Car’s brake system is very important because it ensures the safety of the driver and passengers as well as prevents accidents that could cause injuries and fatalities. Maintenance of the car’s brake system is essential since it will allow you to save money and avoid unnecessary breaks and accidents. However, information related to this topic is scarce and leads to ignorance concerning the necessity of the regular inspection of the car’s brake system. This article will provide you with useful information about maintenance of brakes as well as the replacement and inspection of these elements.
To begin with, it is important to understand the construction of the car’s brake system. This system consists of several elements that play specific roles and jointly contribute to the safety of drivers and pedestrians. The list of components that constitute the brake system of the car includes master cylinders, brake calipers, brake pads, brake rotors, and brake fluid. Among all of the mentioned parts, brake pads are considered the most significant ones because they affect the performance of brakes. When you step on the brake pedal, brake pads rub off the brake rotor and thus reduce the speed or stop the car completely.
How to Inspect Your Brake Pads and Rotors
An inspection of brake pads and rotors is crucial for ensuring the proper functioning of your car’s brake system. We recommend you to check your brake pads and rotors regularly. It will enable you to reveal possible problems that need to be corrected. In order to check your brake pads and rotors, you need to follow the given instructions:
* Park the car safely and apply a parking brake.
* Jack up your car.
* Find the brake caliper and disassemble your wheel.
* Check whether your brake pads show any signs of wear and tear. Measure their thickness – if they are thinner than 1/8 inch, you need to replace them.
* Examine your brake rotors for signs of wear, warping, or scoring. Determine if their wear exceeds acceptable limits.
* Make sure that there is enough brake fluid in the reservoir and that it is clean.
As a result of checking your brake pads and rotors, you can find possible problems and correct them to avoid the occurrence of various malfunctions. For instance, your car’s braking efficiency may decrease, your other brake system components may wear out additionally, and an accident may happen.
How to Replace Brake Pads and Rotors
Replacement of brake pads and rotors is a quite common procedure associated with brake system repair and maintenance. With appropriate instructions, you will be able to replace these parts on your own:
* Buy new brake pads and rotors.
* Remove the wheel.
* Detach the brake caliper from the wheel and disassemble it.
* Replace old brake pads and rotors with new ones.
* Reattach the brake caliper and screw it tight.
* Bleed your car’s brake system.
Thus, you will be able to change your brake pads and rotors on your own. At the same time, such procedures may slightly differ from each other depending on the type of your vehicle. Consequently, we suggest you to study the owner’s manual in order to learn more details.
Maintenance of Brake Fluid
Brake fluid plays an important role in your car’s brake system since it provides necessary pressure in brake calipers. Therefore, brake fluid needs to be properly maintained.
* Check its level to make sure there is enough of it in your brake system.
* Ensure the reservoir is not rusted or dirty.
* Change brake fluid every 30-50 thousand miles.
* Purchase brake fluid that is suitable for your car according to the recommendations of manufacturers.
Common Problems of Car’s Brakes
However, despite your constant effort to maintain your brake system properly, various problems may arise in future. Such problems may include squealing or grinding sounds, vibration or pulsation while braking, loss of braking power, and leakage. These malfunctions usually appear due to wear and tear of brake pads and rotors, malfunctioning of brake pads or pads, damage or loosening of brake calipers and their bolts, etc.
Which Procedures Should You Do Professionally and Which Ones Yourself?
Not all of the procedures connected with maintenance of your brake system can be performed on your own. Thus, brake system repairs and replacements, brake system advanced inspections, and bleeding of the brake system require professional work. There are some procedures that can be done on your own and do not demand great skills. These procedures include checking the condition of your brake pads and rotors, their replacement, checking and adding brake fluid to the system.
Conclusion
In conclusion, we want to stress the significance of regular brake pads and rotors inspections. If you do everything properly, your car’s braking system will function without any problems.
