Brake Replacement
Disc Brakes
Your brakes are extremely important as you drive around Camarillo CA. Having good brakes just keeps you out of trouble. You’ll want to carefully maintain your brakes. With disc brakes, brake pads rub on a disc – or rotor – to slow the wheels. Car brake pad replacement can keep your family safe.
The brake pads are attached to a caliper that squeezes the pads against the rotor. It’s kind of like how squeezing the handbrake on a bicycle pushes the brake pads against the wheel of the bike.
Over time break pads wear away – kind of like a pencil eraser wears out. Thankfully, replacing brake pads is a straight-forward repair. If you hear squealing or grinding when you use the brakes, your brake pads are probably wearing low. Call your Camarillo Independent and have a service advisor check them out. An ASE certified technician will perform a thorough brake inspection to see what needs to be done. He’ll check for signs of brake problems or brake line leaks and go over other brake components to see that they’re working properly. A simple brake adjustment may do the trick. He can tell you if it’s time to replace the pads or if there are other issues with your brakes that should be addressed.
Rotors can also warp or crack, in which case they’ll need to be replaced. Brake calipers also wear out over time. They can develop leaks or the caliper pistons can freeze open or closed – either way it’s not good. When this happens it’s time to replace the calipers. A thorough brake inspection will reveal worn bearings or seals as well. These need to be replace immediately.
Ignoring the problem will only cause more damage to your brake after the pads are completely worn out. When that happens, metal brake components will grind on the rotor, damaging it enough that it needs to be resurfaced or replaced… costing you more money. Simple maintenance, like repair brakes on time, will keep your car running longer.
The new brake pads we put on your vehicle will restore your brakes to manufacturers’ specifications. Or, we can install upgraded parts to increase your stopping power and reduce brake noise and brake dust. We have several options to meet your braking requirements and your budget.
Drum Brakes
Brakes that work properly are essential to your safety as you driving, so you’ll want to carefully maintain them. In vehicles equipped with drum brakes, the brake components are housed inside a drum that rotates with the wheel. When you push on your brake pedal, the wheel cylinder is activated and it pushes the shoes against the drum to slow the vehicle. This cylinder and various springs within the brake, can wear out affecting your ability to stop. Also, brake shoes wear away with use from rubbing on the drum as you brake. Thankfully, worn components are easy to replaced. When it’s time to replace brake shoes, call Camarillo Independent at 805-987-8180.
Similar to disc brakes, if you hear squealing or grinding when braking, call Camarillo Independent and ask your service advisor to check them out. He’ll have an ASE Certified technician perform a thorough brake inspection to identify the problem. He’ll check for signs of brake problems and go over other brake components to see that they’re working properly. He can tell you if it’s time to replace the brake shoes or if there are other issues with your brakes that should be addressed. If you ignore the warning signs and keep driving long after the shoes are completely worn out, you could do more damage to your car. Metal brake components will grind against the drum, damaging it. Then it will need to be resurfaced or replaced.
The new brake shoes we put on your vehicle will restore your brakes to manufacturers’ specifications. Or, we can install upgraded parts to increase your stopping power and reduce brake noise and brake dust. We have several options to meet your braking requirements and your budget.
Taking care of your brakes, including your emergency brake, keeps them working safely – and you could prevent premature brake repairs down the road.
Power Brakes
Basically, the power brake system helps you provide braking power so that you don’t have to do all the work with your brake pedal.
The brakes themselves are applied at the wheel using hydraulic pressure. When we step on the brake pedal, we create pressure in the power booster that’s multiplied by vacuum from the engine. The resulting pressure pushes brake fluid through the master cylinder into tubes and hoses that run to the brake at each wheel.
When there’s a problem, it’s usually a fluid leak somewhere along the line. It could be at a fitting or a hose, or even an internal leak in the master cylinder. A leak gives the pressurized fluid somewhere to go other than to the brakes, so stopping power is hurt. Lose enough fluid and you can’t stop at all. Of course that’s extremely dangerous.
If you notice any decrease in stopping power or if your pedal seems mushy, you could have a problem. There are some preventive maintenance items for the power brake system that will help them last longer.
Obviously you’d want to make sure your brake fluid is filled to the recommended level. Low fluid in the master cylinder could indicate a leak or worn brake material. Master cylinder leaks are usually just because it’s worn out but, leaks in the brake lines and connectors can be minimized by replacing the brake fluid from time to time. Brake fluid has additives that protect against corrosion that can damage brake components.
Brake fluid also attracts moisture which can lead to rust – not a good thing for expensive anti-lock brake components. Also, significant amounts of water in the brake fluid can affect stopping power because the water has a much lower boiling point than brake fluid. In the high temperature environment of the brake system, the water can vaporize – and steam doesn’t do a very good job of providing hydraulic pressure.
A final word – make sure you use the recommended type of brake fluid. There are several kinds and using the wrong one can lead to total brake failure. Your Newbury Park service advisor at Camarillo Independent Automotive can help you.
Call 805-987-8180 Today
