The braking system on your vehicle is vital to your well being. we only fit quality components that are suitable for your vehicle.
There are many kinds of braking systems fitted to vehicles these days, however there are generally only 3 items in these systems that give us regular problems. These are: Brake Discs, Brake Pads and Brake Calipers.
The part most visible behind the wheel is known as the brake disc, these come generally in two different styles, solid or vented. Vented brake discs are normally fitted to heavier vehicles, or vehicle with high performance engines. You are most likely to see this type of brake disc on the front wheels of your Vehicle.
Brake pads are the items in a vehicle’s braking system that require the most attention. They are designed to wear away and because of this, they should be regularly inspected. Brake Pads are fitted either side of the Brake Disc and are squeezed against it by the brake caliper when you put your foot on the brake pedal of the vehicle. This makes the vehicle slow down and eventually stop. If these items are excessively worn your vehicles stopping distance will be longer as they will not be working as efficiently as they should be.
Brake Calipers are the hydraulic devices used to squeeze the Brake Pads against the Brake Discs to make you stop. Brake Calipers are quite reliable, but sometimes they seize due to lack of use, or corrosion. Sometimes they spring a leak and you will see an oily liquid escaping around your wheel. If that’s the case, don’t attempt to drive your vehicle, but call us for advise on your brake repairs.
Brake Pads and Brake Discs are common place these days, but sometimes an older styled braking system is still used on the rear of some vehicles. This system is referred to as Brake Drums, sometimes you will hear expressions such as, “it has discs on the front and drums on the rear”. This just means that the front brakes are of the type, Brake Discs and Brake Pads, and the rear brakes are of the type Brake Shoes and Brake Cylinders.
If your vehicle has Brake Shoes and Brake Cylinders they still work in a similar way to Brake Discs and Brake Pad systems. The difference is the structure of the parts used.
No matter what kind of braking system you have on your vehicle, you are likely to come across the same symptoms, when the braking system starts to fail. The following chart outlines some of the common issues that we see
| Issue | Possible Cause |
|---|---|
| Braking requires an abnormal amount of force on brake pedal | Worn brake pads |
| Car pulls to one side when braking | Brake pad lining(s) soaked with oil or brake fluid |
| Poor braking performance | Brake pad lining(s) soaked with water, oil, or brake fluidOverheated brake pad linings |
| Sensitive braking | Incorrect brake pad linings; Greasy brake pad linings |
| Noisy braking (grinding or screeching sounds when braking) | Extremely worn break pads |
It’s generally easy to see how worn Brake Pads and Discs are, if you are concerned, call in we’ll take a peek, then let you know the best course of action to take to keep your vehicle stopping on a dime!
