Steve's Auto Repair

(703) 670-8005

Hours of Operation:
M-F: 7:00 am - 6:00 pm

Steve's Auto Repair & Tire

Brake Replacement Service

Are your brakes grinding, squealing or vibrating? These are symptoms that your brakes may be getting low and are in need of replacement. We realize how important your transportation is to you and stopping is one of the most important features of driving.

Here at Steve's Auto Repair & Tire, we are happy to do a free complimentary brake inspection for you by appointment. During our inspection process we will check your entire brake system to include, but not limited to your brake pad thickness, rotor condition, calipers to check for proper function as well as your brake fluid level and its ability to absorb moisture. In addition, we will also examine your brake lines to insure there are no fluid leaks to your hydraulic master cylinder.

We will only use the highest quality parts available for your vehicle, as we offer one of the area's best nationwide warranty's on our services, offering a 2 year 24,000 mile warranty!

Your vehicles brake system is made up of several different components. We can explain how and what each part of your system does and how they work together.

Regular Maintenance on your Brake System

Brake Fluid Flush

Brake Fluid should be flushed and replaced every 2 years or 30K miles. The two most common types of brake fluid are known as DOT 3 and DOT 4. These types of brake fluid absorb moisture and have different boiling points. Depending on what kind of vehicle you drive the type of fluid required will vary. This hydraulic fluid travels from your master cylinder through your brake lines to your calipers and or wheel cylinders to put pressure to your calipers which apply pressure to your brake pads and shoes which in turn make you stop effectively and controllably.

As your shoes and or pads get worn the fluid level will decrease in the system and more fluid will need to be added to fill the void where the lesser amount of pad is so that all components make full contact so you may continue to stop the vehicle. Over time the brake fluid also can become corrosive to your system if not changed at the required intervals. As it heats and cools the effectiveness of the chemical becomes corrosive and can leave harmful deposits behind and cause seals and other components within your brake system to fail.

• A common problem you may experience from not changing your brake fluid could be noticing a spongy brake pedal.

Different Types of Brake Systems Commonly Used Today

Primarily used brake systems that are currently in use today are drum or disc brakes. Some vehicles have a combination of both. These brakes are used in conjunction with each other for even stopping power. Your car is also equipped with an emergency brake to assist your car when in the parked position. Let's break down how these systems work.

Disc Brakes

There are different varieties of disc brakes. Depending on the kind of vehicle that you have. Heavy duty trucks and vans have large surface disc brakes. They are larger than cars because they are heavier and need a larger surface to stop the weight of the vehicle. They do tend to cost more than the smaller diameter rotors. Performance cars sometimes have "vented rotors" for better heat dispersion and cool much faster than solid rotors. Solid rotors tend to be more light weight than the vented rotors, but cannot disperse heat as well as the vented rotors and develop warping easier than the vented rotor can.

Disc brakes do not suffer from heat fading as much as drum brakes and are very effective even when they are wet, unlike drum brakes. Disc brakes are also more powerful than drum brakes are, so they stop faster than drum brakes. This is why you sometimes will see drums brakes on the rear and disc on the front. Your rear brakes are not used as much as your front brakes.

Some disc brake rotors are actually mounted on the wheel hub, and can contain the housing for the wheel bearing on a non-driving axle such as a rear axle on a front wheel drive vehicle or the opposite on a rear wheel drive vehicle and can be held on by the wheel lugs. You will also see this on four wheel drive trucks as well.

• A common problem that can occur with disc brakes is a pulsation when applying your brakes. We talked briefly earlier about heat dispersion. Well when your brake pads get low and your disc brakes are getting worn, or if you have ever had to hit your brakes hard, it allows heat to build on the disc surface causing "hot spots" or warping to occur on the disc brake surface. This pulsation you feel is the result of that. Some repair facilities still try to use a brake lathe to "resurface" your disc brakes. We at Steve's do not recommend trying to cut down and reuse your disc brakes. It's best to put new rotors with the new pads so that all of the new parts wear together properly.

Disc Brake Pads

Not all brake pads are created equal. There are many different manufacturers and types of brake pad materials available on the market today. There are ceramic, semi metallic, metallic, Non-Asbestos Organic or NAO linings.

• Semi metallic linings are most commonly used for the front pads in front wheel drive vehicles.
• NAO (Non-Asbestos Organic) pads are generally used on rear wheel drive vehicles, and on the rear of those that have the 4 wheel disc set ups.
• Full metallic linings are normally specified only for high performance and race car applications.
• Ceramic brake pads are an excellent choice if you don't like a lot of brake dust and they generally have a quieter sound when braking and last longer. They are able to disperse the heat from the rotor better than metallic brakes can. They are a premium brake pad and may cost more but as a general rule, tend to give you a longer lasting brake pad.

Your vehicle may come with brake wear sensors which are sold separately from the brake pads and rotors and must be replaced when you replace your brakes.

Besides normal wear and tear, your brake pads may need to be replaced if they get contaminated with grease or brake fluid, make excessive noise or have worn due to a caliper that has seized or they have rusted. Brake pads should always be replaced in pairs, or sets. If you were to just replace one brake pad, it would most likely cause a serious pull upon braking.

Brake Calipers

Brake calipers are part of your hydraulic system that applies the pressure from your master cylinder by using a piston. The caliper is comprised of a cast iron or aluminum housing made of either one or two pieces which contain anywhere between 1 to 4 pistons and a seal. Disc brake calipers come in two basic styles: the fixed style caliper and floating style caliper also known as the sliding style caliper.

