Posts Tagged brakes
Tips on How to Replace Brake Pads
Brake pads naturally wear out over time. Luckily, it is not as difficult to replace them as you may think. The tools that you need for this project include a lug wrench, c-clamp, adjustable or open wrench, Allen wrenches, hammer, and a bungee cord. When you jack up your car, make sure that you have it supported by blocks or jack stands. It is never safe to work on a car that is supported by a jack only. The first thing you need to do is remove the wheel. The lugs should be easy to take out, it is best to do so from the bottom up.
Next, in order to remove the brake pads you must first remove the brake caliper. The brake caliper can be located just above the lug bolts, sitting on top of the brake disc. There is a bolt that keeps the caliper in place. You can remove it easily using the suitable wrench. There are different types of bolts that could be keeping it in place, so it is a good idea to have different wrenches handy. Now you can pull the caliper off by pulling directly up. You may need to wiggle it a bit in order to loosen it. Now you can sit the caliper some place convenient, or use your bungee cord to tie it up.
Tags: brake, brake caliper, brake pad, brake pads, brake piston, brakes, lug nuts, lug wrench, replace brake pads, vehicle, wheelRelated posts
Disc Brakes Could Save Your Life!
Does your car have disc brakes? Chances are if it is a fairly new car it does. However if it’s very old it might not. Do you know why car manufactures changed from drum brakes to disc brakes? The answer is safety. Disc brakes stop faster and have less fade than the older style of drum brakes. Let’s look at why.
A drum brake looks like a flat plate with a large lip. The drum pads sit inside the drum brake and press against the lip. The way a brake works is to change kinetic energy from the motion of the car into heat through the friction of the brake pad rubbing against the lip of the drum brake. Because of the way the drum brake is packaged, there is little room for the heat build up to escape. With the lack of cooling the brake pad overheats and starts to lose some of its ability to cause friction with the drum. This is called brake fading and when a brake starts to fail, you cannot stop as fast.
Tags: brake, brake pad, brake system, brakes, disc brake, disc brakes, drum brake, drum brakes, new car, race carRelated posts
Maintaining, Changing VW Brake Parts
Maintaining and changing brakes on your own VW vehicle is not as hard as you may think. But, keep in mind that when you change your own brake pads, there are some other aspects that should be checked also to ensure that your brake pads are safe and dependable. If the brake pads or brake shoes are worn and need to be replaced, chances are other VW brake parts in the brake system may require attention too. The most obvious ones would be the brake rotors or drums and brake calipers or wheel cylinders. Both the front and rear brakes should be inspected.
A quality brake job should cover everything from the brake master cylinder where you add the brake fluid, to the calipers and wheel cylinders.
Tags: auto part, auto parts, auto parts store, brake, brake caliper, brake calipers, brake drums, brake hose, brake job, brake line, brake lines, brake pad, brake pads, brake parts, brake performance, brake rotor, brake rotors, brake shoe, brake shoes, brake system, brakes, changing brakes, clean, dealer, lug nuts, parts, tires, vehicle, wheelRelated posts
Brakes Hung-Over? Go Premium and Skip the Headaches
Picking rotors at the local parts chain store: it can be harder than choosing which sub-par, soapy domestic suds to grab at the slim pickings stadium beer stand. Like the pale beer paradox at the ballgame, all of the parts store’s disc brands look the same, feel the same and disappoint the same (and probably taste the same, too, but I wouldn’t try it). That’s why, with both beer and brakes, you should stick to a higher grade.
A set of performance rotors is in order if you truly like the refined taste of proper stopping. But, you won’t find them at the local chain parts store, or down the sad auto aisle of the mega mart (not far from the 36 packs without a buzz in the box). Instead, browse online for a good price on performance rotors from a brand like DBA Brakes.
Tags: brake, brake kits, brakes, car brake, car brakes, partsRelated posts
Smoothing Out the Braking System
A brake system is the chief failsafe fitted on cars. It enhances the pedal input applied on the brakes to make motion retardation short and swift. While the principle behind brake operations has undergone little reinvention over the years, the optimization of brake system parts has pushed the envelope of car braking system and kept it an even keel with present-day car technology.
Composed of hydraulic and friction brakes assemblies, the brake system relies on the performance of its individual parts to give drivers a tight rein of their car. The hydraulic brake assembly is the lesser light in the car brake system. Collectively this assembly converts foot pressure hydraulically, which the system then uses to operate the friction brakes.
Tags: brake, brake pad, brake pads, brake parts, brake rotor, brake system, brakes, car brake, disc brake, disc brakes, drum brake, drum brakes, engine, parts, wheel, wheelsRelated posts