How Many Brake Pads Per Wheel? - Vehicle Freak

• Emma Davies

Updated on September 14, 2022

If you are experiencing problems when braking, it may be down to your car’s brake pads. Over time brake pads can wear down and will need replacing.

If you are about to replace your car’s brake pads, you may be wondering how many brake pads per wheel are there? If you want to know how many brake pads are on your car, keep reading this article because we have all the answers.

Cars either have four or eight brake pads in total. Brake pads are an essential part of a hydraulic braking system and there are two brake pads per wheel.

Older cars used drum brakes to slow the vehicle down, these did not use brake pads and relied on brake shoes to apply pressure instead.

More modern cars use disc brakes, these have a caliper, a rotor, and two brake pads that work together to reduce speed. However, some cars have a combination of drum brakes and disc brakes.

If your car has disc brakes on the front wheels and drum brakes on the back, your car will only have 4 brake pads. However, as there are 2 pads per wheel with disc brakes, if all four wheels use these brakes there will be 8 brake pads in total.

How Many Brake Pads Per Wheel?

A car braking system is essential and is made up of several different components. If your car uses disc brakes (which most modern vehicles do), the braking system is made up of a brake disc that is attached to the wheel and spins at the same speed, a caliper, and two brake pads.

The brakes are made from a hydraulic system, this means when you compress the brake pedal, brake fluid is sent to the pistons in the caliper. The pressure behind the caliper causes them to push the brake pads towards the discs, creating friction to slow the wheel down.

Each wheel has two brake pads, an outer and an inner pad. When the caliper clamps around the rotor (disc), it pushes both brake pads towards the spinning rotor.

In modern sports cars, you are likely to find disc brakes on the front and back axels and most other cars will have disc brakes on the front and drum wheels on the back.

As each wheel with a disc brake uses 2 brake pads, if all four of your car’s wheels have these brakes installed you will have a total of 8 brake pads on your car.

However, just to make things a little confusing, not all cars use four disc brakes so there are vehicles that do not have eight brake pads. Keep reading to learn why this is.

What is the Difference Between Disc and Drum Brakes?

The number of brake pads your car has will depend on how many disc brakes it uses. Older vehicles use drum brakes on all of the wheels and these did not have any brake pads as a part of the system.

Instead of brake pads and a caliper, drum brakes are made up of a wheel cylinder, brake shoes, springs, and a drum.

When you hit the brake pedal in a vehicle using drum brakes, the brake fluid is sent to pistons inside the wheel cylinder which push the springs into the brake shoes.

As the brake shoes are pushed out, they create friction with the drum and slow the car. As you can see, there are no brake pads or discs used in these brakes, it is the brake shoes and the drum that create the friction needed to stop.

Since the invention of disc brakes, fewer and fewer vehicles are being fitted with drum brakes. Drum brakes have fallen out of favor as they do not offer as much stopping power while steering as disc brakes and they are known to overheat.

With drum brakes, all the moving parts are encased inside the drum and this can cause them to overheat. However, disc brakes have their working parts exposed, this helps to prevent overheating, as well as debris buildup and rust.

There are car models that still use drum brakes on the rear wheels in 2022. When you brake, the weight of the car shifts to the front wheels so it makes sense for these wheels to have disc brakes, as they are proven to perform better.

Drum brakes still work well and you will not be at risk if you have them on your rear wheels, but for optimum stopping power when driving at higher speeds and steering, disc brakes are the best choice.

Signs of Worn Brake Pads

Disc brakes are the most common brakes that drivers will find on their cars in 2022. The rotor, caliper, and brake pad design offer the best possible performance for stopping and their design means they are less likely to be damaged by rust or overheating.

However, brake pads do not last forever. Over time, brake pads need placing as the friction material will wear away and leave the metal backing exposed.

When metal rubs again metal, especially at speed, this can cause significant damage and the rotor or caliper may need to be replaced.

Whether your car has four brake pads or eight, it is important to know what signs of wear and tear to look out for. Here are the most common signs that your brake pads need to be replaced:

• The brake pedal vibrates when compressed
• You hear a screeching or grinding sound when you brake
• The car pulls to one side during braking
• It takes longer to brake
• There is a clicking sound

If you notice any of the above issues, it may be time to replace your brake pads. Driving with worn-out pads is dangerous as it can make it more difficult to stop your car – not to mention the expensive damage it can cause!

When changing the brake pads, it is important to change both the pads on the wheel and all the pads on the same axle.

For example, front brake pads often wear down quicker as they work harder than those in the rear. To keep your car braking smoothly and to keep even wear across all the brakes, you would need to change all four brake pads on the front axle, two on each wheel.

When the time comes to change your rear brake pads, you will again need to replace all four but not necessarily the ones in the front too. Here is a video to show you how to change the brake pads on your car.

FAQs

Do brake pads come in packs of 2?

Yes, brake pads come in packs of 2. There are 2 brake pads per wheel and new pads are sold in pairs. It is important to change both pads at the same time and to also change any other brake pads on the same axle.

Changing both pads on the wheel will make sure the pads wear away at the same time and last for as long as possible.

How many brake pads do a front wheel have?

There are two brake pads per wheel. If your car uses disc brakes on the front and rear axle there are eight brake pads in total. Whichever wheel they are on, if your car has disc brakes there will be two pads per wheel.

Do you have to change brake pads on both sides?

Yes, when you are changing brake pads you need to replace them on both sides. You do not need to change the brake pads on the front and rear wheels at the same time, but it is always important to change all the brake pads on the same axle.

You must also always replace the inner and outer brake pad on a wheel at the same time.

Are there 2 brake pads on all 4 wheels?

If your vehicle uses disc brakes on the front and rear axle, there will be 2 brake pads on all four wheels. However, some car models still use drum brakes on the rear wheels, these older style brakes use brake shoes instead of brake pads to stop.

If your car uses a combination of drum brakes and disc brakes, there will be two brake pads on both front wheels but none on the wheels at the back.

How often should brake pads be replaced?

How often you need to change your brake pads will depend on how regularly you drive your car and, more importantly, how you drive your car.

If you like to drive at speed and slam the brakes on when you need to stop, instead of slowing down gradually, your brake pads are being put under a lot of pressure.

Also, a driver who uses their car twice a week is not going to need to change their brake pads as frequently as someone who is driving miles every day.

The general rule is brake pads should be replaced approximately every 10,000 – 40,000 miles, but it really does vary from car to car.

Conclusion

All cars using disc brakes will have 2 brake pads per wheel. However, not all cars have eight brake pads! If your car uses disc brakes and drum brakes, there will be a total of four brake pads, two on each front wheel.

However, sports cars and high-performance cars often have disc brakes on both axles, utilizing the superior stopping power of eight brake pads.

Regardless of whether your car has four or eight brake pads, it is important that you do not let them wear down too far.

The friction material on brake pads is essential in applying the necessary pressure to slow the rotor and stop the wheel from spinning. If you hear a grinding sound or are having trouble stopping, it might be time to get those brake pads replaced.

Here are some other related topics for you to check out:

Are Brake Pads Universal?

What Is The Minimum Brake Pad Thickness? (2022 Recommended Thickness)

Do New Brakes Smell and Smoke? Is That Normal?