Yes, exactly the brakes! This is what should function first and foremost in your car in any situation. And replacing brake pads is far from the only procedure that the operation of the car's braking system depends on.
The air conditioner, music system, heater, engine – if they fail, they won't create such a critical situation for you as a failure of the braking system at the right moment.
Notice how many times the brake lights of the car in front of you light up when you're making your way through morning traffic jams? You press the brake pedal approximately the same number of times. With each press, all elements of the braking system experience a sharp load of pressure and temperature forces.
Engineers have worked out every component of the system. This allows the brakes to work reliably for months, even years. It seems that the sensitivity of the pedal and their effectiveness are always the same, but this is not so, and we feel the consequences at the most unpredictable moment.
A brake pad slipping against the disc by 10 centimeters turns into an extra half meter of wheel travel.
Timely eliminate any unpredictable behavior of the car to avoid unplanned extreme situations.
We have written a list of tips that will help you safely operate your car thanks to a properly functioning braking system:
- brake fluid replacement should be done every year. Its ability to absorb moisture, contamination from worn seals, and constant overheating during prolonged braking from high speeds leads to a deterioration in the transmission of braking force from the pedal to the pads, which increases the car's reaction time to pressing the brake pedal.
- undergo regular diagnostics of the brake lines, every time you replace the pads; if there are cracks or cuts – replace immediately! If the inner or outer armor fiber of the hose is damaged, it expands when the pedal is pressed, pressure goes to the sides, and is not transmitted through the brake fluid to the caliper. The pedal becomes less informative, and there is a high probability of sudden fluid leakage and failure of the entire braking system.
- replacement of brake pads should only be with original pads or products from well-known manufacturers at trusted auto service centers. Do not save on what protects you from the costs of repairing your car's body panels. A poor-quality composition of brake pads during prolonged braking, as a result of high temperature and pressure, makes the pad surface smooth, it loses its coefficient of friction. Also, cheap pads often have a harder composition; they wear out longer, but ultimately render the brake disc unusable, wearing its working surface noticeably faster, and the pads emit a loud squeal when braking. In a cheap composition, you can find asbestos, which negatively affects the health of the body. Replacement of brake pads should occur before they are completely worn out.
- timely replacement of brake discs will give you predictable braking exactly at the point where you planned to stop. Check their wear with every pad replacement. The thickness of the disc affects brake sensitivity and heat dissipation. A too-worn disc is prone to surface warping; when hitting a puddle during braking, vibrations appear during braking, and as a result, the braking distance increases.
- regularly service the brake calipers and drum systems, diagnostics every time you replace the pads or once every 6 months. The moving mechanisms of the brakes wear out. Torn dust boots contribute to sand getting into the mechanism and accelerate the wear of the caliper guides. All this leads to jamming of the mechanism. The car either responds poorly to the pedal, or the pad does not move away from the disc the necessary distance, leading to accelerated pad wear, increased fuel consumption, the braking system loses balance, and skidding is possible during braking.
- if an unusual grinding or squealing appears when braking, this is a signal to replace the pads or that a foreign object has entered the braking system. Stones and other objects getting in threaten damage to the braking system. The brake pad can fail – crumbling, deep scratches may appear on the disc, which reduces the contact area between the pad and the working surface of the disc, and this will increase the braking distance and the reaction time to pressing the pedal.
Replacing pads in Kyiv is done at almost every service station, but not everyone is able to diagnose the entire system. Be careful in choosing the service and components.
The safety of the car lies in attention to details.
