Brake pads are important components of any vehicle braking system. If there is any problem while braking, the first thing that comes to mind is the brake pads. Without the brake pads, there will be serious consequences. But the question is, can you use front brake pads on rear?
No, you cannot use front brake pads on the rear because they are of different sizes. The front brake pads will be too big to fit in the rear caliper.
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What are Front Brake Pads?
Brake pads are the most important component of the braking system of a car. It does the most work, in fact. When a brake pedal is pressed, the components of the braking system work hand-in-hand via hydraulic pressure to move the brake pad to the rotor, making the car slow down.
That process of the brake pad hitting the rotor happens every time the brake pedal is depressed. It creates a high amount of heat and friction due to the intensity. That is why the brake pads of a car need to be changed frequently for it to be very effective.
Brake pads are quite small in size, roughly the same size as the palm of an adult. They are made up of two distinct parts – the backing plate and the friction material (which is attached to that plate).
The brakes in your car are made to withstand enormous pressure and changes in temperature. Kinetic energy from your foot is converted to heat energy when you step on the brakes.
When you step on the brakes, the braking force does not distribute equally across the four wheels of the car. The front-wheel usually takes more force compared to the rear wheels
When you talk about brakes, you can classify them into two categories: by the amount of work it does and how it does the work.
- In terms of the amount of work it does, brakes are categorized into two, rear brakes and front brakes.
- In terms of how it does the work, brakes are categorized into two, disc brakes and drum brakes.
What is the Difference Between Front and Rear Brake Pads?
The major difference between the front and rear brake pads is the difference in size. It is common for the front brake pads to wear out faster than the rear brake pads because of the intensity they face.
The differences between the front and rear brake pads are listed below:
1. Size Difference
This is the most obvious difference between these brake pads is the difference in size. To stop a car effectively, the brake calipers have to squeeze the brake pads onto the brake disc.
There is a difference in the size of calipers from the rear brake pads to the front brake pads, hence the difference in brake pad sizes.
2. Caliper Sizes
Due to the pressure and force applied on the front brake pads, the calipers do more work than the calipers at the rear so they have to be a different size to be able to withstand the force.
The size of the caliper is not the only difference, the shape of the caliper differs as well. You cannot use the rear brake pads for the front and vice versa because they will not fit on the calipers of either.
3. Front Pad Wear
The front brake pads wear out faster than the rear. This is because there is more force applied to the front brake pads during the braking process.
The weight is always transferred to the front any time the brake pads are in use, thus making them wear out faster than the rear brake pads.
Can You Use Front Brake Pads on Rear?
No, front brake pads cannot be interchanged with rear brake pads. The force applied on the front brake calipers means they do more work than the rear brake pads. If you interchange them, you will find that they will not fit on the same calipers.
Are Front and Rear Brake Pads the Same Size?
The short answer for this is no. The front and rear brake pads are not the same in size. The front brake pads are considerably bigger in size than the rear brake pads.
The calipers of the front brake pads are larger than the calipers of the rear brake pads because more work is carried out at the front than at the back.
Why are Front Brake Pads Bigger than the Rear?
Front brake pads are bigger than rear brake pads because they work significantly harder than rear pads. The force imposed on them is very much and heavy so they need to be large enough to withstand the force applied to them.
How Do You Tell if Front or Rear Brake are Squeaking?
The squeaking sound from your brakes can be really annoying and frustrating because you do not know if it’s coming from the front or rear brakes.
The text below does not work on all cars. It only works for vehicles that have the emergency brake (pull type) that you can release immediately with the button.
Therefore, follow the steps below to know whether it’s the front or rear brakes that are squeaking;
- Get into the car and drive, wind down the windows.
- Apply the brakes normally and identify the pressure and speed on the brake where the squeaks come.
- Do this same thing again but now, pull the e-brake handle up slowly and look out for the house (don’t forget to keep your finger on the button of the e-brake so it does not lock).
- If you hear the squeaking noise while using the emergency brake but not when pushing the brake pedal, then the noise is from the REAR.
- If you cannot hear any noise when using the emergency brake but you can hear it when you are pressing on the brake pedal, it means the noise is coming from the front brake in MOST cases.
- If you use a car where you cannot do the test using the emergency brake, you can make someone drive the car, then you will have to stick your head out the window to listen for the noise.
- When doing this, drive very close to a building and look out for the noise. The walls of the building amplify sounds so it will be easier to locate.
The noise from the front or rear brakes might be caused by improper installation, loose shims, or even improper bedding procedures.
When you located where the noise is coming from, it will be easier for you to fix it and get rid of the squeaks.
Final Thoughts
Brake pads help the braking process happen smoothly. When they are faulty, your brakes will produce a squeaking noise that is really uncomfortable. Identify where the noise is coming from so you can fix it and enjoy your driving.