The Importance of Regular Brake Service
When it comes to the safety of your vehicle, brakes are one of the most important things you need to maintain. If you are hearing grinding or squealing noises when you press your brake pedal, it is important to get them looked at. There could be something wrong with them that would increase your braking distance and reduce the safety of your vehicle. The following are some things that might need to be addressed:
The brakes on your car are wear items and will need to be replaced or serviced as time passes. Brakes can be either of the disc or drum type. If they are disc brakes then they have calipers which use pads to grab the brake rotor and slow you down. If they are drum then the brake shoes are pushed on the inside of the drum to bring you to a stop. As the pads and shoes wear away they need to be replaced and the rotors which wear down need to be replaced frequently too. Sometimes the rotors can be machined to give them a new contact surface for the pads.
Usually front brakes wear out more quickly than rear because as you slow, the weight of the vehicle is transferred to the front, putting more pressure on the front brakes. There are some exceptions to this such as some Hondas and Volkswagens where the brake proportioning has been changed to decrease stopping distance by distributing the braking more evenly between the front and rear of the vehicle.
Some vehicles, such as BMWs and Mercedes, have brake pad wear sensors. These sensors turn a light on when the brakes have worn down, illuminating a light on the dashboard to warn of needed service. When brakes are serviced on these vehicles it is normal to replace these sensors also.
Brake fluid is compressed when you push the brake pedal and pushes your pads and or shoes to bring them in contact with the rotors or drums. This hydraulic system frequently absorbs moisture like a sponge. Water boils as heat is built in the system and steam doesn't compress the same way that brake fluid does. That is why it is important to have this fluid flushed periodically.
By keeping this important system in proper working order you can make sure that you are safe when you are on the road.
- Replace pads
- Replace rotors
- Lubricate caliper slides and other metal contact points
- Machine rotors
- Brake fluid flush
- Cleaning and adjusting brake shoes and hardware
- Brake wear sensors
The brakes on your car are wear items and will need to be replaced or serviced as time passes. Brakes can be either of the disc or drum type. If they are disc brakes then they have calipers which use pads to grab the brake rotor and slow you down. If they are drum then the brake shoes are pushed on the inside of the drum to bring you to a stop. As the pads and shoes wear away they need to be replaced and the rotors which wear down need to be replaced frequently too. Sometimes the rotors can be machined to give them a new contact surface for the pads.
Usually front brakes wear out more quickly than rear because as you slow, the weight of the vehicle is transferred to the front, putting more pressure on the front brakes. There are some exceptions to this such as some Hondas and Volkswagens where the brake proportioning has been changed to decrease stopping distance by distributing the braking more evenly between the front and rear of the vehicle.
Some vehicles, such as BMWs and Mercedes, have brake pad wear sensors. These sensors turn a light on when the brakes have worn down, illuminating a light on the dashboard to warn of needed service. When brakes are serviced on these vehicles it is normal to replace these sensors also.
Brake fluid is compressed when you push the brake pedal and pushes your pads and or shoes to bring them in contact with the rotors or drums. This hydraulic system frequently absorbs moisture like a sponge. Water boils as heat is built in the system and steam doesn't compress the same way that brake fluid does. That is why it is important to have this fluid flushed periodically.
By keeping this important system in proper working order you can make sure that you are safe when you are on the road.
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