Jhony |
Oct 02, 2012 - 07:12
< what the finders found >good brkaes, bad brkaesif you're like most people, you probably don't think too much about what happens when you push on the brake pedal, you're just happy it keeps you from hitting the guy in front of you who is too busy sipping his latte and not paying enough attention to traffic.as a result, i'll go ahead and kick this off with a little bit of braking theory to help you understand why they work, so what you're looking and listening for makes a little more sense.how brkaes workthere are two basic types of brkaes found on modern cars: discs and drums. they both use a bit of friction material that presses against a rotating surface to slow your car. in the case of disc brkaes, these are brake pads that press together to sandwich the brake rotor that spins between them. both do eventually wear out, with pads generally wearing before rotors do. drum brkaes are similar, with brake shoes pushing out against a drum that surrounds them.for the most part, almost all modern cars have discs on the front. some cars have drums in the rear, some have discs. for the sake of clarity, most of what i am going to talk about in terms of signs and symptoms apply to disc brkaes, mainly since your front brkaes do about 2/3 of the work, and they will wear out faster and need to be replaced/serviced more often. this is not to say your rear drums won't wear out they will. but it happens less often, and they result in less braking degradation when they do wear, and you can just have them changed along with your fronts to be safe.if you have a car with discs on all four corners, awesome. you can apply this knowledge to front and rear. and as always, with any automotive advice, if you're still not sure ask your mechanic. i'm just a guy who likes cars and works on his own stuff.how to tell if your brkaes are wornthe two ways to check for wear on your disc brkaes are looking and listening. what to look for? go out to your car, kneel down next to the wheel, and peer in between the wheel spokes. see that round thing behind there? that's the brake rotor. now look for a big metal thing that looks clamped around it. that's the brake caliper. now, peer down inside the caliper. see the thing pressed up against the rotor? that's the brake pad. (there's one on either side of the rotor, but without taking the wheel off, you can only really see the outside one.) that's okay, they should and generally do wear evenly, so what goes for the outside pad goes for the inside pad. now, there should be at least 1/4 of pad. if you see less, make an appointment with your mechanic soon.what to listen for? next time you're out for a drive, do this: turn off the radio, turn off the a/c, and roll down your windows. do you hear a high-pitched screeching sound every time you get on the brkaes? that's the indicator built into the brake pad, which is a little bit of metal embedded in the pad material. when the pad gets low enough, it rubs against the metal of the rotor, and makes an annoying noise that tells you it's time to get your brkaes done.note: an exception is if your car has been exposed to water, such as rain or if you recently washed it. this will cause a very fine layer of rust to accumulate on the rotor. this can cause a squeal for your first few stops afterwards until the rust layer wears off. this is normal and if it goes away after 3-5 stops, then you're fine.other signs of problems:if you experience any of the following, you should definitely call your mechanic as soon as possible for an appointmentfading or lack of responsiveness: if your brkaes don't seem to have that bite they used to, or if the pedal sinks toward the floor when you apply a constant pressure, you could have a leak in your brake system. either air is getting in, or brake fluid is getting out.pulling: when you get on the brkaes, does your car pull to the left or right? your brkaes could be worn unevenly and in need of an adjustment.grinding or growling noises: you didn't pay attention to the indicator noise i talked about above, did you. grinding/growling noises come from pads that are completely worn out, and the metal backing plate of the pad is now rubbing against the rotor. not only is this extremely dangerous as you have very little stopping power this way, but your rotors will have to be replaced as well. get to your mechanic asap.vibration: if your brake pedal is trying to give you a foot massage, you may have warped brake rotors. rotors can be warped from long periods of sustained, heavy braking, such as driving down a steep mountain or when towing. bear in mind though, a vibration can also be caused by your car being out of alignment.again, if after reading this guide you are still unsure of whether your brkaes need to be replaced or not, contact your local mechanic and ask to have them inspected. many shops will offer you an inspection for free and others for a small, reasonable fee. your brkaes are one of the most important safety features of your car, so don't gamble with them.photo bya0gd star ratingloading... | |
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