When brake pads are compressed against the rotor, the friction created stops the vehicle. This friction eventually wears not only the brake pads, but also the rotor. Rotors develop wear patterns from the brake pads over time. When a worn brake pad is replaced, rotors need to be machined smooth to remove the wear patterns. A rotor can be machined smooth only so many times before it is worn too much. Each rotor must have a certain width, which is inscribed on the rotor, and if the rotor is too worn, it must be replaced. Over time, rotors can also develop heat cracks and other damage.

Rotors must be replaced when they are worn past the inscribed minimum width. It is very important to inspect your brake system periodically; this includes your brake pads and brake rotors.

Brake system inspection is an absolute must to ensure safe driving conditions. During a brake inspection the entire brake system is checked; this includes the following: the brake pedal, brake fluid, brake lines and hoses, and the brake assemblies (whether they are disc brakes or drum brakes). Parking brakes should also be checked at this time. Checking how your brake system is working starts with your brake pedal. There are three things to check when it comes to your brake pedal. The brake pedal’s height should be checked along with measuring free play and the brake pedal reserve distance. All of these measurements should be compared with the vehicle manufacturer’s specifications. The brake pedal height is the measurement of the brake pedal to the floor when the brake pedal is at rest. Free play means that when you step on the pedal the brakes aren’t applied right away. The free play is measured by the pedal movement from rest until the brakes are actually applied. Pedal free play is actually required, but it is important the free play measurement is in accordance with the specifications of the manufacturer. Lastly is brake pedal reserve distance. This is the distance from the pedal to the floor when the brakes are applied. So, if your pedal’s height is off or if there is excessive free play, there may be problems with your pedal bushings and return springs. If the reserve distance is incorrect, there may be problems with the cylinder pushrod. Next, your brake fluid should be checked. Brake fluid provides the necessary force to activate your brake shoes and compress the brake pads or brake shoes. Brake fluid is kept in the master cylinder and experts say it should be changed every year or two to ensure your brakes will work properly. Along with checking the brake fluid, the hoses and lines should be checked. If the master cylinder is low, there may be a leak somewhere in the lines. The lines and hoses can be visually checked for cracks, and the actual brake assembly can be checked for moisture. You can also place cardboard under your vehicle and step on your brakes several times. Then check the cardboard for any leaks. Finally, the brake assemblies are checked. To inspect the brakes, your front and rear wheels are removed to get a better view of the brake assemblies. There are two different types of brake assemblies: disc brakes and drum brakes. Let’s discuss inspecting disc brakes first. There are three things that must be inspected on disc brakes: the brake pads, brake rotor, and the caliper. The brake pads are located on each side of the rotor and are actually pushed against the rotor to stop the wheel and stop your vehicle. The pads create the necessary friction to stop the vehicle. The pads are checked for excessive wear to make sure there isn’t metal rubbing on metal. The brake rotor is the iron disc that is connected to the tire’s hub. Rotors must be inspected for excessive wear. Brake pads and rotors have matching wear patterns, and if a brake pad needs to be replaced, the rotor will have to be machined smooth. A rotor can be machined smooth only so many times before it is worn too much. Each rotor must have a certain width, which is inscribed on the rotor, and if the rotor is too worn, it must be replaced. The rotor should also be inspected for any heat cracks or other damage. The last part of a disc brake is the caliper. The caliper is a device located over the top of the rotor and contains both brake pads. There are two types of calipers: floating calipers and fixed calipers. A floating caliper can compress itself and contains only one piston. When the brakes are applied, brake fluid will force the piston into the brake pad, which will press against the rotor. Then the other side of the caliper will press the other brake pad against the rotor to stop the wheel and vehicle. A fixed caliper doesn’t move; so, it contains two pistons located on each side of the rotor. When the brakes are applied, brake fluid forces both pistons into each brake pad which press against each side of the rotor to stop the wheel and vehicle. Calipers must be inspected to check for leaks. The second type of brake assembly is the drum brake. Drum brakes are usually located on rear wheels because of the need for a parking brake. Parking brakes are added much easier to a drum brake than to a disc brake. Drum brakes contain several different parts: brake shoes, which are like brake pads; a backing plate, which basically holds everything together and is attached to the axle; brake drum, which is like the brake rotor; wheel or brake cylinder, which contains the pistons; return springs; and a self-adjusting system that will adjust the position of the brake pad when the brake isn’t applied. When the brakes are applied, brake fluid forces the pistons to push against the brake shoes, which press against the drum, which will stop the wheel and vehicle. Then, when the brake is released, the return springs send the brake shoes back to their original position. Brake shoes are located very close to the drum so that when you step on your brake pedal, the brakes are immediately applied. Over time, the surface of the brake shoes wears and the position of the shoes must be adjusted so it doesn’t have to travel a farther distance to come into contact with the drum. If the drum brakes didn’t have a self-adjusting system, you would have to press down farther and harder on your brake pedal before the brakes would be applied. When a drum brake is inspected, there are many more parts that need to be checked than in a disc brake. The brake shoes need to be checked for excessive wear so they don’t damage the drum. The brake drums, like the rotor, need to be checked for excessive wear or cracks. They also have to be machined smooth when a brake shoe is replaced and can only be machined down so far; then they must be replaced. Wheel or brake cylinders need to be inspected for any signs of leaking. The return springs need to be checked because if they are too worn and don’t return the brake shoes back to their original position, away from the drum, the brake shoes can experience rapid and excessive wear. Finally, the self-adjusting system must be inspected to make sure it is clean and properly lubricated. Parking brakes should also be inspected at this time. A parking brake, or emergency brake, must be inspected to make sure that the cables and levers are working properly. Parking brakes work separately from your regular hydraulic brakes. They are a necessity to keep your vehicle from rolling down a hill when it is parked. It must also be working properly if your regular hydraulic brakes ever fail.

