Brake rotors (or brake disc) should not be ignored, after all, they are very important element when it comes to stopping your vehicle. Brake rotors are what the brake pads squeeze to slow the spinning of your wheels. If your brake system is not operating correctly, you may have a major safety issue on hand that can cause injury to passengers and others involved.

Brakes that are neglected will lead to higher repair costs and eventually cause accident and severe damage. If the brakes are ignored when the audible or visual signal for replacement is apparent, the friction material on the pad will wear out completely leaving only the metal mounting surface. This metal to metal grinding causes more noise than braking power, and will require replacement of brake pad and rotors. Braking distance will increase dramatically.

There are many different brake rotors to choose from. Choosing rotors are dependent upon what you intend to use your vehicle for. It could be anything from racing to everyday driving.

Regardless of use it is important that the brake rotors maintain a smooth surface for the pads to clamp down on.

Brake hoses provide the connection from the master cylinder to the calipers. Brake hoses must be strong, intact and leak free. A leaky brake hose will not allow proper pressure to transfer from the master cylinder to the calipers. This is very dangerous for you as the driver and everyone else on the road around you.

Though brake hoses should last about six years, they’re under a lot of stress. It’s important to inspect them on a regular basis, so you can catch potential problems before the entire system fails. If there’s a leak or crack in a brake hose, the loss of fluid will cause a drop in pressure (in other words, the brakes won’t be there when you need them). Another danger of leaky hoses is that brake fluid is corrosive, so drips can cause damage elsewhere on your car.

Brake calipers are essential to your car’s ability to stop and are arguably one of the most important automobile brake parts. Most cars today have disc brakes at least for the front wheels, anyway. But a lot of cars and trucks are now using disc brakes in the rear, too. In a disc-braking system the car’s wheels are attached to metal discs, or rotors, that spin along with the wheels. The job of the caliper is to slow the car’s wheels by creating friction with the rotors. The brake caliper fits over the rotor like a clamp, and inside each caliper is where the brakes are housed. All of these components work together to safely bring your vehicle to a stop when the brakes are applied.

Drum brakes essentially work the same as disc brakes, which is by applying pressure. The difference is the working mechanisms are encased inside. As with disc brakes, drum brakes rely on the whole system to function properly to produce the desired result, which is to stop or slow down.

Brake drums are generally made of a special type of cast iron that is heat-conductive and wear-resistant. It rotates with the wheel and axle. When a driver applies the brakes, the lining pushes radially against the inner surface of the drum, and the ensuing friction slows or stops rotation of the wheel and axle, and thus the vehicle. This friction generates substantial heat.

A Wheel Cylinder is part of the drum brake system. They are located in each wheel and are usually at the top, above the brake shoes. The purpose of the wheel cylinder is to put pressure on the shoes so they come in contact with the drum and use friction to stop the vehicle.

The wheel cylinder consists of a cylinder that has two pistons, one on each side. Each piston has a rubber seal and a shaft that connects the piston with a brake shoe. When brake pressure is applied, the pistons are forced out pushing the shoes into contact with the drum. Wheel cylinders must be rebuilt or replaced if they show signs of leaking.

Disc and Drum Hardware is sometimes ignored. It is always better to replace the hardware when replacing the the brake pads to ensure all parts are functioning properly. From caliper bolts and support springs to anti-rattle clips or bushings, replacing these parts when you do your brake job will make a complete and smooth operating brake system.

Replacement of these parts is inexpensive and the best way to insure you have done a safe and complete brake job, and it also reduces brake noise.

Seals, Bearings and Hub assemblies: A wheel bearing on a car is a set of ball bearings that support the wheel and ride on a metal shaft which is called an axle shaft. The wheel bearing is located at the hub, the hub is located at the center of your wheel, when you are looking at a wheel on a car, the hub is located where the lug bolts come through the wheel. The lug bolts are pressed into the hub, and the wheel bearing is pressed into the hub as well, from the back side of the hub.

Wheel bearings are used on all types of vehicles and they all perform the same job, They allow the wheel to spin freely. A wheel bearings worst two enemies are heat and water. Heat is caused by the lack of lubrication which can destroy a wheel bearing, and water that penetrates the sealed bearing will the destroy the wheel bearing as well.

A tell tale sign of a damaged wheel bearing is noise, and it will only get louder with time and the only remedy is replacement.

Vehicle suspension works with a variation of parts. It consist of different combinations of coil springs, leaf springs, torsion bars, sway bars, struts and more. The suspension parts system is actually part of the vehicle chassis. It is connected to the frame and wheels while the body sits on top. The suspension system supports the weight of everything connected to the body. It absorbs and softens shock and it keeps the wheels connected to the road, implementing a smoother ride.

One of the signs of damage to one or more of your suspension parts is vibration. If you “feel” vibration in your steering wheel, you need to either perform a inspection of your suspension system or take it to mechanic. The more common culprit of vibrations is the tires, however it could be anything from the tie rod ends to the idler arm.

Master Cylinders are used to increase safety. It separates the braking system into two circuits and also supplies necessary pressure to the brake lines when braking. The idea behind this is to allow for the vehicle to stop provided there is a leak in one of the circuits. However, stopping power would definitely be decreased.

Always be sure that the master cylinder if full of brake fluid. Check your brake fluid when you check your other vehicles fluids and be sure that there is no leaks in the brake lines connecting to the master cylinder. If you find a leak, address the issue right away.

Most think only of manual transmissions when talking about the clutch, but automatic transmissions contain clutches also. Clutches allow for us to smoothly put the vehicle in gear by controlling the slippage between the gears. This is necessary because the engine is in a continuous spinning motion while the transmission is not.

How do you know if you need a new clutch? A worn clutch will slip as you apply power. Meaning, the engine speed will increase greatly when accelerate, even though the clutch pedal is not pressed. A good clutch will lock the engine to the transmission, so its speed is directly linked to the changes in the vehicle speed.