The main purpose of brake clips is to push the pad away from the rotor, so it isn’t constantly rubbing against it and creating a high degree of friction. They also keep your brake pads from coming loose, but are they entirely necessary? Would your car still be safe without them?
Brake pad clips are necessary and you should ensure that you have brake clips on your brake pads whenever you install the new pads. In 2016, a Swedish study was conducted on the efficacy of brake clips. The study concluded that brake clips are definitely necessary.
The clips are necessary for the longevity of your brake pad and for the safety of your brake system. If one of those brake pads becomes loose, you’re down to one functioning brake pad on that end, along with metal-on-metal contact on the failed brake pad.
The 2016 Brake Pad Study in Sweden
Whether or not you need brake pad clips has often been a source of contention, with most people simply claiming that it is recommended rather than absolutely necessary. The study conducted in Sweden changed all of that.
The study was conducted by engineers at Carlson and their conclusion was that brake clips both save money and reduce noise on the vehicle’s rotors. The study also concluded that you should change your brake clips every time you change your brake pads.
Worn brake clips are compared to worn-out shoelaces in the study, with the neatly drawn-out analogy suggesting that no one would use their old, worn-out shoelaces on a brand new pair of shoes. It doesn’t make sense there and it doesn’t make sense with new brake pads either.
The study discovered that 100% of all used clips, even if they were used only through one set of brake pads, failed all OEM specifications. Not only does changing the brake clips with the new pads reduce noise and brake pad loss, but it also saves you money and keeps you safer on the road.
Preparing and Installing New Brake Pads and Clips
Clips aren’t going to do you any good if you don’t install them the right way. Whenever you put new brake pads on, you should always spend a little bit of extra to grab some clips. In fact, most of the brake pads that are available on the market come with brake pad clips.
Just like you have a left and a right brake pad, you also have left and right clips. Right-side clips won’t install on the left and vice versa. Every brake pad for different make and model cars are going to be shaped a little differently, however, the installation process is generally the same.
When you are looking at the rotor and the brake caliper (the piece that holds the brake pad up against the rotor) you will usually see two spring clips at the top of the caliper. You can use a pair of needle-nose pliers to pry them out.
That should make the brake pad slide out since it is probably worn down close to the metal. If nothing else, it will loosen the caliper enough so that you can probably tap it loose off of the rotor.
Once you compress the mechanism that forces the pad up against the rotor, install your new brake pad and slide your new brake clips over the top and back in where the clips that you removed previously were located.
You may not notice that the clips are doing anything other than resting on the brake pads. This is what leads a lot of people to believe that the brake clips are hardly necessary. They don’t seem to change much of anything.
However, you’re dealing with the immense force of compression and friction at highway speeds, so you will never actually see the clips in action or the fact that they effectively separate the body of the pad from the rotor.
You’ll know that the brake pad clips are properly installed because they will fit perfectly and clamp into place once you slide them into the right place. Once you’re all done, you should take the vehicle out for a spin to test everything out and ensure that the brake pads and clips were installed correctly.
How to Find the Right Clips for Your Brake Pads
As we mentioned above, every car or truck has its own kind of brake pads and brake clips. Since they aren’t universal, you will have to find very specific brake pad clips for the brake pads on your particular vehicle.
You will most likely find the brake clips that match your make and model of vehicle at any auto parts store. So, it’s your preference. You don’t necessarily have to purchase brake pad clips only with brand new brake pads.
You can go down and get brake pad clips anytime you want to. If your brake pads are relatively new but some of your old brake pad clips have broken off, you can simply purchase new brake pad clips and replace them at your leisure.
Of course, you’ll want to install the new ones if you suspect that the old brake clips have broken off. You’ll know that your old clips have broken off because your brake pads will start to show a few symptoms.
Your brakes will start to squeal, you’ll hear a rattling noise down close to the tire, brake performance will deteriorate, or your brake pads will start to wear down rather quickly. It’s not something that will go by without any noticeable signs that something is wrong.
The safest thing to do is always install new brake clips when you put on the new brake pads. That way, you will never have to worry about it.
All Things Considered
Brake pad clips are an important addition to your brake pads. Thanks to the 2016 study mentioned above, it should be readily apparent now that you need brake pad clips with your brake pads. Since most new brake pads come with brake pad clips, it’s not difficult to simply add them on when you install your new brake pads.