Beringer brake pad replacement for RV-14A

Has · Dec 13, 2025

Information on Beringer brake pad replacement is not clear. Is there a way to determine what the wear is on a given pad without taking the wheel off and looking at the pad directly (and removing the wheel pants too)? Is the amount of pad visible on its edge with the wheel in place consistent with the amount of pad remaining, or must one remove the pad and look at it? Waiting for signs of too much wear seems foolish and inefficient. Taking the wheels off and removing the pads to estimate wear every 100 hours is PITA. I thought Beringer had a better mechanism to get at the pads without taking the wheels off. I also thought Beringer had significant advantages over MatCo or Cleveland. Seems not. The big difference is price. A replacement pair of Beringer pads cost $334. A replacement pair of pads riveted by Matco is only $75. Do Beringer pads last 5 times longer? Doubt it. I used dual pad Matcos on my RV-7A for 12 years with good results with pad replacement about once a year. So far I do not see much difference in the Beringer single pads for my RV-14A. Yes, the wheels are bigger and have sealed bearings, and the tires are tubeless. But the issue of pad replacement is still convoluted. I now have 110 hours on my 14 and want to know how much wear is on the pads. Seems there is no alternative to removing the wheel pants, taking the wheels off, taking the calipers apart and looking at the pads directly. Am I missing something?

MED · Dec 13, 2025

Has said:
Information on Beringer brake pad replacement is not clear. Is there a way to determine what the wear is on a given pad without taking the wheel off and looking at the pad directly (and removing the wheel pants too)? Is the amount of pad visible on its edge with the wheel in place consistent with the amount of pad remaining, or must one remove the pad and look at it? Waiting for signs of too much wear seems foolish and inefficient. Taking the wheels off and removing the pads to estimate wear every 100 hours is PITA. I thought Beringer had a better mechanism to get at the pads without taking the wheels off. I also thought Beringer had significant advantages over MatCo or Cleveland. Seems not. The big difference is price. A replacement pair of Beringer pads cost $334. A replacement pair of pads riveted by Matco is only $75. Do Beringer pads last 5 times longer? Doubt it. I used dual pad Matcos on my RV-7A for 12 years with good results with pad replacement about once a year. So far I do not see much difference in the Beringer single pads for my RV-14A. Yes, the wheels are bigger and have sealed bearings, and the tires are tubeless. But the issue of pad replacement is still convoluted. I now have 110 hours on my 14 and want to know how much wear is on the pads. Seems there is no alternative to removing the wheel pants, taking the wheels off, taking the calipers apart and looking at the pads directly. Am I missing something?

After removing the wheel pants, I can see the edge of the pads adequately to confirm thickness is above the required minimum 1mm (0.04”). BTW - I don’t run them that close.

dmattmul · Dec 13, 2025

Has said:
Information on Beringer brake pad replacement is not clear. Is there a way to determine what the wear is on a given pad without taking the wheel off and looking at the pad directly (and removing the wheel pants too)? Is the amount of pad visible on its edge with the wheel in place consistent with the amount of pad remaining, or must one remove the pad and look at it? Waiting for signs of too much wear seems foolish and inefficient. Taking the wheels off and removing the pads to estimate wear every 100 hours is PITA. I thought Beringer had a better mechanism to get at the pads without taking the wheels off. I also thought Beringer had significant advantages over MatCo or Cleveland. Seems not. The big difference is price. A replacement pair of Beringer pads cost $334. A replacement pair of pads riveted by Matco is only $75. Do Beringer pads last 5 times longer? Doubt it. I used dual pad Matcos on my RV-7A for 12 years with good results with pad replacement about once a year. So far I do not see much difference in the Beringer single pads for my RV-14A. Yes, the wheels are bigger and have sealed bearings, and the tires are tubeless. But the issue of pad replacement is still convoluted. I now have 110 hours on my 14 and want to know how much wear is on the pads. Seems there is no alternative to removing the wheel pants, taking the wheels off, taking the calipers apart and looking at the pads directly. Am I missing something?

Yes, there is! I am 99.9 % sure the Legacy Pads (PQT-009), The Standard Pads (PQ-109.2) and the Pro Elite (PQ-109.1) all have witness marks so you can use them almost to the very end. (I do and get 300-400 hrs. from the Legacy pads), the Standard is supposed to double the life, and the Pro Elite is supposed to triple the life. These can be checked with the wheel pants on. You might have to get down on your knees, but it's not rocket science and yes you are missing something. I still have a few sets of the standard as I bought them a few years ago for $ 75.00 a set (2 sets needed for both wheels) Currently a set of RV-10 pads (110.2) which is supposed to be double the life of the Legacy is $ 220.00 for 2 sets (2 wheels) I just purchased. If I get close to double the life yes, the cost is well worth it over non Beringer brakes, at least for me.