Are Rear & Front Brake Pads Different?
by Erica Gendler
The most significant difference between front and rear brake pads is probably the size difference, but it's important to note that the front brake pads typically wear out faster than the rear, as they handle more of the braking process.
Size Difference in Pads
Stopping the car requires the brake calipers to squeeze the brake pads onto the brake disc to slow the car. Because there is a difference in the sizes of the calipers from the front to the rear, the size of the brake pads will differ.
Calipers Sizes
Front brake calipers work significantly harder than the rear, which requires them to be a different size to handle the force that is applied to them. Not only does the size of the caliper differ from the rear, but the shape of it differs too. The front and rear brake pads cannot be interchanged, as the front pads will not fit on the calipers of the rear and vice-versa.
Front Pad Wear
Wearing of the front brake pads occurs faster in the front, as the weight of the car wants to continue to move forward when the brake pads apply force to the discs to slow the vehicle. Because the weight is constantly transferred forward each time the brake pads are put to use, they typically wear out quicker.
References
Writer Bio
Erica Gendler has been writing professionally for over six years. Her works were first published in 2004 in her high school quarterly newspaper, "The Warrior." She has written for the weekly college newspaper, "The Snapper," at Millersville University and graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree in English from West Chester University in 2010.
