what do i do about my brakes?

Question

i have a 2002 dodge neon and my brake or i think my back brake pads are going out how long can i drive safely and with messing up my car?

Answer 1

Riding with the rear brakes out for to long will cause the front brakes to pick-up the extra load or force wearing them down faster causing you to need a complete brake job. So try to get rear brakes repaired as soon as possible either way your coming out of the pocket. The scrubbing sound you'll hear will eventually drive you crazy.

Answer 2

ok well since your car is a front wheel drive car... then your braking is mainly in your fronts not your back brakes. Because the majority of your cars wieght is in the front....i highly doubt its your back....but it is possible. Depending on how long you have been driving on them....When your pedal starts to vibrate and start hearing a grinding noise with moderate to heavy braking....then it is time to do it then or ASAP. If you drive on them too long you WILL need to replace your rotors....which will be about $40 to $60 a piece. And the same for your drums too. Drums are your rear brakes.

Answer 3

It depends. Are they just squeaking (which usually indicates that you are at the warning tabs) or do they sound like they are grinding? If just squeaking, you can go another month or 2. If they are grinding, it probably means that you've already gone thru the pad and now you are just grinding your rotors. If that happens, not only do you get poor braking, you also have to replace your rotors as well as your pads. Don't let it get this far.

Answer 4

If you're hearing the brakes making noise, ASAP. You don't want the brake pads to wear completely down to bare metal or you can do major damage to your rotors, etc. If you just feel they aren't stopping as good as they once were, they should be checked to see if they need to be changed or adjusted.

Answer 5

Midas Muffler (in my area, anyhow), will do a free brake inspection/adjustment nad tell you everything wrong.