Brakes are a system. Every component works with another to assure proper stopping. The concept behind braking is simple - you step on a pedal that pushes fluid through hoses to actuate hydraulic components that apply pressure to brake pads that stop the car. However, between the brake pedal and the brake pads are components that are prone to wear and corrosion.
Scientifically, brakes are actually energy conversion devices that convert the momentum of the vehicle into heat. Stepping on the brake pedal commands a stopping force ten times more powerful than the force that puts the car into motion. The braking system is composed of the following components:
1. The MASTER CYLINDER is connected directly to the brake pedal and is the source of the system's hydraulic pressure. The master cylinder converts your foot's mechanical pressure into hydraulic pressure.
2. The STEEL BRAKE LINES and FLEXIBLE BRAKE HOSES connect the master cylinder to the CALIPERS or WHEEL CYLINDERS located at each wheel.
3. SHOES & PADS are pushed by the calipers and wheel cylinders to contact ROTORS and DRUMS to cause drag, which slows the vehicle.
4. ROTORS & DRUMS are friction components that combine with the PADS & SHOES to stop the vehicle and disperse the heat generated by friction energy.
5. The EMERGENCY BRAKE is purely mechanical and designed to stop the vehicle when the hydraulic system is malfunctioning.
Rainbow Muffler & Brake offers free brake inspections to assure your maximum safety. Regular inspections may prevent brake failure that can occur when brake pads and brake shoes become too thin to disperse heat properly, or when brake fluid levels are below minimums, or when hydraulic components become frozen or begin leaking. Rainbow Muffler can measure and determine the effectiveness of the vehicle braking components and catch problems before they become accidents.
The Rainbow Muffler policy has always been to recommend only those components that need to be replaced. Replacement of all components at each service may be effective, but is costly. Your Rainbow representative can determine the condition of the braking components and recommend the safest most economical braking components to bring the system to specs.
Maintenance Tips
1. Ask your technician to check the brake fluid level at scheduled oil changes.
2. "Flush and Fill" the brake fluid at recommended intervals. Old brake fluid absorbs impurities that corrode internal components and cause hydraulic failures. Fresh brake fluid can also withstand heat and pressure necessary to assure safe braking.
3. Check your vehicle operator's manual, or ask your Rainbow Muffler technician, to determine whether your brakes adjust by engaging the emergency brake. If so, engage the emergency brake whenever parking your vehicle even if the vehicle is equipped with an automatic transmission. If your brakes are self adjusting, still engage the emergency brake to keep its' cables from freezing up.
4. Have your rear brakes adjusted at recommended intervals. Brakes must be adjusted to distribute the stopping action equally between the front and rear of the vehicle. Improperly adjusted brakes will cause the vehicle to tip forward, pull to one side, or lengthen stopping distances. It may also cause disc brake squealing.
5. Don't forget to ask your technician about the quality of brake pads and brake shoes being installed at your brake service. Rainbow Muffler premiers quality Bendix brake shoes and pads for most applications. Bendix technology offers the highest quality composites in their friction materials, and the most accurate tolerances in design to best meet OE specifications.