What’s the Difference Between Brake Pads & Rotors?

No matter what type of vehicle you drive in Metro Vancouver, brake problems happen to all of us. Whether your car is new, old, aging, or has the fanciest and most expensive brakes that money can buy, you’ll experience brake wear and tear no matter what you do. And knowing what the difference between brake pads and rotors can be vital in knowing whether your brakes need immediate attention or not.

When your brakes start to fail, they bring with them all kinds of signs and symptoms. Knowing what to look and listen for is critical in knowing how much drive time you have left on your brakes. Which ultimately means knowing how safe you are on the road.

In today’s blog post, we’ll go into detail about the difference between brake pads and rotors, as well as many other brake system failure symptoms to be on the lookout for. And as a professional scrap car removal company serving the Lower Mainland since 2005, we’ve seen it all. So, allow us to share some of our knowledge with you today, and help keep yourself (and others) a little bit safe on the road.

Do Brake Rotors and Pads Do the Same Thing?

Brake pads and rotors work together to stop your car, but they are different parts. Brake pads are the components that make contact with the rotors to create the friction needed to stop the vehicle. They are typically made of materials like ceramic, metal, or organic compounds. When you press the brake pedal, the caliper clamps the brake pads onto the rotor.

Rotors (or brake discs) are the large metal discs that sit behind your wheels. The rotors are what the brake pads press against to stop the wheels from turning. They are usually made of cast iron or a composite material.

Brake pads are expendable and will wear down over time due to the friction, while rotors can last longer but may need to be resurfaced or replaced if they get too worn or damaged.

How Do You Know If You Need New Rotors on Your Car?

One of the most common signs that you need more than brake pads on your car is a shaky steering wheel. When rotors wear down, they tend to get gouges in them.

These gouges can happen due to uneven wear and tear, overuse, or even simply debris that has in your braking components. However, they can also be the product of improperly installed brake pads, defective brake pads, or corrosion or rust.

This is most commonly seen on vehicles that are older, are aging, or have been sitting for a long time. In fact, many of the older vehicles we buy that have just been left to sit have brake systems that are frozen. This makes the scrap car removal process tougher, as it’s hard to move a vehicle that can’t move. However, we are experts in our field and we can get even the toughest car out of the toughest spot!

This is one of the reasons Vancouverites and Fraser Valley-ians choose our scrap car removal services. They know that no matter where their vehicle is, what’s wrong with it, or how tough it is to extract, they’ll always get free towing, same day scrap car removal, and MORE cash for scrap cars than the other guys!

How Do You Know If You Need New Brakes on a Car?

Much like anything, there are always signs when any part of your braking system is starting to fail.

Signs You Need New Brakes

• Squealing
• Screeching
• Grinding
• New or worsening vibration
• Car pulling to one side
• New or worsening stopping power
• Shaking steering wheel
• Brake warning light, ABS light, or Check Engine Light comes on
• Spongy feeling brakes
• Leaking brake fluid
• Excessive mileage on the same set of brake pads and rotors

As you can see, there are many signs and symptoms that your brakes need replacing. However, knowing whether or not you need simply brake pads or brake pads and rotors is a job for a professional.

When the first signs of failing brakes appear, be sure to visit the good people at Budget Brake and Muffler Auto Repair for an in-depth inspection. They can tell you if the squealing is just a product of dust or dirt on your brakes. Or if you need to get your brake pads or rotors (or both!) replaced.

Disc brakes are the entire system that includes the brake pads, calipers, and rotors. The rotor is just one part of any braking system, including a disc brake system. Moreover, it’s the disc part that the pads clamp onto to create friction and slow down the car. So, while the rotor is part of the disc brake system, the terms aren’t interchangeable. They simply work together to ensure optimal stopping power.

While disc brakes are incredibly more common on today’s vehicles (and any more modern vehicle), some older vehicles use what’s called “drum brakes”. Drum brakes have brake shoes that press outward against a spinning drum to create friction and stop the vehicle. Disc brakes are generally more efficient and provide better stopping power. This is why they’re more common on modern cars, especially on the front wheels. Drum brakes can still be found on some rear wheels, however, even in newer models.

What Should I Do If I Need a Complete Brake Job?

