Brakes of the Matter
It is easy to take for granted that the simple act of applying pressure to the brake pedal will stop your car, a hunk of metal weighing hundreds to thousands of pounds. I can tell you, from personal experience, it comes as a great surprise when pressing on the brake pedal does not work! (Take a moment and mentally review where your emergency brake is located.)How do brakes work? Just how does the pressure you apply with your foot to the brake pedal translate to actually slow and bring to a stop all of that forward motion? The force of your foot depressing the brake pedal is transmitted to the brakes via brake fluid and leverage. The brake pedal is designed to multiply the force from your foot several times before transferring it to the brakes. The brake pedal is connected to a pivot rod; pivot rod is connected to the brake booster; brake booster is connected to the brake master cylinder; the brake master cylinder sends out brake fluid to the four wheel cylinders to stop the car. Whew!
The brake master cylinder is the brains of the basic brake system. It distributes brake fluid to the four wheel cylinders in such a way that stops the car in a straight line (without the front or back of the car dipping or raising). This helps you, the driver; maintain control of the car while stopping with a minimal amount of effort.
More about wheel cylinders: The typical wheel cylinder is three times the diameter of the master cylinder. All together, the brake system increases the force of your foot by a factor of 36. If you put ten pounds of force on the pedal, then 360 pounds of force will be generated at the brake pads; squeezing the brake rotors mounted to the hubs of the wheels.
On most conventional brake systems, front brakes receive 60% of the braking power, while the rears receive 40%. This is the main reason why, if you have happened to notice, front brake pads need to be replaced more often than rear brake pads.
Brake Calipers & Rotors: Typically, today's cars have a four wheel disc brake system. Meaning the front and rear brakes have rotors – a.k.a. discs – and calipers to hold the brake pads. Calipers squeeze the brake pads against the rotors. This creates friction that slows the car down. The rotors are made of metal. They will need to be replaced about every third time the brake pads are replaced.
Interaction between the brake pad and rotor creates the famous “Brake Squeak” (sometimes without even applying the brakes). The Squeak comes from the caliper vibrating against the brake pads; dirt and worn out brake parts accentuate or worsen the problem.
Break Squeak is not always an easy problem to cure. Many special products are available to help eliminate brake squeak. At Water Star Motors we use the most tried and true up-to-date procedures and products to insure you the quietest brakes in Santa Cruz County.
Your Brake System is one of the most important safety features on your car. Please, be sure to have yours checked out regularly; especially if they begin to behave differently in any way.
PS: Happy Halloween!
