Generally, there are two kinds of brakes used in most vehicles’ hydraulic braking systems. Identifying which ones are on your car can help you to plan and budget for maintenance issues.
2. Generally, there are two kinds of brakes used in most vehicles’ hydraulic
braking systems. Identifying which ones are on your car can help you to
plan and budget for maintenance issues. In addition to those two main
styles of hydraulic brakes, there are variations like anti-lock braking that
might need to be taken into account, as well as the vehicle’s emergency
braking system.
The first style, disc brakes, are very common, in fact, in the United
States they are typically the front end brakes on every car manufactured
after the 1970s. They consist of a rotor and pad, with a caliper
mechanism. They work by applying pressure from the master brake
cylinder through the caliper to make contact between the pad (or shoe)
and the rotor. Pads need to be replaced periodically, but regular
maintenance and care can prevent excess wear on the rotors and
calipers to reduce your overall repair expenses.
3. Drum brakes operate on a similar hydraulic principle to disc brakes, but
their application of the principle is completely different. In drum brakes,
you have a circular drum with the shoe inside it and a mechanism that
pushes the shoe outward to make contact with the whole brake drum at
once. They are commonly installed on the back end of cars, but older
vehicles might have drum brakes at both the front and back. Drum brakes
should be inspected regularly for moisture damage if the vehicle sees
heavy use in wet weather.
4. Anti-lock braking systems are not actually a different style of brakes from
those previously mentioned. instead, the ABS is an additional system that
makes brakes more effective by preventing the kind of brake lock that can
produce heavy friction and wear. This lengthens the life of brakes while
decreasing stopping distance, making them more effective and longer
lasting at once. Most ABS systems run on their own, separate hydraulic
pump, which is automatically monitored and accessed by your vehicle’s
onboard computer. Anti-lock brakes are optional on most vehicles in the
United States, but they are quite common on cars from the early 1990s
forward.
5. In addition to the regular hydraulic braking system, every vehicle is also
equipped with an emergency brake that is designed to help stop the
vehicle in the event of a failure in the main system. The emergency brake
is also commonly called the parking brake, and mostly that is what it is
used for. It is important to keep it in good repair, though, in case it is ever
needed while you are on the road. To learn more about brake repair in
San Diego, visit this website www.dualtoneauto.com/brakes