When your vehicle’s brakes are applied, a tremendous amount of heat friction is created to stop your vehicle. Over time your brakes can wear from the friction and must be inspected to ensure safe driving and braking conditions. If your brake system ever failed, your vehicle would be unable to stop and can put you and your passengers in a dangerous situation.

Technicians advise that you should have your brake system checked every 10,000 miles, depending on the amount of driving you do. You can also periodically check your brake pads, or brake shoes, and brake fluid yourself to check for excessive wear or leaking.

Your vehicle’s disc brakes are responsible for stopping your tires. Disc brakes consist of three main parts: the brake pads, the calipers, and the rotors. The caliper is in charge of squeezing the brake pads together to stop the rotor. The rotor is a circular metal disc that is connected to the tire’s hub. Each time you step on your brake pedal, the calipers are squeezed against the rotor. In order to stop your tires, the brake pads create the friction necessary to slow the speed of the rotary motion of the disc. The friction also converts the vehicle’s kinetic energy into heat energy, which is then vented out through the disc brake’s ventilation slots.

Having proper working disc brakes is essential to operating a safe vehicle. If you have worn brake pads, operating your vehicle can be dangerous. Worn disc brakes can lead to braking failure and can cause accidents. Also, if you wait too long to get your brake pads changed, you can incur many additional costs. When the brake pads are completely worn, each time you step on your brake pedal, your vehicle’s calipers will be squeezing metal on metal. This can lead to further damage on your vehicle’s rotors, and you will then need to replace not only your brake pads but also your rotors as well.

Disc brakes begin to show wear at approximately 8,000 to 10,000 miles. Many brake pads come with an indicator strip that will make a whistling noise when your brake pad needs to be replaced. However, if you experience any squealing or grinding noises when you step on your brake pedal, you should inspect your brake pads. If you can see excessive wear, you should have your brake pads changed in order to prevent any further damage to your vehicle’s rotors and wheels. At this time also check your rotors and calipers. Calipers may begin to stick and won’t retract all the way when you release your brakes. This can lead to quicker wear on your brake pads. Again, you should always address any noises from your brakes before the problem becomes too serious or dangerous.

Drum brakes are responsible for stopping your vehicle. Drum brakes are usually located on rear wheels because of the need for a parking brake. Parking brakes are added much easier to a drum brake than to a disc brake. Drum brakes contain several different parts: brake shoes, which are used to press against the brake drum and create the necessary friction to stop your vehicle; a backing plate, which basically holds everything together and is attached to the axle; brake drum, which is attached to the wheel; wheel or brake cylinder, which contains the pistons; return springs; and a self-adjusting system that will adjust the position of the brake pad when the brake isn’t applied. When the brakes are applied, brake fluid forces the pistons to push against the brake shoes, which press against the drum, which will stop the wheel and vehicle. Then, when the brake is released, the return springs send the brake shoes back to their original position. Brake shoes are located very close to the drum so that when you step on your brake pedal, the brakes are immediately applied. Over time, the surface of the brake shoes wears and the position of the shoes must be adjusted so it doesn’t have to travel a farther distance to come into contact with the drum. If the drum brakes didn’t have a self-adjusting system, you would have to press down farther and harder on your brake pedal before the brakes would be applied.

