Brake Service
Hogan & Sons Tire and Auto knows you need the confidence of knowing when you press your foot to the brake, your vehicle is coming to a stop. Your car’s brakes should be examined at least once a year for the safety of you and your family. Preserving your vehicle’s brakes is among the most crucial measures you could take and Hogan & Sons Tire and Auto offers quality, affordable brake service in Virginia and surrounding areas.
Brakes are one of the most important safety attributes on your vehicle. There are 2 types of braking systems on most cars; traditional brakes and anti-lock braking system (ABS). A typical braking system is composed of the rotor, the caliper, and brake pads or shoes. If your brake pads wear and are not changed, the rotors could need to be replaced as well.
What you need to know about Brake Service in Virginia
Why brake repair is essential: In order to properly stop your car, brake pads have to be in functioning condition and not worn down to the rotors. Because brakes are a system you use every time you use your car, don’t ignore any sort of complications. Even small changes may indicate your brakes need repair. For ideal performance and safety, have our team at Hogan & Sons Tire and Auto check and service your brakes routinely.
Virginia Brake Service Tips
Follow these pointers to help keep your brakes working effectively:
- Have your brakes inspected at least once a year, and more often if you typically drive in city traffic or live in a location with a lot of hills
- Never drive with the parking brake on
- Have brake fluid checked and changed as required, but if you have to add fluid more than every couple of months, you may have a leak
Have your mechanic at Hogan & Sons Tire and Auto check your brakes right away if you observe any of the following:
- A high-pitched squeak when you push the brakes
- A scraping or grinding sound when not braking, this also can be a sign of a brake or bearing problem and must be checked immediately
- Shaking or vibration during braking
- Using more pressure than normal when trying to stop
The quicker you inspect problems and replace brake pads, the safer your automobile will be. Prolonging brake concerns may cause other more costly repairs. Serving the Virginia and surrounding areas, Hogan & Sons Tire and Auto is thrilled to be your number one auto repair shop and provider of tires. Call us to schedule an appointment for a brake inspection today.
Frequently Asked Questions
Brake pads contain sacrificial friction materials that wear away with use. How long your brake pads last depends on several factors. For instance, if you tend to drive aggressively, your brake pads will tend to wear faster. Same goes for hard stops and “riding the brakes”. Driving in urban stop-and-go traffic will also result in faster wear, as will driving through hill country with steep elevation changes, or on gravel roads. Hauling heavy loads and pulling trailers will also affect the lifespan of your brake pads.
The composition of the friction material on your brake pads is also a factor in pad life. Semi-metallic brake pads intended for heavy-duty and performance use, for instance, tend to last longer than organic pads, though not as long as ceramics. The type of brake pad you choose will impact the performance of your brake system and the life of your brake pads.
Typically, a set of brake pads can last anywhere from 30K to 60K miles.
When brake pads are at the end of their useful life, they will send you a sign. Many modern vehicles are equipped with brake pad wear sensors that trigger a dashboard icon to light up when pads are nearing time for replacement. This icon is not to be confused with the brake system warning light that signals a problem with the system. (Consult your vehicle owner’s manual for information on each type of dashboard warning light). If you notice the brake pad life monitor light appearing on your dash display, it is time to schedule brake repair service.
Worn brake pads may also be detected during a brake system inspection. Hogan & Sons offers a comprehensive Courtesy Check when you get your oil changed. As part of the service, a technician will inspect your brake system, including the condition of your brake pads.
Your brake pads are also equipped with a mechanical device called a wear indicator. When a brake pad is close to the end of its life, the wear indicator will touch the surface of the brake rotor and let out a high-pitched squeal when you brake. This annoying sound is meant to let you know it is time for new brake pads.
You may notice that your brake pedal travels closer to the floor as your brake pads wear thin. Or you might feel a pulsation or vibration if they wear unevenly. These are also signs that your pads need to be replaced.
Finally, if you have ignored all of the previous signs, your brakes will certainly let you know it is time for a change. Once the friction material is fully depleted, the backing plates on your brake pads will make metal-to-metal contact with the rotors. When this happens, you will hear an ugly grinding or scraping sound as you press on the pedal. At this point, your rotors will likely be in need of replacement as well.
If you let your brake pads wear too thin, damage to your rotors will occur and require replacement. But do you always need new rotors when you have your brake pads replaced? Not necessarily. While they are not considered to be “wear” items in the way brake pads are, brake rotors do wear down. Through a process called resurfacing, where a tiny amount of the rotor surface is removed, a rotor can be renewed. As long as it does not fall below a minimum thickness requirement.
It used to be common practice to resurface the rotors every time the pads were changed to remove inconsistencies and evidence of wear. But the rotors on today’s vehicles are thinner and lighter weight than in the past. There is not a lot of material to remove and many simply cannot be machined any thinner. Fortunately, the cost of new rotors has dropped, making it more affordable to replace them when they are worn.
Whether or not they need to be replaced depends also on the recommendation of the vehicle manufacturer. Some suggest replacing only the pads the first time they wear out and the rotors the next. Others recommend replacing the rotors every time. Still others say that the rotors can be resurfaced as long as they remain within specifications. The technicians at Hogan & Sons can access the specific data about the process for your vehicle.
What is the difference between disc brakes and drum brakes?
While most vehicles feature four-wheel disc brake systems, some do not. Trucks often have disc brakes in the front and drum brakes in the rear, as did many older vehicles. Some cars from decades past even had four-wheel drum brakes.
But what is the difference? Where a disc brake system includes a spinning rotor (the disc) and a pair of brake pads that squeeze against the outside of the rotor, a drum brake system consists of a flat bowl or drum with a set of shoes that press against the inside. Drum brakes are less effective at dissipating heat and less effective in wet conditions. They can also be more difficult to repair. But they are cheaper to manufacture and are therefore still used on some vehicles.
The anti-lock brake system (or ABS) on your vehicle works together with your brakes to prevent the wheels from locking up when you stop suddenly on loose gravel or slippery surfaces. When the tires stop rolling and begin instead to skid, you lose control of your ability to steer your vehicle. ABS uses a computer-controlled pump to alternately squeeze and release your brakes in rapid-fire fashion when sensors detect that one or more wheels have stopped rotating. The ABS on your system is another important safety feature and should be inspected regularly to detect any issues.
