Car maintenance is a big part of keeping your car performing up to its potential. For regular maintenance, there is a body parts list that people follow. One of the major body parts in the list are the brakes. Having good brakes is critical to your and your passenger’s safety along with the fact that it prevents damages. Since they are the reason you can top your car.
Often times people overlook the brakes, mostly because the brakes are outside of sight. However, I cannot stress enough how important they are. You should regularly check and replace the brakes if the need arises. Here are some simple steps to check the brakes.
When to Check the Brakes
Well, there isn’t any fixed number. Different car parts wear and tear at different rates. The brake wear and tear is affected by many factors like the weather, the place, and the use. Damage to the brakes may be less in rural areas than in urban areas. That is because of the traffic and frequent braking.
However, there is a number that you will see many experts tell you. It is believed that the brake pads should be checked every 10000 miles or 6 months approximately. You can also have them checked when you are rotating your car’s tires. This auto part is crucial to your safety so I suggest you check it whenever you are doing a maintenance checkup.
Removing The Front Wheel
The first step is to jack up the car and remove the front wheel. You should use blocks for additional safety. You can see the brake calipers and you need to remove it before you can remove the brake pads. Don’t worry you don’t need to remove them. When you are doing your regular checkup and you are alone you should just do a visual inspection. When checking the visible part of the brake pad look for heavy rust, scoring, and uneven wear and tear.
Rust may not be something you need to worry about if your car hasn’t been idle for too long. It is usually quite harmless unless there is a huge buildup of it. If you see that your brake discs have uneven wear and tear or bad scoring, then I would suggest you ask a professional to look at it. They will be able to give you proper advice on whether you need replacement or not.
If you need a replacement, you can easily find it in auto parts websites. The online car parts shops usually offer great prices. It’s like they are a warehouse selling car parts in wholesale. So find one you need and have it delivered to your mechanic so that he can start working on your cars brake replacement.
Checking The Brake Calipers and Inspecting the Inner Linings
You should only start working when your car is cool. Especially when you are handling the brake calipers. If the calipers are cool, then grab them and give them a little shake. This is to see if everything is fixed at its place or if something is loose. Check the mounting hardware as well and make sure that they are not torn.
You should peer through the inspection hole in the dust shield on the caliper. You should be able to see the brake pads. If the brake pads seem thinner or better yet if they seem thinner than a ¼ inch, then the pads may need replacing. If you see metal lining exposed, then too the brake pads may need replacing. However, if you see that there is nothing significant then you are in luck and you don’t need to do anything.
Remember to Do Regular Checkups
These are the steps you need to follow to check your car’s brakes. While there are many DIY methods for doing the replacements online. I suggest that you leave the Relining, caliper maintenance, and disc grinding be left to a professional unless you do the job under supervision at an auto class. Or If you have expertise on the subject.
