Recommended Maintenance for Your Vehicle's Brakes

Posted on: 21 April 2017

Maintaining your vehicle's brakes on a regular basis will ensure your vehicle passes any roadworthy inspections needed before you get a renewed registration sticker and will also keep you safe when on the road. Changing the brake pads is one of the most basic and vital steps of maintenance, but it's not the only one; note a few other ways you can properly maintain your car's brakes so the car is always ready for any inspection and you're always safe on the road.

Machining the discs

Machining the discs means putting the pads through a machine that calibrates them and buffs them around the edges. This is to ensure they fit the rotors and calipers properly and are up to the manufacturer's specifications; in turn, they will more readily squeeze the rotors and provide a firm and proper grip every time you hit the brakes. Machining is especially vital if you often drive in stop-and-go traffic where your brakes are constantly used and easily worn away or if you drive on lots of hills and need to rely on the brakes to control your car as it's being pulled down the hill.

Turning the rotors

Turning the rotors is like machining the discs; the rotors are put through a machine that buffs out scratches and grooves and makes the rotors smooth again. This will also create a firm surface for the brakes to grip when they squeeze the rotors; if the discs try to grip a rotor with too much wear or too many scratches, you may notice some bumping, sliding and uneven braking. Turning the rotors can also extend their life, as those grooves and scratches get buffed out before they become too deep and actually ruin the rotors.

Hydraulic service

Brakes rely on hydraulic power to push the fluid through the hoses, which then creates pressure on the calipers and pads. If the hydraulic lines get contaminated with air, rust flecks or any other debris, they won't create this pressure as easily and the brakes may fail to properly squeeze against the rotors. Your car may slide before stopping or you may notice an increased braking distance is needed when driving. A hydraulic service can include bleeding the lines and flushing them out so that any built-up debris is removed. This can keep the brakes functioning optimally and also extend the life of the brake lines, as they won't have that damaging debris scraping against the hoses every time you apply the brakes.

Going in for roadworthy inspections shouldn't be a big deal if you maintain your car regularly.

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