What Happens If You Don’t Change Brake Calipers

Brake calipers, a major component of every vehicle’s brake system, are manufactured to last the life of a vehicle. If calipers continue to operate as designed, you never have to change them, and the braking system will operate properly.

Not a Maintenance Item

Simply put, brake calipers are not a maintenance item that is expected to wear out over time. They are considered a replacement item, replaced only due to failure, damage, or individual upgrade.

Replacement Item

Improved Performance

You can replace the original brake calipers on your car or truck if you want to with ones that have improved braking ability. If the new calipers are correctly installed, you’ll get a better braking experience with shorter stopping distances, less brake fade, and better control.

Someone who wants to adapt their street car or truck for racing or high performance will upgrade the calipers.

Failure

When calipers are damaged or have failed, you must replace them. It is dangerous not to. Replace them in pairs to maintain the vehicle’s balance when braking. One damaged or failed caliper will cause uneven braking, pulling the car or truck to one side.

As speed increases, the amount of pull increases. As a result, you can lose control of the vehicle and cause an accident. No one should drive a vehicle with a failed or damaged caliper.

When a rear caliper fails, the vehicle won’t pull as much as with a front caliper. You might not even feel it. By design, rear brakes provide about 30% of the total braking capacity of the vehicle. With less braking capacity, you can more easily control the pull.

Having a bad rear caliper does reduce the total braking power of the vehicle. It can cause stopping distances to increase, especially in an all-out panic stop.

You can drive a vehicle with a bad caliper at slow speeds for short distances to a personal or professional garage for evaluation and repair. However, the safest approach is to have the vehicle towed.

About Goodyear Brakes

Goodyear Brakes manufactures premium quality brake bundles, calipers, rotors, brake pads and all the hardware required to successfully install brakes, all backed by a national warranty, decades of production experience and one of the best-known names in automotive excellence. The brake pads are manufactured in the USA using a proprietary green production process by a company with more than 50 years of experience in friction science. The Goodyear Brakes product line is available through Goodyear Brakes at Amazon, CarID, Buy Brakes and AutoAnything.

Goodyear (and Winged Foot Design) and Blimp Design are trademarks of The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company used under license by FDP Virginia Inc., 1076 Airport Road, Tappahannock, VA 22560, USA. Copyright 2020 The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company. Goodyear Brakes and FDP Virginia are not responsible for its products when they are subjected to improper applications, installation, or accident.