Ever Wonder How Brakes Stop Your Car?
The braking system for present day automobiles has benefited from repeated improvements for well over 100 years.In most cars today, disk brakes in front make up the standard braking system, while the back includes either drum or disk brakes. A network hoses and tubes connect the brakes, linking to the master cylinder from each wheel.
Because the brakes on your car are so critical to its safe operation, it is very important that you keep your brakes in tip top shape. Regular maintenance by an expert brake repair service is the answer.
Brake fluid, which is a hydraulic, lacks compressibility and is akin to pushing a steel rod through a pipe. Except that fluid can be pushed around corners and curves, it does not have to travel in a straight line.
It is imperative that the fluid consist of pure liquid without air bubbles. Air is compressible and creates a spongy feeling in the brake pedal while hindering the brakes' effectiveness. At each wheel cylinder and caliper, you will find bleeder screws for taking the air out of the brake line.
The two types of brake systems, disk and drum brakes, operate just a bit differently. The disk brake uses fluid from the master cylinder forcing the fluid in the caliper, pressing against a piston. This piston, then presses the brake pads snugly with the disk rotor fixed to the wheel. This causes it to slow or come to a stop. The function compares to bicycle braking which involves two rubber pads pressing against the rim of the wheel applying friction to slow down and stop.
Drum brakes on the other hand jets fluid into a wheel cylinder and in turn forces the brake shoes in an outward motion, applying pressure against the drum fixed to the wheel and bringing it to a stop. Whether it is the surface friction of pads or shoes on the drum brake, forward motion of the car creates heat. Heat supplies the driving force behind the friction surface of shoes and pad, wearing them out over time and requiring replacement.
In modern automobiles, the disk brake has the best performance. From trains to airplanes, disk brakes are the preferred choice. Disk brakes simply last much longer, are less prone to disruption from water, can adjust independently, and can clean themselves. Disk brakes seldom grab or pull and are by far the superior system.
Installing a parking brake on a disk brake system is a major problem as well. Parking brakes do not make use of hydraulics, but instead are based on fairly simple mechanics, relying on components that don't exist in the disk brake system. Drum brakes only require installation of a lever. However, on disk brakes it is sometimes necessary to add a dedicated mechanical brake drum assembly in addition to the disk brake rotor. This is obviously an additional cost and presents extra maintenance issues.
Eagle Transmission in Rowlett Texas offers the best Rowlett car repairs available in the Rowlett area. We always do a free computer diagnosis of your transmission before any repairs are started. Call us at 972-412-0242
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