The Need of Proper Brake Maintenance

Brakes should be considered one of the most important parts of your car. It is imperative you maintain the brake system on a regular basis. Consult your car's manual for maintenance intervals. One inspecting your brake system, there are a few items to consider.

The first is the pads/shoes and rotors/drums. These are the parts of the car that create the friction needed to stop the car. A lot of new cars come with brake pad wear sensors. They will give you a warning once your pads are worn down to the point they need to be replaced. If your car does not have these sensors, you will need to remove the wheel and check for pad thickness. You never want to wear the pads down to the point the metal backing touches the rotor. To check brake shoes, you must remove the drum and check brake service near me thickness on the shoe.

On some cars, such as most European imports, rotors should be replaced every time you replace your pads. Most Japanese imports and domestic vehicles allow you to "turn" the rotors. When a shop turns the rotors, they resurface the rotors to remove any imperfections. A rotor should really only be turned once. 

After that, they should be replaced. Since most do-it-yourselfers do not have the equipment to turn the rotors, they usually replace the rotors. It can be less expensive to replace the rotors than take your vehicle to a shop to have the brakes done. Brake drums need to be measured to check if they need to be replaced. Consult with a repair manual or your local shop to determine what the thickness of the drum should be. If you want to be on the safe side, just replace the brake drum.

In addition to those friction parts, the brake fluid needs to be replaced on a regular interval. Check your vehicle owner's manual for the interval to replace the fluid. When replacing your brake fluid, make sure to check what kind of fluid your car needs. If your car calls for DOT 4, do not put DOT 3 fluid in it. This will cause bigger problems later on. You can, on the other hand, put DOT 4 in a car that requires DOT 3. When you replace your fluid, it is a good idea to inspect the brake hoses at each wheel. They are usually rubber and will deteriorate over time. If the hoses are cracked or dried out, replace them. 

Most people will replace all the hoses at the same time. It is easier to do it all at once. In addition to the hoses, check for leaks at the brake cylinder. Some cars have a master and slave cylinder. If there are any leaks, replace any seals or the cylinders themselves.

These are just a few of the maintenance requirements for your brake system. If you do not maintain brake shops near me it can lead to disastrous problems like a vehicle crash. Doing your own brake maintenance can save a tremendous amount of money.