When you hop into your car to take on your day, the brakes are one of the most important yet most often 
 forgotten mechanics at play. There are two parts of the system that every car owner in the Freehold, Englishtown, Manalapan, and Marlboro areas should know about. However, if you're not a car whiz, it can be tough to keep them straight.
Guess what? That's okay! In the following post, our service center experts at Freehold Subaru sat down to discuss the similarities and differences between brake pads vs. brake rotors. Check it out below!
An Introduction to Brake Pads
Brake pads are what gets squeezed to the rotor to slow or stop each wheel from spinning fast and forward, and are essentially on the battle lines of your car's braking system. Since brake pads are made up of organic materials, and have quite a bit of stress placed on them in stop-and-go traffic, they're also the part that wears down first and most often.
Taking care of your brake pads and having them replaced at routine intervals can protect the rest of your vehicle's braking system, like the rotors.
Every brake pad has a built-in indicator piece made of metal. As you can imagine, when it meets the metal rotor, it certainly makes its presence known. So, if you hear squealing when you push the brake pedal, then schedule an appointment to get your brakes evaluated by a professional car care provider.
An Introduction to Brake Rotors
When your car is in motion, the metal rotors affixed to each of your car's wheels rotates alongside to ensure proper motion. In the braking process, the rotors are one layer deeper than your brake pads and are the part that the brake pads clutch. Stop your cars rotors from rotating, and you stop your car from moving.
By composition, brake rotors are built to last longer than brake pads. Since they're made from a more robust material, you can expect to need to replace your rotors far less frequently than you would your brake pads.
If you apply your brakes gradually when you need to and don't sit in much stop and go traffic or panic brake often, your rotors should stand up to 70,000 miles on your odometer. Every car and driver is different, though, so be sure to consult your owner's manual, take your own driving habits into consideration, and when in doubt, ask for a professional auto technician's opinion.
Brake Pads vs Brake Rotors: Schedule Brake Service
Perhaps the only thing more important than knowing the difference between brake pads vs. brake rotors is 
 knowing an auto service provider in your area with expert technicians on staff, where you can get your car's brakes evaluated and taken care of when it's time to replace each component.
For drivers in the Freehold, Englishtown, Manalapan, and Marlboro areas, that's the Freehold Subaru service center! To ensure your brakes are working their best, contact us to schedule brake service today.
