Many people take for granted all the small little systems inside a used car that keep it running. The braking system, for example, is one of the most important parts of a vehicle. Obviously without it, you would not be able to stop, leading to potentially catastrophic damage or worse. Let’s discuss maintaining your braking system, and what you should do to prevent failures.
To properly care for your braking system, it will be beneficial to understand how exactly it works. When you press down on your cars brake pedal, you are telling your car to press the brake pads up against your rotors. Your rotors, or more commonly referred to as brake discs, are a part of your wheel hub. The pressure of the brake pad against the rotor causes your wheel to slow, or stop completely, based on how much pressure you apply to your brake pedal. Sometimes on older vehicles you will find a drum brake, however the principles are still the same.
Eventually, there will be enough wear and tear to both your brake pads and rotors to warrant a replacement. Your brake pads will always need replaced before your rotors, and it is important you do so. If you allow your brake pads to go to long without being replaced, they will begin to fig groves into your rotors every time you apply the brakes. As you can imagine, this will cause your rotors to not function optimally, and they will need to be replaced, or at a minimum resurfaced. Driving in extreme braking conditions can also result in a need to replace your brake rotors. When you are constantly applying your brakes (think braking down a mountain), your rotors are constantly heating and cooling. This can cause a warping, rendering your rotors unsafe to use.
In theory, you should never need to replace your brake rotors. However there are many things that can happen that will require your used car to need a new rotor, such as the two examples mentioned above. If your brakes are not feeling quite right, go ahead and take them in to your local mechanic. Fortunately brakes are cheap, and not having them working at 100% could be hazardous.
Categorized | Used Car Tips
Maintaining a Used Cars Braking System
Posted on 02 April 2009
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