When it comes to saving money on your car, one thing it pays to know are your brake basics. You might not think much of just a little squeal here or there as you bring your vehicle to a stop, but those little sounds and related vibrations can add up to a great deal of money in repairs later if left unchecked. Knowing how disc brakes and drum brakes work is essential for car owners, if for no other reason than to understand why they can easily wear down if proper maintenance and driving techniques aren’t applied.
How brakes work-brake basics
Brake basics begin with an understanding of the mechanism. When your foot depresses the brake pedal, a plunger in the master cylinder forces brake fluid through all of the tubes and to the braking unit attached to each of your car’s wheels. With common disc brakes, that fluid enters a caliper at the wheel and applies pressure to a piston. That piston squeezes the brake pads against the disc (rotor) that is attached to the wheel. In drum brakes, the fluid enters the wheel cylinder and pushes brake shoes outward against the drum that is really attached to the wheel. The car eventually stops after slowing. Repeated brake applications cause a buildup of heat from friction, and these forces cause brake pads and other elements to wear down over time.
How worn are all of your brakes?
There are a number of signs that indicate that car brakes are wearing out. As there is typically no set number of miles over which a set of brakes is designed to function, a driver must make a brake check part of their regular auto maintenance routine. Consult your owner’s manual for some information on suggested maintenance schedules, but in general, watch for cues and keep your service records. Some brakes may last for only a year if they’re cheap or you habitually stomp on your brakes rather than going into stops with ease. However, higher quality brakes mixed with gentle driving techniques can extend the life of a set of brakes by a lot.
Why shouldn’t you wait to get your brakes fixed?
Living with speaks, squeals and grinding is going to lead to damaged rotors, drums and calipers. $ 1,000 or more could be charged for all of this. However, catching a brake problem early might only require new brake shoes or a simple resurfacing of the shoes you already have. For replacing anything, it will most likely be only a tenth of the cost.
Brakes will fail leading to accident or injury. As Click and Clack of “Car Talk” explained it, do not make your mechanic’s next boat payment. Prevent it early within the game.
Brake basics of dysfunction – Signs to watch for
Is there a flashing brake warning light? Hear a grinding sound? These are definite warning signs. Be careful if the steering wheel or brake pedal shakes when you brake. If your car pulls one way or the other and requires more time to stop, you’ve more reason than ever to take your car in to a mechanic. Save money… and perhaps your life.
More info about this topic at these websites:
Car Talk
cars.cartalk.com/content/advice/brakes.html
Family Car Parts
familycar.com/brakes.htm
Do your brakes feel spongy whenever you stop? Time to bleed them!
youtube.com/watch?v=LgxMfQUMdJY
