Keeping your car running and on the road is an important aspect of vehicle ownership and this is one of those ideas which should taught to every young driver from the moment they get behind the wheel. Sadly, people often get caught up in the moment and forget the little necessities of life such as teaching the next generation the benefits of car care. Granted that neglecting your car is not a criminal offense, but given the right circumstances it could lead to serious legal and financial problems. For example, disregarding the failing brakes in your vehicle will make that car difficult to stop and failure to stop in time could cause bodily injury to another person. Likewise, you could be responsible for any property damage caused by your neglect.
Surprisingly, repairing the brakes in most vehicles is a fairly easy job as long as you understand the mechanics and electronics in modern automobile braking systems. Earlier models were even easier, often requiring only the brake caliper being removed to access the worn pads. However, automotive braking systems in use before disks brakes were developed were not quite so simple. These brake systems consists of two ‘shoes’ for each drum and a series of springs and clips to hold things in place. Along with this is a piston system which pushes the shoes against the drum as the hydraulic pressure is increased. Brake pad replacement in Hilo is much less complicated even when it involves a new model automobile with anti-locking brake system or computer enhanced braking.
Of course, not all brake problems are related to the shoes or pads. Automobile brakes are operated by hydraulic action. The driver pushes a pedal which operates a pump in what is known as the master cylinder. In some cases there is a vacuum assist on the master cylinder to provide the drive with an easier to operate brake pedal, but either way the master cylinder distributes the hydraulic pressure to the individual brake cylinders. If the master cylinder fails you may notice the pedal getting softer, but this could also be a symptom of failing brake cylinders as well. Diagnosing a brake pad replacement problem requires both skill and experience and attempting to make repairs on a problem you don’t understand is a waste of your time and money.
