Buying The Correct Brake Parts For Your Vehicle When Making Repairs

If you need to repair the brakes on your vehicle, using the correct parts is essential to ensuring the system will function properly when the work is complete. Starting with the best brake parts your budget will allow is vital, and taking the time to do the job correctly will ensure the brakes perform as designed. 

Brake Systems

Most newer cars and trucks use disc brake systems on the front wheels to provide most of the braking force. A rotor on the wheel hub spins with the wheels, and a caliper and pads ride on a bracket with the rotor running through the middle. When the brakes are applied, the caliper applies pressure on either side of the rotor, creating friction or drag that slows the vehicle until it stops completely. 

It is critical that you buy brake parts for your car that can do this job effectively and withstand the heat generated during braking without failing. The rear brakes may use the same rotor and caliper system or a system with a rear drum and shoes that exert force on the inside of the drum as you apply the brakes. 

Because the front brakes provide about seventy percent of the braking for most vehicles, replacing the brake pads and rotors on the front of the vehicle happens most often. Brake repairs may not always require both front and rear replacement, but you should check all the brakes before you head to the parts store to buy what you need to do the job.

Pads And Shoes

Replacing the brake pads and shoes on your vehicle is pretty straightforward, and many DIYers choose to handle the work at home. When buying brake parts like pads and shoes, there can be some confusion because these parts may be available in several types, and you need to choose your vehicle. 

Organic pads and shoes come standard on most cars and trucks when new and use rubber, fiberglass, carbon strands, and sometimes kevlar bonded together with a resin and pressure. These shoes and pads will wear quickly but have the least impact on the rotors and drums during braking. 

Semi-metallic pads are a common upgrade and use an organic brake friction material on the pads but have some metallic material mixed in to increase the life of the brake pads and shoes. Often vehicles with semi-metallic pads and shoes go longer between repairs, but the metal in the pads can cause them to be a little noisy, and they may squeal when they get wet.

There are higher-end brake pads and shoes available, but for most cars, they are not necessary. Choosing which material to use when buying brake parts often comes down to driving style and the interval between brake service points you want to achieve.

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