Your car's brake system is a complex grouping of parts which serve a critical
role in keeping you safe. No other system in the car is as important
for your safety. Keeping your brake system in tip-top shape should
be your top priority.

Let's start with the pedal and work our way down the braking system to better
understand how it works. The Pedal is a strong steel lever which
transmits the force from your foot to the master cylinder. The pedal
typically has a switch attached to it, to turn on your brake lights when
you press the pedal down.

When you push down on the pedal, the master cylinder is pushed via a push rod.
The master cylinder consists of a piston and a fluid resevoir. When
the piston is moved, it pushes the brake fluid through the brake lines
and into the caliper or wheel cylinder.

Most all cars have disc brakes on the front wheels, and many have disc brakes
on the rear also. When disc brakes are not used on the rear, drum
brakes are used. The fluid being pushed from the master cylinder
through the brake lines pushes a piston in the brake caliper. This
in turn applies force to the brake pads.

The brake pads are typically made from a hard organic or metallic compound.
The pads are made to survive under high heat and pressure. When
the brake pads contact the rotor, there is friction and heat is created.
This is how your car stops, by turning the rotating energy of your wheels
into heat through friction.

The last part of your braking system is the rotors. Typically made from
cast iron and made heavy enough to dissipate heat and not warp over time.
Unfortunetly, in todays cars, many of the rotors are not large enough,
and can warp within a few 1,000 miles. The rotor is bolted between
the wheel and the spindle, and rotates at the same speed as the wheels.

Common problems:

- Wear:
The braking system does a lot of work and the brake pads take the brunt
of the punishment. It is a good idea to have you brake pads checked
every 6 months or when you suspect a problem. Symptoms include squeaking,
grinding, or increased stopping distance. Most pads have a thin
metal tab which vibrates against the rotor when the pads wears down to
a dangerous level. Some pads do not have this and if not checked
periodically can wear down far enough to ruin the rotors. A modern
trend is to make the brake pads very hard thus extending life. This
harder material can squeak and sound like the wear indicators. Brake
dust can also cause squealing but can be fixed by spraying brake cleaner
on the brake system to remove the dust.

Warped Rotors:
More common in newer cars, but possible on all disc brake systems.
Rotors warp due to being overheated or incorrect tightening of the wheel.
A warped rotor will give a pulsing feeling when applying the brakes.
This pulsing can be annoying and dangerous. Most newer cars have
rotors which are very thin and warp very easy. Furthering the problem,
the manufacturer does not leave enough material to resurface the rotor.
Check with you mechanic to make sure you can safely have the rotors machined
or replace with new rotors. To resurface, the rotor is placed in
a lathe and a cutting tool removes a few thousandth's of material from
the braking surface. This restores the flatness of the rotor and
eliminates the pulsing sensation in the pedal. Make sure when your
mechanic puts everything back together that he torques the lug nuts to
proper specifications and never uses an impact wrench. If
the lug nuts are not tightened evenly the rotor can warp and you are back
to square one. Note: Some shops use a torque stick, which
attaches to an impact wrench and does not allow the torque wrench to tighten
more than it should. This is acceptable. If your mechanic
does not use a torque wrench or torque sticks, find another mechanic.

Preventive Maintenance:

• Avoid "riding" your brakes. It's
  better to slow down with moderate pressure and then releasing the brake
  to cool, than riding the brakes and overheating them
• On steep grades consider downshifting to save your
  brakes. Only do this when traction conditions are good.
  In ice, snow, or even rain, downshifting into too low of a gear may
  cause a skid. Downshifting lets you engine do some of the braking
  instead of your brakes.
• Keep your wheels and braking system clean.
  Clean brakes work better and keep temperatures down. Use a good
  wheel cleaner which you know if safe for your wheel finish.

What to discuss with your mechanic:

• Be weary of low priced brake jobs advertised in
  the paper or TV. Some shops will try a bait and switch or find
  other parts which "need" to be replaced. Salesmen will
  try to make you feel guilty for putting your families safety on the
  line. They claim you need the premium pads and rotors, of course
  at a higher price.
• You mechanic should clean all the components of
  the brake system to ensure a dust and squeak free job.
• All bolts including lug nuts should have anti-seize
  compound on the threads to prevent them from rusting fast and causing
  headaches down the road.
• Have your mechanic use an anti-squeak compound
  on the back of the brake pads. This keeps the pads from vibrating
  and annoying you to no end. There are spray, and paste forms,
  with the paste working better for me.
• Insist on seeing the pads they removed from your
  car. There is no use paying to replace something that doesn't
  need to be replaced.
• National brake shops are not all bad. Some
  stores only do brakes so they should be pretty good at it. Ask
  around and get recommendations before you get work done. Quality
  depends on the owner of the national chain store, not the parent company
  so shop carefully.
• Do you need the lifetime brake pads? Well
  that depends on how long you will keep the car and how many rotors you
  plan on buying in the next few years. This initial cost is a little
  higher due to the fact the manufacturer knows he will most likely have
  to give you another set when yours wear out. Also these pads are
  made from a harder material and tend to wear down the rotors instead
  of themselves. You would be better off buying the basic pads and
  replacing them periodically instead of costly rotors every year or two.
• Make sure your mechanic uses a torque wrench or
  torque sticks on their impact guns. See above for the explanation.

Safety is important to you and your family. Quality brake service is the key to transporting your family safely in your vehicle and check back frequently to the website to see Brake Service Specials offered only by Majestic Car Care Service!

source:www.AutoEducation.com