Let’s Get to Know Your Car’s Brakes

Vehicle brakes tend to be something that we simply take for granted. We know that work and let us slow and stop our cars, and we especially know when they aren’t working, but not necessarily how they work. While you could certainly spend a lot of time learning about the physics and engineering behind your brakes, today, we’re going to take a somewhat simpler look at them. As your trusted brake shop in Indianapolis, we think it’s important that every driver has a general understanding of how brakes operate to not only appreciate how their vehicle functions but also to identify when something is wrong.

Since your brakes are so very important, when they seem to be wearing down or failing, it’s vital that you have them checked out and worked on immediately. When you understand how your brakes function, then it can be easier to identify what might be wrong if something feels off or other issues arise. Plus, the more you know, the simpler it becomes to understand what a trusted mechanic or service professional is telling you when you head to your favorite brake shop. So let’s take a look at the types of brakes used with vehicles, how they function, and what you should watch for as a warning sign that you need brake service.

Brake Functionality 101

We’ll get to the two specific types of brakes and how they each function in a moment, but first, let’s take a look at some basic stuff that’s true of pretty much every car. The overall design of the brakes in your vehicle is fairly simple: you have a brake pedal in the cabin beneath your steering wheel and dash that you can apply pressure to using one foot. When you press down on this pedal, what you’re really doing is pushing a cylinder located within a small chamber, which presses a piston against a spring in that chamber; this is called the master cylinder.

As you push, it depresses the piston, which then pushes hydraulic fluid through brake lines to other cylinders, called slave cylinders, which are located at the four wheels. The hydraulic pressure is distributed evenly so that the brakes are applied evenly to all four wheels, and it pushes against slave pistons in these cylinders in much the same way that you pressed the master piston directly through the brake pedal. So you press the pedal, which directly presses the master piston, which in turn creates hydraulic pressure to press the slave pistons.

This type of hydraulic system multiplies the amount of pressure you originally exert – so you can comfortably push down on the pedal, but the force applied on the brakes at the wheels is much greater. Most cars these days have two hydraulic circuits and two master cylinders and pistons to send pressure to the slave cylinders – this ensures that if one is compromised, your brakes will still work. A lot of cars also have power-assisted brakes, which use a vacuum system near the brakes to help apply additional pressure, so you don’t have to work quite so hard to stop your car.

Two Different Types of Brakes

Now that we have a general sense of how your brake system works let’s look at the two different types of brakes found on vehicles. Some cars will only have one type, but most have both types located at different wheels (we’ll go over that further down). No matter what type of brakes you have, however, they all use the hydraulic system of cylinders and pistons we looked at earlier – it’s just a difference in how the pressure is applied to slow and stop your wheels.

First up, let’s look at disc brakes. Disc brakes use a disc (big surprise!) that is connected to a wheel of your vehicle, and the disc turns with the wheel. On the disc is something called a caliper, which fits around the disc but doesn’t actually touch it. Inside this caliper, there are pads; when you apply the brakes, the pads are pressed against the disc, which slows and eventually stops it. As the disc stops, so too does the wheel it’s connected to – the braking force isn’t applied directly to your wheels – you slow and stop the disc, and that applies to the wheels.

Drum brakes use a similar setup, but they function slightly differently. With drum brakes, there’s a hollow drum that turns with the wheels rather than a disc. Inside this drum, there are shoes that are attached to a backplate. When you apply the brakes, the hydraulic pressure pushes the shoes against the drum, slowing and stopping it; just like the disc from before, this slows the wheel that it’s connected to.

So, you can see that with both types of brakes, you apply pressure that slows something connected to your wheels. This way, you don’t wear out your wheels directly, and the drums or discs can be replaced or repaired as needed. So, what brakes are on your car? Well…

Which Type of Brakes Do I Have?

This really depends on the vehicle you have and when it was made, though there’s a good chance that you have both disc and drum brakes. Disc brakes function more efficiently, but they’re also more expensive, while drum brakes are more affordable, but they don’t work quite as well. Older vehicles might have drum brakes on all four wheels, but you won’t typically find that these days.

When you hit the brakes, the weight of your vehicle shifts forward due to momentum, which means the brakes on your front wheels have to do more work than those on your rear wheels. For this reason, a lot of modern vehicles have disc brakes on the front two wheels and drum brakes on the rear wheels. This way, you get the most effective braking power where you need it while saving some money. High-end models and luxury cars can have disc brakes on all four wheels, however, so it really does come down to what you’re driving.

Warning Signs That Your Brakes Need to Be Checked

For the most part, the major warning signs that you have an issue with your brakes will come down to feel. If your brakes feel soft, squishy, or less responsive when you press the pedal, then this can mean you need new brake fluid or that you have a leak. Similarly, if your vehicle shakes and feels jittery when you press the brake pedal, then your pads or shoes might have worn and need to be replaced. Squeaking brakes, especially when they’re not wet, can also be a warning; if your vehicle takes longer to come to a stop than usual, then you need to have your brakes checked out.

You should typically have your brake fluid checked whenever you go in for an oil change or handle similar maintenance, just to be safe. It’s a good idea to replace your brake fluid every couple of years or about every 30,000 miles. You should also have your brake pads and shoes checked pretty regularly and replaced whenever they’re wearing thin.

Choose the Best Brake Shop in Indianapolis

Keeping your vehicle in great shape means having someone that you trust to take a look at it. As your brake shop in Indianapolis, we’re proud to ensure all of our customers stay safe on the road with responsive brakes. Call or come visit our service department at 1850 Shadeland Ave today to find out more or schedule a brake service. Brakes are one of the components you don’t want to let the maintenance of slide, so bring your vehicle in for a brake check today.