Brakes Replacement Barrington

Most people aren’t experts when it comes to their cars. Most people view them as machines just to get from point A to point B. It doesn’t take an expert to learn the signs that they need new brakes though. Brakes often come with a warning tab that gives off a high pitch scratching sound while driving. This warning lets you know that it is going to be time to change your brakes soon, but still, have a little time. When you hear a grinding noise when you press the brakes, that means you’ve worn through the brake pad and now have the metal of the pad holder digging into the metal of your rotor or drum. When that happens, you need to stop into Auto Advantage right away, and our trained mechanics can change your brake pads quick.

Brakes Barrington

How often you have a tendency to brake has a major impact on the life expectancy of your brakes. This is mostly driving habit for people; it is not a factor of how quickly you are to press the brakes, but how often. A car moves in front of you on the highway, and you tap the brake to slow down. Trying to find a house or business number and lightly pressing the brake to go slower than idle, or other habits. There is no perfect answer to extending the life of your brakes because replacing brake pads is cheaper than the cost of repairs because of an accident. So keep using your brakes when you need to, just be sure to keep an ear out for the signs that you need new brakes.

Brake Installation Barrington

The one factor is the type of car you drive. Larger vehicles have larger brakes. It could also be some options that determine what types of brakes you have, often vehicles that come with the option of a towing package have larger brakes than their non-towing counterparts. This is due to one simple fact; heavier vehicles require more force to stop at speed. These larger brakes would be overkill on smaller cars and just increase the maintenance cost for regular bake changes. Not only do the designers of your vehicle take into account the vehicle itself, but what envisioned it to be used for. Trucks and SUVs have larger brakes than Sedans and Minivans because Trucks and SUVs are expected to be carrying heavy weight up steep slopes. That does not mean that a Sedan or Minivan couldn’t be holding that same weight, but it is not an expected use of them.

Brake Shop Barrington

The type of driving you do also has a major impact on how long your brakes last. This often has little to do with personal driving habit, but more are the outside factors. Stop and go expressway traffic, stop lights or signs, or open road highway all have different impacts on your brakes. The longer you can go without using your brakes the longer they last. That doesn’t mean you shouldn’t use them, as a set of brake pads is cheaper than the cost of repairing a fender bender. How often you drive also has a factor in this. Obviously, when your car is parked, your brake pads do not wear down. Though being parked for too long and you might have another problem on your hands with your brakes becoming rusted. If your car has been parked for months without moving, don’t panic if you hear a loud pop and grinding when you drive. This is just the rotors braking the rust and the rust being ground off the rotors. The sound should stop after driving for a while.

Car Mechanics Barrington

The quality of your brake has a lot of factors. Not only in the quality of material that goes into them but the material that they are made out of. Originally asbestos was used to manufacture brake pads, but obviously, those have been replaced. The most common type of brake pad out there and the cheapest is the Organic brake. These are not called organic because they are made out of organic materials, but because their name is Non-asbestos organic. They are made by combining various materials with a binding agent. These materials often include glass, fiber, rubber, carbon, and Kevlar inside the pad itself. Because of the low production cost, they are often the standard brake pads that are included in the sale of new cars, but that does not mean they are bad. There are several benefits to organic pads than just cost.

Soft, quiet, easy on brake rotors
Don’t require much heat to generate good friction
Produce less dust than metallic pads
Cheaper to Manufacture
Suitable for normal driving/commuting across many environments
Perfect for everyday vehicles and drivers

Though they are not without their drawbacks

Not at all suitable for performance driving
Will quickly lose their coefficient of friction when overheated
Wear out quickly compared to other types of brake pads
High compressibility – can cause “mushy” brake pedal
Only operate well within a relatively limited temperature range

The next type of brake pad that is commonly seen is the semi-metallic brake pad. This is similar to the organic brake pad, but has 30-65% metal inside. The most common types of metals found in these pads are steel, iron, and copper. The metal that is inserted into the pad helps dissipate heat away from the rotor. This reduces the temperature generated from braking reducing the chances of a rotor warping from heat. They also have other benefits to them as well.

Numerous compounds available – suitable for anything from daily street driving to extreme track use
Have a much higher thermal threshold due to metallic content
Provide good cold bite
Dramatically increased braking performance over organic pads
Have a much wider operating range (temperature) Low compressibility
Much more resistant to brake fade than organic pads

But every positive always comes with a cost

Produce more brake dust
More abrasive than other types of pads – will wear brake rotors more quickly
More expensive than organic pads (but generally cheaper than ceramic)
Tend to be noisier than organic or ceramic pads

The last type of brake pad that is available for your vehicle is a relatively new one to the other two. Ceramic brake pads have only been around since the 1980s and use a dense ceramic material, like those found in pottery.

Longer lifespan than organic or semi-metallic
Produce finer, lighter-colored brake dust which does not stick to wheels
Stable under a wide range of temperatures for consistent performance
Produce less noise than semi-metallic pads

Though while better than organic and semi-metallic, they do have drawbacks as well.

Typically the most-expensive type of brake pad
Do not absorb heat as well as semi-metallic pads
Good all-around braking characteristics
Do not produce as much cold bite as semi-metallic pads

Quality Auto Mechanic Barrington

Whatever the need you have replacing your brakes is not as simple as most people think. There are several specialized tools and techniques that are needed to replace brakes that the experts at Auto Advantage have and know to safely replace your brake pads and rotors. Having your brakes go out is dangerous and potentially deadly for you and other people on the road. Make sure they are done right by visiting Auto Advantage today.

Brake Replacement Barrington