Fixed Calipers

The fixed style caliper is mounted to the steering knuckle or hub and contains either two or four pistons. These pistons are usually smaller than the pistons in the floating style calipers.

The Master Cylinder pushes the pistons from the calipers outward by using the brake fluid in your system forcing the brake pads against the rotor faces to stop it from turning. The caliper itself is stationary and does not move; only the pistons and pads move.

Floating Calipers

The floating style caliper is mounted on guide pins or bushings. These mountings allow the caliper to slide with respect to the rotor. These calipers only have a single piston because that is all that is needed to apply the brakes.

Floating calipers must be able to move freely to function properly. If rust has formed on any of the guide pins, bushings or the caliper is going to be considered contaminated and hang up, thus causing uneven pad wear, uneven braking and in some cases even causing smoking and brakes to completely lock up.

The Master cylinder works the same way as the fixed style caliper by applying the hydraulic pressure to the piston to allow pressure to the piston to press the inboard pad against the rotor to make contact with the other rotor face clamping down to stop the rotor.

• A common problem with calipers, is that they can become contaminated and lock up if they are not serviced properly and maintained on a regular basis. Anytime your brake pads and rotors are replaced make sure the caliper slides get lubed as well.

Drum Brakes

Brake drum systems are one of the oldest systems around. They are generally found on the older vehicles as well as some heavy duty vehicles and four wheel drive vehicles. They work off of your hydraulic system as does the disc brake system.

The components of your drum brake system have different parts than your disc brake system to include, shoes instead of pads, drums instead of discs, wheel cylinders and wheel seals, parking brake levers, parking brake cables and return springs and all held in place by the brake drum backing plate.

Drum brakes contain a friction material or brake lining, called brake shoes. The brake shoes attach by using spring retainers fastened to a steel backing plate that puts the shoes in the center of a cast iron brake drum. The drum surrounds the shoes and turns with the wheel. The hydraulic wheel cylinder is located between the brake shoes. When the brakes are applied, the cylinder expands, forcing the brake shoes outward to connect with the inside of the brake drum making the drum surface slow to stop the wheel from turning. The drum system then uses return springs to take them back to their resting position once the pressure is released.

• A Common problem with drum brakes is they can lose their effectiveness when they get wet. Also, when you get front brakes replaced the rear should always be cleaned and adjusted, as the front brakes get worn, the rear get out of adjustment.

Brake Shoes

Most brake shoes are made of two pieces of steel welded together. They are typically shaped like a crescent T shape, and there are two parts to them. There is a primary and a secondary shoe, the primary goes towards the front and the secondary goes towards the back respectively. The technician must look closely at these parts prior to installation as it is easy to get them mixed up as they are so close in nature to look at. Their function is the same idea as brake pads, except brake shoes are protected inside of the brake drums, whereas the pads are on the outside of the brake rotors on the disc set up. This friction material also is held on by using springs and clips inside the housing of the brake drums.

Unlike brake pads, the thickness cannot be viewed by just removing the wheels, the rear brake drums must be taken off to measure the thickness of the shoes to determine if the rear brakes need to be replaced. Some manufacturers do make inspection ports on the backing plates so you can view the brake shoe, but most do not and you have to remove the brake drum to view the condition of the brake shoes.

Manual Brakes and Power Brakes

Cars, pick-up trucks, Crossovers and SUVs (Sport Utility Vehicles) will generally have one of four brake systems. Either manual, vacuum powered assist or otherwise known as a brake booster, hydraulic and electro hydraulic.

• On vehicles with power assist brakes, there is a brake booster between the brake pedal and the master cylinder making it easier to press the brake pedal.
• In a hydraboost braking system the vacuum brake booster is replaced by the hydraulic unit which is powered by the power steering pump, you will find this most often on utility vans and trucks.
• An electro hydraulic unit is powered by an electric motor which builds up power in an accumulator which is what is used in most newer vehicles today.
• With manual brakes, when you press the brake pedal, you have to use your "person power" to push the master cylinder which in turn stops the vehicle.

Anti Lock Brakes (ABS)

ABS systems were designed to help drivers maintain steering control under extreme braking conditions. On dry pavement, the ABS system may not help you stop faster, but in winter conditions or hydroplaning conditions it helps you maintain control on the road.

There are several different components that may need to be serviced on your ABS system to include the electronic control module (ECU), wheel speed sensors, as well as an ABS hydraulic pump. Systems like these are why it is so important to have your brake fluid serviced on regular intervals to help avoid costly repairs to keep these valves and solenoids from deteriorating and functioning properly.

Brake Lights and Warning Lights

These are the lights that can come on to warn you of a potential problem.

The Red light is your brake light, and it could indicate a low amount of brake fluid possibly due to a leak.

The yellow abs light is indicating there could be an issue with the anti-lock brake system and sometimes even your check engine light can come on as well.

Some manufacturers can even put a low brake pad indicator light on your dash as well.

So if you have any kind of low brake pedal issue, brake squealing, grinding, or vibration feeling while you are braking, please give us a call so we can check your brakes for you and insure you are safe on our roads.

Steve's Auto Repair and Tire is conveniently located in Woodbridge,VA near Manassas, VA and Dumfries, VA.