Mondeo Brake Pads - Minimum Thickness?

rule of thumb is one eigth of an inch, which is 3.2mm

You know how the car is driven, so you can be judge, but if you do a lot of miles, or use the car fairly hard then I would change them now, or at least inspect them again very soon. If you just poodle about then check them next year.

mrcheerful

As long as there is at least some friction material then I don't see why there should be any recommended thickness, other than to ensure that you have enough left until the next time you look at them, whenever that is.

It's not like the thickness of a disc, which can break off if you let it get too thin.

Rob Graham

I do about 220 miles a week but it's all fairly gentle motorway stuff and I'm one of the rare breed that actually leaves a sensible gap and anticipates the road ahead, so the brakes don't get *worked* that hard... I'll keep an eye on the pads, frankly there's a bit of pulsing through the pedal and I reckon the disks themselves could do with changing in the next year, so if I do I'll obviously changes the pads then as well.

Good grief, that sounds perfectly sensible to me!!!

mrcheerful

2mm seems to be the norm - but pop to halfords and have a peek in a Hayes manual just to see ....

In my opinion they need changing now.

Bill

For MOT purposes,

5mm? I've seen new pads with less than that on.

The message from "Tim S Kemp" contains these words:

Some people have more money than sense. For me, 5mm is probably enough to outlast the vehicle.

No you haven't. Not conventional fibre pads anyway.

would appear to bear that statement out.As long as they have sufficient performance and don't pull to either sidethey should pass. I find this link a useful reference. It has indicated tome that two previous MOT fails I have had have been on the whim of thetester rather than by the book. Next time I need an MOT I'll be moreconfident if they try it on. Maybe whoever told the poster that

Section 3.5 point f, if you can tell that any pad or shoe has less than

1.5mm thickness left then it's a fail. You can't take the wheel off to check though.

I usually like to change the pads when they're about half-way worn. Wasteful, perhaps, but I always think it's good for the caliper if the piston doesn't have to extend itself further out of the bore (and thus become potentially exposed to crud). I don't know if this really is the case, but it makes me feel better, anyway...!

Brian.

Try looking under "Mechanical brake components", "f, security and excessice wear of brake linings/pads"

You will have fun if you try telling then they are 'trying it on' for failing pads worn to 1mm!

Well it was actually VOSA that told me, when I took my MOT inspector training course. AFAIAA, VOSA do not generally sell brake services.