All About Brakes
Brakes in your vehicle are something that is easy to take for granted. When we press our brake pedal, our car stops. Most of us don’t think much about our vehicle brakes unless we are having an issue. Most of us do not think much about routine maintenance with our brakes, either. When we think of routine maintenance for our car, we think of oil changes and tire rotations, not anything related to our brakes. However, it is important to make sure your brakes are working in good condition for you, and it is essential to get parts of your brakes maintained or replaced when necessary. Below, you can learn all you need to know about brakes and maintaining those brakes so that they continue to work for you.
How Your Brakes Work
We know that our brakes slow down our vehicle after we press our brake pedal. But how does this actually work?
Your brake pedal is connected to a hydraulic system. When you press the brake pedal, it is connected to a master cylinder that is full of brake fluid. Pressing the brake builds pressure to push brake fluid along your brake line to stop your vehicle. The buildup of pressure is what gives your vehicle stopping power. Vehicles can have different types of brakes, and we are going to take a closer look at some of these brakes and how they work below.
- Disc Brakes – One type of brake for your vehicle is a disc brake. This type of brake includes a metal disc that is mounted in your wheel. When you press down on the brake pedal, the brake pad clamps on to this brake disc to slow your vehicle down.
- Drum Brakes – Another type of brake in your vehicle is a drum brake. A drum brake is built inside the wheel, and it has shoes inside of a small drum. When the brake pedal is pressed, the shoes press against the drum to slow down the wheel.
Disc brakes are generally considered better than drum brakes because they can dissipate heat better, so it is almost certain that your car has disc brakes on it, but it might also have drum brakes. It is not uncommon for people to have disc brakes on their front tires and drum brakes on their back tires. This is because disc brakes are more expensive, and they are more necessary on the front of the vehicle because the front tires do more of the stopping. Drum brakes can still be located on the back of the car because they are more affordable to make, and they do not get as much use.
The Importance of Brake Maintenance
As explained above, your brakes are made up of different parts that all work together to stop your vehicle when you press your brake pedal. These different parts each need to be maintained, repaired, or replaced at regular intervals to make sure your brakes work for you. We don’t have to tell you how bad it would be if your brakes didn’t work when you needed them. That is why it is important to maintain your brakes. Below, we are going to take a closer look at the components of your brakes and how frequently they need to be replaced.
- Brake Fluid – Brake fluid is necessary to move the parts of your brake system so that your brakes can work to stop your vehicle. Without brake fluid, your brakes will not be able to work properly, and your vehicle will not stop. How often you fill your brake fluid depends on your specific vehicle, but it generally needs to be filled every three to five years.
- Brake Pads – Your brake pads are metal plates with friction material that faces the brake rotor so that it can stop the vehicle. Brake pads need to be replaced when the friction material is wearing thin. The brake pads will wear down, and they will stop being effective at stopping your vehicle. When they get thin, they need to be replaced so that your vehicle can stop when it needs to. Brake pads generally last around 50,000 miles, but it can be more or less, depending on how you drive your vehicle and how often you brake.
- Brake Rotors – A brake rotor or brake disc is a smooth metal disc. This is what your brake pad clamps down on to stop your vehicle. A brake rotor does not have to be replaced with the brake pads. A rotor needs to be replaced when it has warped, or it has worn thin. This can happen after a long period of use, and rotors can also be damaged by worn out brake pads that need to be replaced.
- Brake Calipers – A brake caliper is like a clamp that forces the brake pad against the rotor to slow the vehicle. Calipers do not necessarily need to be replaced when your brake pads are replaced. Calipers can last longer, but they do wear out eventually. Brake calipers often need to be replaced after seven to 10 years of use.
As you can see, there are several parts of your brakes, and they each have different timelines for maintenance. A good rule of thumb is to take a look at your brakes and brake fluid every time you get an oil change. When you check in on the different parts of your brakes regularly, you can rest assured that the components are working as they should be. At Skip’s Garage, we can help you with your brake maintenance.
Service with Skip’s Garage
At Skip’s Garage, we can perform regular maintenance on your brakes to make sure they last you a long time. We can also repair or replace any part that you may need to keep your vehicle running smoothly.
If you have any questions about brake maintenance or any other type of maintenance for your vehicle, you can reach out to us today. We are happy to answer any questions you have and keep your vehicle running in great shape for you.