BRAKE
SQUEALING: On each side of the front brake pads of a disc
brake system, there is a metal tab that extends toward the brake rotor. As
the brake pad wears down to the point of replacement, the tab comes in contact
with the rotor. This metal to metal contact causes a high pitch or
squealing sound that is the drivers signal to service your brakes.
LOW
BRAKE FLUID RESERVOIR LEVEL: Again, as the brake pads of a
disc brake system wear, the piston in each caliper must extend to push the worn
pad closer to the rotor to compensate. The caliper receives fluid from the
brake fluid reservoir/master cylinder system. As the caliper extends
toward the rotor, more brake fluid is required. Generally, it is not
necessary to refill your brake fluid reservoir as once the caliper pistons are
reset for use with new brake pads, the reservoir refills with the apparent lost
fluid from the caliper.
BRAKE
SHUDDERING, CHATTERING OR VIBRATIONS:
This is not normal brake operation and these effects are usually exacerbated
when braking by going down a hill or mountain. This is a sure sign that
the rotors must and should be replaced immediately. The reason is that the
rotors are no longer sport truly flat or uniform surfaces. What's
happening is the disc brake pad is only intermittantly in contact with the brake
rotor. You might wondering, is this dangerous. The answer is, most
definitely yes! When you need your brakes to stop to avoid an accident,
it's not going to do you any good to stop at 70 or more feet when your vehicle
could have stopped at 50' with new rotors installed, to avoid the
accident. Years ago, on older vehicle designs, rotors where expensive and
somewhat costly to replace or resurface (turn). That was because asbestos
pads where used and rotors rarely needed to be replaced, so they were designed
accordingly (difficult to install and in relatively low production stock).
Today's new car designs, using metallic brake pads, cause much higher rotor wear
rates and as such, require designs that quick and more frequent
replacement. The rotors for today's models are mass produced and are
readily available from stock and are relatively cheap. As such, there is
absolutely no reason whatsoever that you should not replace faulty rotors.
Remember our number one priority is the safety of our customers and their
families.
WHY
YOU SHOULDN'T WAIT TO SERVICE YOUR BRAKES: If delay servicing your
brakes, eventually your disc brake pads will wear to the point where you have
metal to metal contact between the base of your disc brake pad (steel) and the
rotor (alloy steel). The result of metal to metal rotation contact is
referred to as galling. The result is a much more expensive brake
repair. This will most definitely require a new rotor(s). It is also
quite possible to damage the calipers. In short, don't delay brake
repairs.
If you'd like to more
information about it, we'd be happy to provide you
with a cost estimate and will help to answer your questions. Just give us a
call.
09/22/2023
