The front disc brake pads are equipped with a metal tab which will come into contact with the disc after the friction surface material has worn near its usable minimum. The wear indicators make a constant, distinct metallic sound that should be easily heard. (The sound has been described as similar to either fingernails on a blackboard or a field full of crickets.) The key to recognizing that it is the wear indicators and not some other brake noise is that the sound is heard when the vehicle is being driven WITHOUT the brakes applied. It may or may not be present under braking during normal driving.
| Fig. 1: The wear indicators on the brake pads indicates
when the brake pads have worn down to the point when pad replacement is
necessary
|
It should also be noted that any disc brake system, by its design, cannot be made to work silently under all conditions. Each system includes various shims, plates, cushions and brackets to suppress brake noise but no system can completely silence all noises. Some brake noise — either high or low frequency — can be considered normal under some conditions. Such noises can be controlled and perhaps lessened, but cannot be totally eliminated.
