Braking is a paramount component of the driving experience. This is why it is essential to ensure proper maintenance of the braking system, so it can have an extended life. Reinstallation of brakes can be extremely expensive, especially if a driver has a knack for wearing these out of life way before the time comes. Have a lasting look at the following steps to learn how to maintain a long life for braking components.
1. Speed Thrills But Kills Brakes
For a braking component or system as a whole, speed is its ultimate nemesis. When a car is in motion, it is using kinetic energy. The higher the speed is, the higher kinetic energy is going to be.
More kinetic energy means more wear as the braking system will make extended use of braking components until the vehicle comes to a complete stop.
The brake fluid (hydraulic) travels through brake lines to convert kinetic energy into friction, which produces heat. Heat wears brake components (including the pad and master cylinder) out overtime. Perhaps, slow down a bit on the acceleration paddle to maintain the health of braking components.
2. The Weight Problem
It may not seem obvious but the brakes and weight of the car are interlinked. Extremely interconnected, one might say. If you add more weight than the manufacturer’s limit, the brakes are going to take a lot more power to stop the car.
It is recommended to get rid of the unnecessary material from the car and avoid after-market modifications that are just superficially there, do not improve performance, and just add excessive weight. Things like these put more pressure on your car’s braking components.
3. Try Coasting
This is a good technique to increase brakes’ health. Instead of applying the brakes on the spot, you should deaccelerate the car before you actually want to stop it. One can drastically decrease the wear and tear of the brakes this way as the brakes are not used during this whole time until there is finally a need to come to a complete stop.
One example of this can be when you are about to reach a traffic signal, you take your foot off the gas paddle, so the car can gradually slow down and apply the brakes only when the traffic signal is close enough.
4. Avoid “Two-Footing”
Two Footing is a phenomenon that describes a manner prevalent in drivers who excessively use braking and acceleration simultaneously. Also called brake riding, it can affect the overall health of the braking system of your car.
People do it because they think it is optimal for their car performance, which in its entirety, is not the case. Many also do it out of habit.
5. Do Not Rush To A Stop In Haste
Many are redundantly hardwired to reach an incoming stop as fast as possible, only then applying brakes suddenly when that stop has been reached. A sudden instantaneous stop is hard on the components involving the braking system including but not limited to brake pads, calipers, and braking fluid.
You also waste extra fuel too when driving fast and then pulling the brakes.
Furthermore, it is of the essence that you let your car’s braking system cool down as prolonged heat, more than the maximum limit, can also make your brake components progressively ineffective.
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