Brake Masters Coupons

How often should I have my brakes checked? For preventative maintenance, you should have your brakes inspected every six months or 6,000 miles. If unusual noises, shaking or grabbing feelings develop, have them checked right away. The longer you wait, the more repairs may be needed. The life of your brakes will vary with how you use them such as mountainous driving and stop and go city driving versus highway driving. I was told that I had to buy new rotors or drums because they couldn't be turned again. What does this mean? At Brake Masters, we machine (turn) rotors and drums on a lathe to ensure smooth braking and to extend pad life. This can be done until the rotors or drums have been worn to the manufacturer's minimum specifications. If they are worn beyond this point, there won't be sufficient metal to absorb the heat generated by the friction of pads or shoes. At this time, the rotors and/or drums need to be replaced. What are ceramic brake pads? Many cars today come with a brake pad that is a ceramic blended material. The amount of ceramic material and the properties of that material vary widely by brand. We use original equipment quality brake pads and shoes. These pads are recommended to keep your cars' brakes performing just like the day your car first drove off the lot. Some pads are called ceramic but perform very differently than what you are used to. We recommend ceramic brake pads on cars that were equipped with them from the factory. In very rough service, ceramic brake materiel may not be right for you. There are also blended metallic linings and non-asbestos organic linings in use today. Why does the brake pedal feel harder or softer than normal? A too hard or too soft pedal can be caused by a hydraulic problem, a booster problem, or on some vehicles, the brakes may just be out adjustment. You can bring in your vehicle for a free brake inspection to determine the cause. Why is there a vibration or pulsation when I apply the brakes? Vibrations are usually caused by a "warped" rotor or brake drum. This however is sometimes just the symptom. The root cause may go a bit deeper. A thorough inspection is the only way to really determine why the rotors warped in the first place. What is "bleeding" and "flushing" of the brake system and when should they be done? Bleeding pushes air out of the brake hydraulic system. This should be done anytime a component in the hydraulic brake system has been replaced. Flushing of the entire hydraulic system is recommended every 2 years or 24,000 miles. This procedure removes moisture (water from condensation), sludge, or other contaminants from your system and helps prolong the life of your brake components. Is it necessary to add brake fluid? The hydraulic system is sealed. A loss of brake fluid may indicate a leak in the hydraulic system, or wear-out of the brake pads and/or shoes from normal operation. Is it necessary to use the parking brake or emergency brake when I park my car? This is always advisable when parking on an angled surface. Applying the parking brake also allows your rear brakes to "self-adjust". On older cars, this mechanism reacted when reversing, on most new cars, the brakes adjust only with the use of the parking brake. Do you do more than just brakes? We do a lot more than just repair brakes, for a complete list of all the services that we perform just visit the link under "our services". In general we work on all makes and models and perform all types of repairs and maintenance services that are needed. We don't rebuild engines, but shy of that we do just about everything.