How long can you drive without brake pads?

Question

MrOracle · Accepted Answer

Brake pads are some of the least expensive car parts and are relatively easy to install yourself. Allowing them to wear out means you will almost certainly have to replace the rotors as well - not difficult for most vehicles but extra expense.

I always tell people that if a shop ever tells that you are below 40% remaining, and you aren't a super diligent person, then have them replaced. It will be relatively cheap $250 or less at a shop, or $75 or less for pads (for 2 wheels) if you can do the work yourself. And your brakes are the most important system on your car.

YouTube is full of great videos that will teach you how to do a brake job. Watch several of them before you work on brakes for the first time, but it's not difficult. I've done at least 50 brake jobs over the years.

Telekinetic-Potato · Accepted Answer

It depends on driving style and weight of the vehicle. In my experience, once it’s metal on metal you’re really only safe to assume 3 weeks max.

eventually, the piston in your brake caliper will extend so far that it breaks the water tight seal keeping all your brake fluid in.

In most cars, including expensive German ones, a leak anywhere in the system will affect all 4 wheels. The pressure will slowly lower and most people won’t notice until they need to slam on the brakes but almost nothing happens.

the only hope you have at that point is hoping you can build enough pressure by pumping the brakes and even then, it wouldn’t be a bad idea to use the e brake once your speed is under 25mph

dustybiker2 · Accepted Answer

Yeah.. I'm in the red with truck at the moment too. Life likes to pop up with annoyances.  Just get them. I will eventually. lol

Apple1996 · Accepted Answer

You should probably just get brake pads

OlderAndWiser · Answer

Q. How long can you drive without brake pads? A. Until you need to stop.

patois · Answer

What would be the point. You can get a set of front or rear pads for like $20-30 and it takes about 15 minutes per wheel to change break pads. You also need to have some silicone break lubricant, break cleaner, and loctite and maybe a couple chuck peices of 2x4s laying around and an IQ of about 85. Your car probably came with a basic jack and a tire iron. Other than that having sockets on hand is nice, but you can do it with a small box wrench. If you can afford a tank of gas, you can afford to change at least one set of breaks.

WindAtMyBack · Answer

You don't need brake pads if you don't care if you kill little children.

But seriously. If you don't have ANY brake pads, don't drive, period. If only the back are bald (metal on metal), you can probably get by for a short distance if you drive slowly and are very careful. But it's a really stupid thing to do.

Also, if you have rear disc brakes, your emergency brake might still work. But it's a terrible way to stop a car and should only be used in a true emergency.

Driving without brakes is just asking to get killed, or to kill someone else.

mobiusforniner · Answer

Does your car have a manual e-brake? Most older cars with the e brake have spring and cable operated drums on the rear which serve as backup should the front hydraulic disc brakes fail. But even then, the drum brakes are less effective and won’t active your brake lights so using them is for emergency only

no pads on the front disc brakes means pressing the brake pedal will eventually result in metal to metal contact between the disc and back plate. You won’t stop, and your brakes will get extremely hot. Metal retains heat and excessive use in this condition will melt the caliper, disc or even start a fire.

If you don’t trust your mechanic, take the front tire off and look at the pads yourself. Most have wear marks such that if you are really thin, you should absolutely replace them. My guess if you’re asking this question, you probably lack such mechanic aptitude in which case you should heed their advice

Goahead76 · Answer

Once the pads are gone it starts tearing into the rotors and gets a lot more expensive.

Brakes are easy to change though, I've done my own in an hour or two, floor jack, tire iron, a few wrenches, $35 for pads, $10 dollar caliper compression tool, apply the paste in the right areas. If you've never done it there are tons of YouTube videos, any guy or girl can do it. The trickiest part really is jacking up the car safely & knowing the lift points, and torquing your lug nuts back on when you're finished. 2 hour job even for a beginner.

AviatorTom · Answer

I'm guessing a mechanic told you that your car needs brake pads, that the current ones are worn. You can drive for a while but eventually you will lose the ability to brake and will crash.

Don't fool around with brakes. Get them properly serviced now. The longer you wait, the more damage will be done, and the more expensive it will be.

RingOfFire · Answer

I'd say as long as you can stand the squeal and until you hit the brakes at 75 miles an hour to avoid the head-on collision with an 18-wheeler and they don't work.

After that it's probably too late to get new pads... Or at least you will have to order them long distance and they can't put them on the wheels once they're bent into a pretzel anyway.

Blueeyes81 · Answer

You don't want to. I wore through my brake pads in my early 20's. I had just moved and was broke broke. Once I got a job and was able to afford it I took it in to the shop. It was metal on metal and you could here my breaks squeal for miles. It ended up being about 10 times the cost of of just replacing the pads. So you can drive without pads (taking safety out of the equation.) but it will cost you.

onedarkcloud · Answer

You can drive thousands of miles till you need to stop. Then if you don't hit anybody or anything you will most probably have thousands of dollars of damage to the braking system and body parts depending upon what breaks and jams the moving wheel. Not a smart thing to do

Static_In_The_Attic · Answer

All the way to the scene of the accident.

TommyMountainFigure · Answer

Oh dear.  Driving without brake pads means you wear down the drums and probably the cylinders too.. that turns a relatively cheap job in to a damned expensive one!

purplepoppy · Answer

You can't. You're vehicle isn't roadworthy and you be in a heap of shit if you have an accident.

MysticDevice · Answer

WithOUT brake pads? Like, you just have word down pads, or no pads at all. Either way, uh... don't. Just don't.

Chazmatazz269 · Answer

You can drive without brakes indefinitely. Brakes help you stop, not drive.

joehypo1 · Answer

The longer you go the more money it cost to fix them brakes are easy to do

PointlessNonsenseGuy · Answer

You can drive without brake pads for a really long time. Stopping might be a problem though.

Nikki1989 · Answer

You will cause major to your car or yourself or both if you don't change them.

Finchie40 · Answer

Not very long unless you want to tear into your rotors and have to replace them as well

genericname85 · Answer

without? you can drive all you want. just stopping or slowing down fast is gonna be the issue.

Darkchild25 · Answer

You cannot. Or thinking about it you'll drive until you object Infront of you stops the car as you'll have no other way.

Sasquach · Answer

Until you crash. It's usually under $50 - just get the parts and follow the steps on youtube

exitseven · Answer

If there is no traffic you can go pretty far.

ChiTown33 · Answer

Forever (or till the gas runs out). You just won't be able to stop!🤣

In_Trance · Answer

You can drive as long as you want; you won't be able to stop

Luckycharms12 · Answer

You can drive however stopping would be your biggest problem

WhiteBoyChill · Answer

Why would you drive without brake pads for ANY amount of time?

mickeysmonkey · Answer

You can drive a long way, the stoping may be a little rough

normalice · Answer

The rest of your life.

DrPepper12 · Answer

Zero. The answer is zero.

Booklover_90 · Answer

I wouldn’t risk it. Go get service  now.

jahaims · Answer

Until you need to stop

AngryCarl · Answer

Until you hit something solid.

Surely · Answer

Until you run into something!

Awantika03 · Answer

When road 🛣️ will be made for me only 😂

legalboxers · Answer

until you fail vehicle inspection

Charliefretz329 · Answer

Until something else stops you

impalabill77 · Answer

Are your brake pads not there or wire down

Fireguy17 · Answer

About 50 feet

KrakenAttackin · Answer

Good grief.

How long can you drive without brake pads?

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