Easy Brake Repair
Brake repair is a common do it yourself project for the car owner, particularly during economic downtimes when money is tight. However, it is extremely important to perform brake repair correctly, since top performing car brakes are one of the most vital safety components of your vehicle. Here are some basic instructions for brake repair. They assume a familiarity with basic brake components.
Disk brakes work by squeezing two pads together on both sides of a rotating metal disk. Each wheel is equipped with two brake pads that close up when you press on the brake pedal of your car. These pads will, of course, wear down over time. That metal scraping sound that you one day start hearing whenever you press on the brakes is your car telling you that brake repair is needed. You could choose to ignore the sound, but the pads will wear completely away and only metal against metal will be left to stop your car. Only metal is left after the pads are gone, and continued use will ruin the wheel mechanism. Pay me now or pay me later. Brake repair now saves money later on.
Any auto parts store can sell you brake pads, but be sure to give them the make and model of your car as the pads may vary from make to make. Once home, the next step is to jack up your car and pull off the wheel. You will have completed the bulk of your brake repair with these two tasks. If you still are not sure that brake repair is necessary, you can eyeball the pads through the brake housing view port before removing the wheel. Once you determine that brake repair is necessary, then remove the wheel and the lower bolt on the brake housing and swing the unit up and away from the wheel. You are now ready to begin actual brake repair.
The brake pads will be visible with the housing out of the way. Sitting loosely on the side of the disk without anything to hold them in place, they are easily removed. You then take them off and replace them with the new brake pads and swing the housing back down. Adjust the caliper accordingly to allow for the width of the new pads so that it securely holds them in place, just touching the disk, and slide the piston back into its housing.It may seem daunting at first to perform your own brake repair, but the ease of the process should be reassuring once you get started.
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