves to exacerbate the problem.

Should You Change All Brake Pads at Once

Yes, it’s a good idea to do this. There are numerous dangers that you can avoid if you do this. Each of the vehicle’s four brakes performs different functions. 

However, if you merely alter one or two of the wheels, the vehicle will be unbalanced. One at a time, then. Despite the fact that it’s not cost-effective, we believe it will be useful in the future.

Can I Just Replace Brake Pads, Not Rotors

Technically the answer is ‘Yes’. But we think you shouldn’t do it. This may seem very economical and lucrative to just change the brake pads or rotors at a time. But if you consider the long run, then this can cause you larger damage.

Because the new wheels don’t quite fit the old ones, they may continue to make a racket. The brake pads and the rotors are designed to work together, but if you merely replace one, the car may bump gently but frequently while driving. In addition to this, this imbalance has potentially larger dangers.

Conclusion

Brake pads are important for your car. And they do come in pairs. Brake pads are offered in a set of four, one for each of the four wheels. When it comes to fitting something with wheels, it must come in pairs.

By using all the necessary things that are served with the brake pads, we need to fix it nicely with the wheels. And changing them right away when it shows any irregularities, is the task we need to follow. Good luck with your brake pads!