Brake System Components
Brake Pads
Brake pads provide the friction to convert your car’s energy of motion to heat energy to slow you down. These eight pads, two on each wheel, only about two inches by 3 inches, have to be made of special material to give the performance and longevity you expect. When your brake pads wear past the factory service limit, we will recommend replacement.
Organic Pads
OEM, or factory spec brake pads, are usually organic pads. They are a composite of constituents such as glass, fiber, rubber, carbon, and Kevlar bonded with resins to each other and a metal backing plate.
Organic brake pads are the cheapest pick for a replacement. They are quiet and don’t wear out the rotors as quickly as other choices. They deplete sooner than the other choices; as they wear, they coat your wheels with black, corrosive brake dust.
Semi-Metallic Brake Pads
Semi-metallic brake pads are constructed of metal shavings bonded with resin. They are a good choice for heavy-duty or performance use. If your vehicle is a truck or SUV, the factory may recommend semi-metallic pads for their greater stopping power.
Semi-metallic pads are known for heat resistance and long service life but have drawbacks. Like OEM pads, they make lots of brake dust. Drivers who don’t need their advantages stay away from these parts because they routinely squeal, which is hard for the technician to remedy. Another downside is that semi-metallic pads wear out the rotors sooner than OEM pads.
Ceramic Brake Pads
Ceramic Brake Pads are fabricated of ceramic fibers, last the longest, and are quiet. They don’t make much brake dust. They don’t wear your rotors as fast as semi-metallics but transfer lots of heat to them, so ceramics may not be the best choice for heavy-load hauling vehicles. They are the most expensive pad you can buy.
Brake Rotors
Rotors are disc-shaped parts that bolt to your wheels. They interface with brake pads when you push the brake pedal, and must absorb tremendous amounts of heat, then emit it to the airstream. When your rotors wear past the factory service limit, we will recommend their replacement.
Cast Iron
Cast iron is the most used rotor material. Cast iron absorbs and emits heat well; the only drawback is its weight. The advantage that keeps it at the top of the list is its lowest price of all options.
Steel
Steel rotors are more expensive, wear out faster, and warp more readily than cast iron. Since steel is stronger, a steel brake rotor can be thinner and lighter than cast iron. Steel also absorbs and emits heat better than cast iron.
Ceramic
Ceramic rotors give you the best heat absorption and dissipation and the longest service life. They are expensive and usually found on high-priced cars like the ZR-1 Corvette.
Calipers
Calipers hold the brake pads. Pistons inside the calipers push pads to the rotors to decelerate your car. Calipers suffer contamination and rainwater from the road. Because of this problematic existence, seized or sticky caliper pistons are a common reason for brake maintenance.
Master Cylinder and Booster
When you push the brake pedal, a lever forces the master cylinder pistons to drive fluid toward the brake mechanism at each wheel, creating the force to slow your car. The master cylinder reservoir contains the majority of brake fluid in the system.
The brake booster connects to the master cylinder and increases the pressure from the brake pedal.
Leaking master cylinders and bad boosters frequently cause brake troubles. If yours need work, we will find it in an inspection and present you with a proposal to fix your brake system at a fair price.
Brake Lines
The brake lines connect the master cylinder to the calipers and transport brake fluid to the calipers, so they are a frequent source of leaks. If you get your routine service done at an oil changer place, they have neither the time nor inclination to inspect these parts. Any time your car is on our lift, we will look for developing problems and confidently get you on the road.
Brake Fluid
Brake fluid transmits the force from the master cylinder to the calipers. Over time this fluid accumulates water and other contamination. Regular fluid flushes will prevent pricey repairs. After two years, your brake fluid holds as much contamination as possible. Rusty brake parts result from deferring brake fluid flushes.
We finish our brake repair jobs with a road test to confirm your car meets factory specifications. We have dedicated, ASE-certified brake repair experts. Call us or visit our website to get a quote and book an appointment for a brake inspection or any service you need.
