Copper is known in the braking world as one of the supporting elements that contributes the most in brake pad usage. Copper acts as an agent that limits brake pad and brake rotor wear, brake noise and contributes to friction stability over a range of high temperatures. But unfortunately due to recently passed legislature, copper […]
According to a GM spokesman GM dealers will be offering a low price brake line kit for their most corrosion prone vehicle, the GM full size pickup trucks and SUV’s, including the Sierra, Silverado, Tahoe, Suburban, Escalade, Avalanche, and Yukon. The kit is said to cost just $500 according to the spokesman. This should lower the usual […]
It is not uncommon to find a Prius with 70,000- or 100,000-miles with the original set of pads. This is due to regenerative braking creating the majority of braking force. But, this does not mean that other components, like hardware and rubber seals/boots, can’t fail sooner. The Prius has unique requirements for the brake system. […]
Heating and cooling cycles can weaken brake hardware like springs and anti-rattle clips. Also, metal fatigue from flexing and movement can cause a piece of brake hardware to lose it’s spring. Weak hardware parts can result in excessive caliper/pad movement or binding causing noise and other related problems. This can lead to uneven and premature […]
According to Bendix, brake systems are very sensitive to rust and corrosion and should receive a thorough cleaning in preparation for fresh lubricant, hardware and friction material. Residual rust or corrosion leftin critical areas can begin to cause brake issues almost immediately. Caliper areas that are subject to movement or retain components or hardware should be cleaned, along with […]
The drum brake is still with us in this modern age of disc brakes and regenerative braking. Why? It is cheap and light weight. Also, it is less prone to noise if engineered right. Here are four tips that can make the job painless and error free… 1. After the shoes are removed, clean up […]
I recently bought an Olloclip for my iphone. It has a great marco lens for zooming in on small details. It gave me a chance to look at some brake pads I recently took off a truck. It is amazing how bad some brake pads can look up close and how a cheap pad can fail […]
The local CBS station in Pittsburgh did a great story on how brake lines are rupturing due to external corrosion. While the winter in the Mid-West has not been a record setting year, it has been a very wet winter. These conditions are causing the corrosion of brakes lines at an alarming rate according to Blum Boulevard Automotive. What […]
I recently heard a driver ask, “Why aren’t all brake lines made of stainless steel?” The driver asking the question was just hit with a $800 repair bill to replace brake and fuel lines that ran a long a chassis rail on an 11 year old truck. Stainless steel is used on some vehicles, but […]