The simple everyday action of pressing on the brake pedal can result disastrous if one day that same action does not respond the same. When you hit the brakes that is all you want to hit!

 

Brake Symptoms To Watch Out For

If your car is experiencing any of the following brake problems, or your brakes just don’t feel right to you, bring your car to Gramenzi Auto Services for a complete brake analysis.

 

Common brake problems include:

• Spongy, soft brake pedal

• Brake fluid leak

• Brake pedal goes to floor

• Low brake fluid

• Shaking steering wheel

• Grinding or squealing brakes

• Car wobbling or pulsating at highway speeds

• Burning Odor coming from overheated brakes

Whether you’re dealing with a screech, a smell, or brakes that simply are not responding like they used to, stop by Gramenzi Auto Services for a free brake inspection and repair today.

 

 

 

Brake System Brake Down

 

Brakes work by friction to slow or stop the vehicle and wear down with use. Our service includes inspection of brake pads, rotors, shoes and hydraulics. When you change or rotate tires, it's always a good idea to have your brakes inspected, too.

 

 

Disc Brakes:

• Disc brake rotors and pads

• Calipers and hardware

 

Drum Brakes:

• Brake drums and shoes

• Wheel cylinders

• Return springs

 

Parking Brake:

• Cables

 

Hydraulic System: 

• Master cylinder

• Brake fluid and hoses

• Power booster

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Your vehicle's brake system is a culmination of more than 100 years of technological innovation, transforming crude stopping mechanisms into dependable and efficient equipment. While brake systems vary by make and model, the basic system consists of disc brakes in front and either disk or drum brakes in back. Connected by a series of tubes and hoses, your brakes link to each wheel and to the master cylinder, which supply them with vital brake fluid (hydraulic fluid).

We can summarize all of your braking equipment into two categories, Hydraulics and Friction Material:

 

Hydraulics 

 

Master Cylinder:

The master cylinder is like a pressure converter. When you press down on the brake pedal, the master cylinder converts this to hydraulic pressure, and brake fluid moves into the wheel brakes.

Brake Lines and Hoses: 

Brake lines hoses deliver pressurized brake fluid to the braking unit(s) at each wheel.

Wheel Cylinders and Calipers: 

Wheel Cylinders surrounded by two rubber-sealed pistons connect the piston with the brake shoe. Push the brakes and the pistons stop and the shoes pushes into the drum. Calipers squeeze brake pads onto the rotor to stop your car. Both components apply pressure to friction materials.

 

Friction Materials

 

Disc Brake Pads and Drum Brake Shoes: 

A disc brake uses fluid (released by the master cylinder) to force pressure into a caliper, where it presses against a piston. The piston then squeezes two brake pads against the rotor, forcing it to stop. Brake shoes consist of a steel shoe with friction material bonded to it.

How It Comes Together: 

When you first step on the brake pedal, you are triggering the release of brake fluid into a system of tubes and hoses, which travel to the braking unit at each wheel. You actually push against a plunger in the master cylinder, releasing fluid. Brake fluid can't be compressed. It travels through the network of tubes and hoses in the exact same motion and pressure that initiated it. When it comes to stopping a heavy steel machine at high speed, this consistency is a good thing. The performance of your brakes can be affected when air gets into the fluid; since air can compress, it creates sponginess in the pedal, which disrupts consistency, and results in bad braking efficiency. "Bleeder screws" (located at each wheel cylinder) remove unwanted air in your system.

A car without functioning brakes is dangerous! In many cases, warning signs will tell you if your car's brakes may need service.