Brakes
Call us at: 941-260-0562
Brakes
When it comes to brakes for your car, we bet you don’t think about them. You know that when you step on the brake pedal, the brakes just naturally work. However, there are more to brakes than just stepping on the brake pedal. There are things you need to know about your brakes before you step into your car for that next drive.
What Do Brakes Do?
The way brakes work is a physics lesson in itself. When you put your car in motion and you need to stop, you apply a force (your brake) to the wheels, which causes heat through friction and slows the car down. Since a car is quite heavy, the fact that the brakes work as quickly as they do is nothing short of amazing.
Brakes consist of several moving parts. All of them are important when it comes to getting your car stopped. First, there’s the rotor, which turns with the wheels on your car. Then there is the brake pad and caliper. When you push down on the brake pedal, the caliper lowers the brake pad, which causes friction with the rotor, and slows the car down.
Why Do Brakes Wear Out?
Brakes don’t wear out the same way other parts of your car do. Over time, the brake pads inside the caliper wear out because you’re using them. You have to get them replaced, or you will not be able to brake efficiently and over time, you may cause excessive wear on other parts of your brake system, such as the rotors.
It’s important to have a qualified mechanic check your brakes when you come in for your tune up. Also, be sure that you are getting the right brake pads for your car. It’s important that you get quality brake pads, because imitation or cheap brake pads will wear out more quickly.
A good rule of thumb for brake pads is to have your brakes checked about every 10,000 miles, or every other oil change. Luckily, most service centers will automatically check your brakes when you bring your car in for service.
When you’re ready to buy a new car, or you need to get your car serviced, we hope you’ll think about us. We are ready to serve you and your car. Give us a call at 941.748.6510 or come by and see us on First Street in Bradenton. We’d love to talk cars with you!