Knowing what needs replacing and what doesn’t is one of the reasons people need a professional mechanic to diagnose their vehicle. Typically, when a vehicle is aging and needs a complete brake job, people will often scrap their car instead of fix it. The cost usually outweighs the remaining value in their vehicle. And when this happens, they turn to the scrap car removal services of More Cash For Scrap.

We offer MORE cash for scrap cars, trucks, SUVs, and vans than any other scrap car removal company in Metro Vancouver and the Fraser Valley. We have been scrapping cars since 2005, and we know that when a vehicle is getting older, brake problems aren’t the only issue.

So, when your brakes are starting to fail, they can often take other nearby components with them. Leaving you with major mechanical failure and a bill mechanic’s bill right along with it. Instead of forking out an arm and a leg for complex repairs, scrap your car with the scrap car removal services of More Cash for Scrap. We always pay MORE!

Cash for Cars with Mechanical Problems

Not every aging vehicle experiences major brake problems. Although they will all experience at least one MAJOR mechanical failure at some point during their life. Which is why More Cash For Scrap offers MORE cash for scrap cars, trucks, SUVs, and vans with mechanical issues or electrical problems as well.

If your vehicle needs a major repair or replacement of some sort, consider what it’s still worth, and then consider speaking with our scrap car removal team. We offer the most cash for cars that need repairs like:

• Engine replacement
• Transmission replacement
• Head gasket repair or replacement
• Complete brake job
• Suspension replacement or repair
• Catalytic converter replacement

Some of these repairs are worth doing, depending on the vehicle. However, if your vehicle is old, is aging, or has other major mechanical malfunctions or failures, it may be smarter to sell it rather that fix is. And we can help!

How Much Can You Scrap Your Car For?

We’ll make you a great offer right over the phone, and we don’t even need to see your vehicle to do it. Just provide our scrap car removal team with the make, model, year, condition, and location of your vehicle. If the vehicle is still drivable, let us know that too along with the current mileage.

Our junk car buying team will make you an instant cash offer right over the phone. And if you accept our offer, we’ll dispatch our free auto scrap pickup service to come collect your car that day. If you need a specific day and time, don’t worry, because we are happy to accommodate that as well.

We provide our scrap car removal services in the Lower Mainland 7 days a week, from 7:00 AM-11:00 PM. We even operate on many statutory holidays and especially love buying junk cars over long weekends. Just give our scrap car removal team a call today and find out what your vehicle is worth. You might be surprised!

What Types of Scrap Cars Do We Buy?

If it’s junk, chances are that we’ll buy it! Moreover, we aren’t picky about what type of scrap vehicles we buy. Additionally, we just pick it up and offer you MORE cash for scrap cars than the other guys.

We Are Always Looking to Buy:

• Scrap Cars – We happily accept all types of domestic and foreign models of cars in any age and condition. Even if it’s been in a few accidents, has rusted paint, or covered in dents, we’ll pay you cash for your junk car.
• Scrap Trucks – We will seriously buy every kind of scrap truck including pickups, large and small work trucks, and even 1-ton moving type junk trucks. If it was once a truck, or still is, we pay cash for it too.
• Scrap Vans – We take vans of all types, ages and sizes including minivans, 15 passenger vans, and even camper vans. If it’s a van, we’ll buy it.
• Scrap SUV’s – If your SUV is starting to seem like it’s destined for the scrap yard, call us instead and we’ll pay you more cash for it than anyone else.
• Scrap Buses – We even purchase scrap buses, big and small, converted to mobile homes or not. Any bus, any condition.

Even if your vehicle has failed a BC vehicle inspection, has severe collision damage, or still runs, but barely, we’ll offer you MORE cash for scrap cars than any other junk car removal company in the Lower Mainland. We always pay MORE!

Call Our Scrap Car Removal Team Today!

If you’ve got brake problems that are making your vehicle feel like it’s more work than it’s worth, call More Cash For Scrap.

We provide prompt and professional scrap car removal services anywhere in the Lower Mainland. From Hope to Squamish, we are here to make your junk car woes a thing of the past. We always pay MORE cash for scrap cars than the other guys (even when they have BAD brake issues).

If you want MORE customer service, MORE flexible scrap car removal, and MORE cash for scrap cars than the other guys are offering, call More Cash For Scrap. We always offer MORE!