What Types of Brakes Does My Car Have?
If your car, truck, or SUV was made in recent years, the vehicle may have an anti-lock braking system, which allows you to steer as your brakes are engaged. Older vehicles do not have ABS brakes. In addition to this, most cars have two or three types of brake systems. These brake systems have several parts, including brake pads and rotors. If any of these brake systems are wearing out, bringing your car into Escondido Autopros- Auto Repair & Hybrid Repair for an inspection before the condition worsens is crucial. These brake systems are:
Disc Brakes – If you look through one of your car’s wheels, you will see a shiny metal disc just inside. This is called a disc brake or a front brake. When the driver steps on the brake pedal, a pad of hard-wearing material clamps onto the brake disc and rubs it to make it slow down—in a similar way to bicycle brakes.
Drum Brakes – Some cars have disc brakes on all four wheels while others have disc brakes on their front wheels and drum brakes on their back wheels. Instead of the disc and brake block, drum brakes have shoes inside the hollow wheel hub that press outward. As the shoes push into the wheel, friction is created, slowing you down.
Handbrake – Your vehicle’s handbrake applies force to the disc and drum brakes in a slower, less forceful way via a lever that’s located between your car’s two front seats. When you pull on the brake, a system of levers tugs on a pair of sturdy cables that apply the brakes to the back wheels. The handbrake system is completely mechanical and does not use brake fluid like the disk and drum brakes, so it can be used as an emergency brake (with great care) when the other brake systems fail.