Having proper working drum brakes is essential to operating a safe vehicle. If you have worn drum brakes, operating your vehicle can be very dangerous. There are many parts to a drum brake and since there are many parts, there are several things that need to be checked to make sure a drum brake is working properly. The brake shoes need to be checked for excessive wear so they don’t damage the drum. The brake drums need to be checked for excessive wear or cracks. They also have to be machined smooth when a brake shoe is replaced and can only be machined down so far, then they must be replaced. The required diameter is inscribed on the drum. Wheel or brake cylinders need to be inspected for any signs of leaking. The return springs need to be checked because if they are too worn and don’t return the brake shoes back to their original position, away from the drum, the brake shoes can experience rapid and excessive wear. Finally, the self-adjusting system must be inspected to make sure it is clean and properly lubricated.

When your brakes are applied, your brakes create a tremendous amount of heat friction to stop your vehicle. Over time, your brakes will wear from the friction and must be replaced to ensure safe driving conditions. Technicians advise that your drum brakes should be checked every 10,000 miles. You can also periodically check your brake shoes and brake fluid to check for excessive wear or leaking.

Rear disc brakes are basically the same thing as front-wheel disc brakes. Let’s discuss what a disc brake is before we get into why rear disc brakes are different than front disc brakes. Disc brakes are responsible for stopping your vehicle. They consist of three main parts: brake pads, a caliper, and a rotor. Brake pads are located on each side of the rotor and are actually pushed against the rotor to stop the wheel and thereby stop your vehicle. The pads create the necessary friction to stop the vehicle. The caliper is a device located over the top of the rotor and contains both brake pads. There are two types of calipers: floating calipers and fixed calipers. A floating caliper can compress itself and contains only one piston. When the brakes are applied, brake fluid will force the piston into the brake pad, which will press against the rotor. Then, the other side of the caliper will press the other brake pad against the rotor to stop the wheel and vehicle. A fixed caliper doesn’t move; so, it contains two pistons located on each side of the rotor. When the brakes are applied, brake fluid forces both pistons into each brake pad, which press against each side of the rotor, to stop the wheel and vehicle. The rotor is an iron disc connected to the tire’s hub. Rotors work hand-in-hand with brake pads to stop your vehicle. Again, when you step on your brake pedal, your vehicle’s brake pads are compressed against the rotor creating friction. This friction enables your vehicle to stop while also creating a tremendous amount of heat. Rotors consist of two iron discs connected by ribs. When the brakes are applied, the brake pads are pressed to both iron discs. There are many different rib designs for rotors, but they all do the same thing. They aid in dissipating the large amounts of heat created by the friction between the rotor and brake pads. These ribs allow the hot air to vent from the rotor and also direct air in to cool the rotor. It is very important for rotors to be able to dissipate the large amount of heat so they can work properly.Now that we covered how disc brakes work, let’s discuss the difference between rear and front disc brakes. The only difference is that rear disc brakes must include a parking/emergency brake. Parking brakes must be completely separate from your vehicle’s regular hydraulic brakes in case your regular brakes ever completely failed. There are two ways a parking brake is connected to a rear disc brake. First, rear disc brakes contain a corkscrew device that, when the parking brake is applied, pushes a piston into the brake pad to stop the vehicle. Rear disc brakes can also include a separate drum brake system so that when the parking brake is applied, the parking brake’s cables will pull a lever in the drum brake that compresses the brake shoes to stop the vehicle.

Having proper working disc brakes is essential to operating a safe vehicle. If you have worn brake pads, operating your vehicle can be dangerous. Worn disc brakes can lead to braking failure and can cause accidents. Also, if you wait too long to get your brake pads changed, you can incur many additional costs. Once the brake pads are completely worn, each time you step on your brake pedal, your vehicle’s calipers will be squeezing metal on metal. This can lead to further damage on your vehicle’s rotors, and you will then need to replace not only your brake pads but also your rotors as well.Rotors must be inspected for excessive wear. Brake pads and rotors have matching wear patterns, and if a brake pad needs to be replaced, the rotor will have to be machined smooth. A rotor can be machined smooth only so many times before it is worn too much. Each rotor must have a certain width, which is inscribed on the rotor, and if the rotor is too worn, it must be replaced. The rotor should also be inspected for any heat cracks or other damage. Calipers should also be inspected to check for any brake fluid leaks.

Disc brakes begin to show wear around 8,000 to 10,000 miles. Many brake pads come with an indicator strip that will whistle when your brake pad needs to be replaced. However, if you experience any squealing or grinding noises when you step on your brake pedal, you should inspect your brake pads. If you can see excessive wear, you should have your brake pads changed in order to prevent any further damage to your vehicle’s rotors and wheels. Also, check your rotors and calipers. Calipers may begin to stick and won’t retract all the way when you release your brakes. This can lead to quicker wear on your brake pads. Again, you should always address any noises from your brakes before the problem becomes too serious or dangerous.