Brake Repair: How To Stay Out Of The Shop

Brake repair, it’s hard to say whether or not there is one “most important” part of your vehicle. Obviously the engine has something to say about that distinction, as does the carburetor and the seats themselves. But when it comes to driving safely, perhaps no other component of your car is as important as the brakes. That’s why regular brake repair is so vital. On the other hand, if you find yourself going in for brake repair more often than you think you should, you could be doing something to damage them prematurely. Knowing what’s going on inside the wheels is a good way to understand how you could be saving time and money by going easier on your brakes.

Brake repair is going to be necessary at some point if you keep your car long enough. If, however, you find yourself going into the shop every 10,000 miles, there’s something wrong. Either you have a lemon, you’re going to the wrong shop, or you are doing something wrong. After investigating the first two possibilities and eliminating them, you’ll have to turn the mirror around and look at yourself. What are you doing to go through repairs so often? It could be your driving habits. Are you riding the brakes when you drive? This is a common problem, especially among people who learned “two-foot” driving. If you use your right foot for the gas and your left foot for the brakes (a technique almost any driving expert will tell you is a bad way to drive), you could be riding the brakes. This means you are lightly pushing the pedal down at all times, even when you don’t realize it. This causes the pads and rotors to wear out long before their natural expiration date. Consider strongly switching to a one-foot technique or at least being more cognizant of what you are doing.

Of course, the problem may also be the conditions in which you are driving. Stop and go driving is not only bad for the engine and your gas mileage, it can also ensure you are in the shop for brake repair more often than you should be. If you are only driving to work and finding yourself repeatedly in these conditions, you may want to consider finding an alternate route that requires more freeway driving. Even if it takes a bit longer, it will save you a lot of money on fixes and gas. You may also want to look into your city’s public transportation.