Brake Repair: Protect Your Brakes, Protect Yourself

Jul 21
08:14

2011

Andrew Stratton

Andrew Stratton

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Your brakes are one of the hardest working parts of your car. Keep them in good running order to protect your safety and to avoid costly brake repair.

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When it comes to your car,Brake Repair: Protect Your Brakes, Protect Yourself Articles few parts work harder than your brakes, and few parts are more important to your safety while driving. If you notice even the slightest difference in how your brakes are working, you should bring it to a mechanic to get a brake inspection as soon as possible. The first signs of trouble are often sounds coming from the general location of your wheels, or a change in the way it feels to press down on the braking pedal. Some auto shops offer free visual inspection of brakes, but if they see anything that needs a closer look, there will probably be a fee for the more in depth services.
Brake repair can be costly, and problems with your brakes can be deadly, so the best course of action if you are a vehicle owner, is to keep up with regular maintenance on your brakes before a problem arises. Since the different components in your braking system will last different amounts of time depending on their manufacture and what kind of driving you do, the best way to keep on top of your brakes is to have a full inspection done every nine months or so, or every three oil changes.
When mechanics perform a full inspection on your brakes, they will be taking a close look at all parts of your braking system including but not limited to your pads, rotors, calipers, discs, brake lines and fluid. The parts of your system that will need attention most frequently are the pads and the braking fluid. The fluid is the agent for transferring the force that you put on the pedal to the brakes themselves. If air bubbles get into the fluid lines then your brakes become less effective. If this happens, braking may result in a spongy feel when you press down on the pedal. This is a good indication that you should seek out brake repair.
The pads in your braking system are designed to wear down over time and will have to be replaced. The front pads take the brunt of the action, so they will need to be replaced more often. The problem is catching them before they get too worn down and damage can be done to the rotor. Having regular inspections ensures that you can catch the need for new pads before any real damage can be done and you can avoid the need for costly brake repair procedures.
If caught in a timely manner and no damage is done to the rotor, you should be able to get your pads replaced for under two hundred dollars. This is assuming you have disc brakes, if you have drum brakes, it will cost a little more. Since maintenance to the braking system is one of the most common services car owners seek, it is possible to shop around and find special deals on pad replacement. Saving money is of course one of the biggest concerns for all car owners, but we can't stress enough that when it comes to your brakes, saving money has to take a back seat to saving lives. Remember, at the first sign of trouble with your brakes, you should waste no time in having them looked at by a mechanic.