What You Need To Know About Brake Repair Services

• Brake Light Comes On
  
• Grinding, Squealing Noise
  
• Scraping or Vibration When Braking
  
• Fuel Leaks
  
• Pulling to One Side
  
• Burning Smell
• Soft Brake Pedal

Through the life of your car there are several components that require examination and repair on a regular basis. For instance, you have to replace your tires when they go bald. Or, you have to get a wheel alignment when you start drifting to one side of the road.

The other is brake repair. There comes a time when part of this stopping mechanism no longer works. When this occurs, you need to be ready to take it to our repair shop.

What is brake repair?

Brake repair is a number of things. In basic form, it’s done to clean brake components so they work better. The second thing break repair is for is to replace worn or broken parts like discs, pads, and calipers.

On top of this, it’s used to review potential problems go beyond the front-end mechanisms. Perhaps the brake line gets damages or begins to leak. Overall, brake repair can determine if the brakes are truly the problem.

How do you know when brake discs need replacing?

Let’s explain the braking process before we proceed. When you press down on the brake pedal, it signals a caliper to squeeze a pair of brake pads around the disc. As a result, the car should decelerate.

Modern cars and trucks feature a pair of disc brakes in the front of the vehicle. Most of the work to decrease momentum is done here. Thus, when you start to notice a difference in braking, the first place look is the front tires.

Drivers tend to realize their brake discs need replacement when they feel a vibration or pulse from the pedal. The car will vibrate or pulse, particularly when decelerating from high speeds, then settle down as the car slows down.

This could mean one or both discs are warped. The vibration or pulse happen at the start because there’s not enough pressure from the pads. As they continue to squeeze, it evens things out.

Drivers might be able to see the signs of a bad alignment. If the camber angle is too positive or negative, you’ll see a slant in the tires and additional wear. If the toe angle is far off center, there will be instability when you drive.

How often should brakes be replaced?

There isn’t a fixed time to replace your brakes. In the end, it depends on how frequently they’re used. Road surfaces and traffic conditions also determine a replacement timeframe.

Some pad and disc combinations last over 40,000 miles before one or both pieces of equipment need to be replaced. On the other hand, if the person who uses the car is a rough driver who’s heavy on the pedal, than the brakes might need to be replaced sooner.

Generally, you’ll know when the brakes need replacement. For instance, the amount of squealing they make significantly increases. This means they require a cleaning or the pads have started to wear out.

Another indicator is when the squealing turns into scraping sounds. This signifies the brake pads are completely worn out. In this situation, a visit to our repair shop is imperative.

As mentioned above, vibration or a pulsing sensation signify a problem. Lack of stopping power or a need to press the brake pedal down to the floor could mean a disconnect somewhere along the brake line. The most obvious way to know is if your brake light comes on.

How much does it cost to fix the brakes?

The cost of repair depends on its severity. The least expensive maintenance, under $100, is a brake cleaning. Replacement of the pads costs over that $100 mark due to the labor required to calibrate them to the disc.

The price is the same if there’s a need to drain the brake line and replace the fluid. This happens due to age. Dirty brake fluid can also be a cause of component problems.

The cost jumps a few hundred dollars more if the discs need to be replaced. This isn’t due to the cost of equipment. Rather, the job is a labor-intensive.

Repairs can cost $500 or more if the issue isn’t with the pads or disc. For instance, the calipers break or fail. The most expensive can be a repair or replacement of the brake line.

Can I just replace brake pads and not rotors?

Pads are the only thing to replace if the rotors are still good. There has to be significant damage for them to be swapped out. If at all possible, we make sure your rotors are in working order so you can save money.

How long do brake repairs take?

Repair time varies. Cleaning and pad replacement normally range between 60 and 90 minutes. This gives technicians time to properly align and test the equipment.

Disc replacement can take more than two hours. It depends if they’re easy to remove or require extra work because their warped. In that case, the repair may go beyond the 120-minute mark.

Repairs outside of the disc-pad setup can take a minimum of one day to complete. Not only are brake line and caliper repairs labor-intensive but they also require removal of extra parts to get to them. They need to take things slower so they don’t damage other important car components.