No matter what the age of your car, eventually you are going to need new
brakes for your car. It doesn't matter whether you own a Mustang, Camaro, Corvette, GTO, or Firebird, your car brakes will ware out and need
replacing. When you do reach the point that you need to purchase new brakes, it's important to make sure that you purchase something that is of a high
quality and able to stop your high performance auto at top speed. When selecting performance brakes matching the right brake components with the
auto is very important. Finding out your brakes overheat and fail at high speeds is defiantly not the place to find out you made a poor choice in
brakes.
Good brakes should always be in the budget and is one of the most important parts of the maintenance on your car no matter what the cost. Some things
just have no price tag, or shouldn't, and this is one of those areas. Quality brakes must have the ability to stop your car in almost all kinds of
weather, for race driver, having good brakes is a necessity, and having the brakes checked should be part of your routine maintenance, just like an oil
change.
Always, when choosing new brake pads or rotors for your car, make sure that you choose the highest quality material even if it means paying a little
more. Certainly there are some accessories and parts for your car that don't require such quality material, but when it comes to parts that involve
safety, it's not a good idea to choose the more expensive part. For your own safety and that of your passengers and other drivers on the road, be certain
that your brakes are always in good working order and are of the highest quality material that is available for your car. When it comes to safety,
think of your car as a member of your family.
The typical brake system consists of disk brakes in front and either disk or drum brakes in the rear connected by a system of tubes and hoses that link the brake at each wheel to the master cylinder. Other systems that are
connected with the brake system include the parking brakes, power brake booster and the anti-lock system. When you step on the brake pedal, you are actually pushing against a plunger
in the master cylinder which forces hydraulic oil (brake fluid) through a series of tubes and hoses to the braking unit at each wheel. Since hydraulic
fluid (or any fluid for that matter) cannot be compressed, pushing fluid through a pipe is just like pushing a steel bar through a pipe. Unlike a
steel bar, however, fluid can be directed through many twists and turns on its way to its destination, arriving with the exact same motion and pressure
that it started with. It is very important that the fluid is pure liquid and that there are no air bubbles in it. Air can compress, which causes a
sponginess to the pedal and severely reduced braking efficiency. If air is suspected, then the system must be bled to remove the air. There are
"bleeder screws" at each wheel cylinder and caliper for this purpose.
On a disk brake, the fluid from the master cylinder is forced into a caliper where it presses against a piston. The piston, in-turn, squeezes two brake
pads against the disk (rotor) which is attached to the wheel, forcing it to slow down or stop. This process is similar to a bicycle brake where two rubber pads rub against
the wheel rim creating friction. With drum brakes, fluid is forced into the wheel cylinder which pushes the brake shoes out so that the friction linings are pressed against the drum
which is attached to the wheel, causing the wheel to stop. In either case, the friction surfaces of the pads on a disk brake system, or
the shoes on a drum brake convert the forward motion of the vehicle into heat. Heat is what causes the friction surfaces (linings) of the pads and
shoes to eventually wear out and require replacement.
Let's take a closer look at each of the components in a brake system and see where other problems can occur...
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