Identifying Your Brake System Components: The First Step for Do-It-Yourself Brake Jobs

"Sir, everything went fine with your free tire balancing and rotation, but we checked your brakes and the brake pads and rotors need to be replaced", said the service manager. Little did he know that I was already aware that it was time for brake maintenance. I replied, "Really? OK, thank you. I think I can handle it". He handed me my keys and I was on my way. Boy, did that feel good!


Can you service your brakes? Of course, you can. Dollar for dollar, performing your own brake service is one biggest money savers for the DIY mechanic. Your brakes aren't really that complicated and brake parts aren't terribly expensive. It's the labor at the mechanic's shop that gets you.


Previously for me, I was a little bit intimidated by the prospect of a doing-it-myself break job. I assumed that the process was difficult. I'd read about having to remove the caliper, squeezing the piston with a clamp, using a hammer to loosen seized parts, etc. I thought I'd get stuck somewhere in the process and would have to call for help. But when I performed more research and watched some videos on the internet, I realized that the task was quite easy. It's certainly a dirty job, but who's afraid of a little dirt? Getting dirty is fun!


Let's take the mystery out of performing your own brake job. What we'll do in this article is identify the different components that make up your brake system. By identifying the parts, you'll get comfortable with the system and you'll be ready for next week's issue where I'll show you how to actually get the job done.


Brake System Overview

Essentially, your brake system is a hydraulic system that puts brake fluid under pressure. When you press the brake pedal, a pushrod in the master cylinder squeezes the master cylinder piston. The movement of the piston creates pressure in the brake fluid. This pressure transmits or moves throughout the system and pushes the brake caliper pistons against the brake pads. The brake pads in turn, create friction on the brake rotors of each wheel, causing the spinning rotor to slow, thereby slowing the vehicle. When you release the brake pedal, the pressure is reduced, returning all of the moving parts back to their previous positions.

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