Hello, my name is David. Welcome to my blog. There is nothing I like more than hitting the open road and going for a drive in my car. I have always loved everything to do with automobiles. When I was a boy, I had a collection of 208 different toy cars which I would play with all day long. As soon as I was old enough, I began taking driving lessons and the day I passed was the best day of my life. Although I am not a mechanic, my dad taught me lots of neat tricks so I can keep my car in top condition. I hope you enjoy my blog.
Brakes are probably one of the most important safety component of any car and should be checked regularly. Brake pads that are allowed to wear out can cause damage to the brake disc and effect stopping power. Paying attention to the warning signs that indicate a need for a brake service could mean the difference between life and death on the road.
There are a few signs that your brakes need servicing apart from the brake light coming on. A feeling that the car is taking longer to stop than it should, squealing or grinding noises, a soft, touchy or hard brake pedal, pulling or a vibrating shudder in the steering wheel. In any of these cases, you should get your brakes checked as soon as possible if you experience the following while driving.
Brake noise
Brakes should operate quietly and any noises should not be ignored. Most brake pads have a soft steel spring or drag tab incorporated in to them. This is designed to start dragging on the disc when the thickness of the brake pad is wearing too thin creating a metallic, squealing noise.
A harsh grinding sound may mean that the brake pads are completely worn out so when you apply the brakes, the metal of the callipers is grinding against the brake disc. This would not only damage the brake disc but is potentially dangerous.
Soft pedal
A soft spongy feeling in the brake pedal, could be a sign of worn brake pads or a problem with the hydraulic system, such as air in the line, an air leak or a brake fluid leak.
Touchy pedal
A touchy pedal is one that causes the brakes to grab immediately at the slightest touch. This could indicate an unevenly worn brake disc, dirty brake fluid or moisture in the brake fluid.
Hard pedal
A hard pedal makes you feel you have to push the brake pedal through the floor in order to stop. It could mean you might have a brake line obstruction or a problem with the vacuum system.
Pulling
Sometimes a car may feel like it is pulling to one side while braking. This could be caused by a stuck calliper creating friction on one of the wheels or a collapsed brake hose that would cause the callipers to move unevenly when applying the brakes. It could also be from uneven brake pads applying different amounts of pressure to the different wheels.
There are other causes for pulling that aren't brake related. Unevenly inflated or worn tyres, poor wheel alignment or a problem with the cars suspension could be the cause. Either way, if your car veers to one side without turning the wheel, it should be a cause for concern.
Vibration
A vibrating brake pedal generally means you have warped brake discs. The uneven surface will vibrate against the brake pads and can be felt through your foot. Heavy brake use like driving down steep inclines or by stopping frequently while towing a heavy load can cause the metal of the brake disc to distort. Vibration can also be caused by a bad wheel alignment.
Machining
Brake disc machining is a common solution for vibration and brake noise issues. When enough of the brake pad has worn away, the pad's steel backing plate will scrape on the disc's surface, reducing braking power and damaging the disc. The machining process removes a very thin layer off the disc surface to clean off minor damage and restore uniform thickness.
Machining the disc can maximise the mileage out of the current discs on the vehicle. Although this is an effective way to solve the problem it can't be done indefinitely, as there are minimum thickness requirements in order to be safe.
Ignoring any of these symptoms is not only dangerous, but can make a relatively easy, inexpensive job into a more complicated, costly one. Take your vehicle in to professionals like Mitchell Service Centre to solve any auto issues.
Share5 December 2014
