What you need to know before having your Brakes Replaced
Being "Out of sight, out of mind", brakes are given little to no attention, or at least not as much attention as what they deserve. After all, it is their job to bring over one tonne of metal, and its precious cargo (you & yours), to a halt whenever it's called upon, so it makes perfect sense to have them serviced, and kept in Tip-top shape.
Whenever you get the following issues, it is time to have your Brakes serviced:
- Pulling to the Left or Right when brake pedal depressed- Grinding noise when stopping- Spongey Brakes that become stiffer after pumping the brake pedal a few times- Brake pedal that goes straight to floor.- Emergency/Parking Brake will no longer hold the vehicle when parked on a slope
It goes without saying, that when your ready to have your brakes serviced, you should have a respected Brake and Muffler Franchise carry out the work.
The reason I suggest a Franchise, over a standard workshop, is for the following reasons:
- They have a National Service Warranty. This means if something goes wrong when you are 800 miles from home, one of their other branches nearest you will honor the warranty, and get you back on the road at no extra cost.
- Due to their proven reputation, franchises have a larger customer base and cash flow, which enables them to offer far cheaper prices than the workshop down the road.
- With reputation on the line, they only use quality parts. Because they buy these parts in bulk for each and every Franchisees Branch, they are given incredible discounts from the parts manufacturers. Thats why they can do the Job cheap, but not nasty.
Brakes are the most important component on your car. Leave your car in the hands of people who specialize in this area. You can get both front and back brakes renewed and machined for as little as $185 which is a small price to pay for safety of both you, and your loved ones.
There is nothing more frightning than hitting the brake pedal, and the pedal goes straight to the floor, this happened to me in my earlier driving years. One of the hydrolic lines had rusted through, letting hydraulic fluid escape from the system. Thats when the emergency brake comes into play, as it is a double redundent, bypassing the hydraulic lines by use of cables, closing the callipars, and bring your vehicle to a stop.
Under no circumstances should you try and "Limp" your car to a mechanic. AAA is your best friend.
