Brakes

 

Properly maintaining and repairing your car's brakes and brake systems is vital to keeping your car safe to drive. Attention to proper brake care can also help you avoid costly damage and repairs.

It is important to have your brakes several times a year, especially if you do driving in the city where you frequently need to stop for lights and intersections. Lund Automotive provides a free brake inspection as a part of our Lund Comprehensive Vehicle Health conducted by our trained.

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How to Know if You Need Your Brakes Serviced

Although brake components such as brake pads and brake rotors are designed for durability due to their frequent use, like many car parts, brake components do eventually wear down and necessitate replacement. There are some obvious, and not so obvious, signals that indicate brake repairs are needed.

Squealing

If you notice a high-pitched squealing sound when you apply the brakes, it’s a good indicator that your brakes need to be replaced or at the very least inspected. This is the most common indicators brake repairs will be needed. Many vehicle and brake component manufacturers engineer wear indicators into their brakes to produce this sound to notify the driver brake work is needed.

Other factors that can produce a high-pitched squealing from the brakes include a build-up of brake dust from the brake pads being worn down, debris or rust on the surface of the rotor or brake pads becoming glazed over from high heat. Due to the multiple possible causes that can produce squealing brakes, including improper installation, missing anti-rattle clips or poor surface contact with the rotor, it’s a good idea to have your brakes inspected when you hear squealing.

Grinding

The sound of brakes grinding is not only cringe-inducing, it’s a sure sign something’s amiss with your vehicle’s braking system. If you hear grinding sounds when you apply pressure to your brake pedal, it means the pads weren’t replaced in time or something is rubbing against the brake rotors the wrong way.

The brake pads may be beyond their wear limit, they may be coming into rough, uneven contact with the rotors, or it can be something more sinister like brake calipers or pistons grinding against the rotor (they’re not supposed to). Get your brakes inspected and repaired (if necessary) immediately.

Pulsations or Vibrations When the Brake Pedal Is Applied

Feeling pulsations or vibrations when you apply the brake pedal typically indicates the brake rotor is significantly warn or warped. Effective braking power relies on the brake pads and brake rotor coming into contact cleanly, that is the entire surface brake pad contacting the brake rotor simultaneously.

A rotor that is warped by friction or heat, or worn beyond acceptable limits, can create vibrations or pulsations; it’s a sure indicator you should visit a brake specialist or auto service center as soon as possible. However, pulsations or vibrations should not be confused with a vehicle’s anti-lock braking system, which prevents the brakes from locking when heavy brake pressure is applied, particularly in slippery driving conditions such as rain, snow or ice.

Loss of Pressure on the Brake Pedal

When your foot presses on the brake pedal, you should feel a firm response that becomes increasingly firm as you press down harder. If you own late-model vehicle (and not a classic or vintage vehicle without modern braking technology), a brake pedal that feels mushy or can be pressed all the way down to the floor can indicate several things.

It could be a relatively minor problem such as a leak or gap in the brake lines allowing air to enter and diminish braking power or the brake pedal may need to be adjusted, or it may be something much more serious, such as a failing brake system.

Types of Brake Repairs

The type of brake repair your vehicle requires will vary depending on the problem, but there are a few routine brake repairs that are a part of regular maintenance and upkeep.

Brake Pad Replacement

Most modern cars have disc brakes on all four wheels, though some cars still have drum brakes in the back and disc brakes up front. On a disc-brake-equipped vehicle, a set of heat-resistant pads grip the spinning brake rotor when you push the brake pedal, using friction to slow the wheel down and ultimately bring the car to a stop.

B­ecause of how fast a vehicle's wheels rotate and how much a typical car or truck weighs, brake pads undergo extreme stress every time you slow down or come to a stop.

Over time, those pads get worn out, reducing their ability to slow the car down. That's why it's important to change brake pads approximately every 8,000 to 10,000 miles depending on type of driving conditions.

Rotor Resurfacing

It’s usually a good idea to consider resurfacing or “turning” the rotor when it comes time to replace the brake pads. Because your vehicle’s brake stopping power relies on as much surface area between the rotor and brake coming in contact cleanly, a rotor that is scored or worn may need to be resurfaced.

Brake rotors typically include wear indicators that show if there’s enough material left to be resurfaced. At Lund Automotive our technicians also check the thickness of the rotor against the manufacturer’s recommendations. If there’s enough remaining material, we will place the rotor on a special lathe and scrape just enough material away to create a new evenly smooth rotor surface, if not the rotors will need to be replaced.

LUNDLOGO160PX

Lund Automotive Service & Repair
847-639-9593
info@lundautocare.com
9419 Doyle Rd.
Fox River Grove, IL 60021
Hours: Monday-Friday 8 A.M. to 5 P.M.
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