4 Different Types of Car Brakes

Any car owner should be informed about the braking system in their vehicle. Brakes are, after all, the most important safety feature of a vehicle. Knowing how they operate might just be the difference between a small accident and getting away scratch free.

The interesting thing about brakes is that there are usually two types of braking systems within each car. There are service brakes, which are the ones used every time the brakes are pushed. Service brakes usually come in the form of either a disk or a drum brake. There is also a secondary brake system which is built-in for emergency situations. Common examples of emergency brake systems are parking brakes or anti-lock brakes.

It’s important that car owners know the distinction between service and secondary brakes, as well as the different types of service brakes they could have in a vehicle. As with all things mechanical, the more knowledge the owner has about it, the more able they are to treat it with care.

Service Brakes

Drum - A drum brake is attached to the inside of the wheel. Hydraulic pressure released from the contraction of the brake pedal adds friction to the movement of the wheel. This friction of a solid pad against a moving disc induces the vehicle to slow down.

Drum brakes are usually utilized on the two back wheels of a car, in combination with disc brakes in the front. The challenge with drum brakes is that they have more parts, which makes them more costly to service. The upside is that they are cheaper than disc brakes because manufacturing costs are lower.

Disc - Most commonly found in the front two wheels of a vehicle, disc brakes operate on a similar principle to drum brakes: solid objects putting pressure on the spinning discs of the wheel. The disc brake system is quite a bit more complicated than the drum system, but is not hard to explain. Think of the braking system on a bike, and that’s basically it. The moving car has a lot of kinetic energy that needs to be removed by the brakes. The disc brakes do this by converting the energy to heat and then letting the heat escape via vents.

Secondary Brakes

Parking - Parking brakes are essentially emergency brakes that are independent of the service brakes. There is a cable that connects to the back brakes that can be set from inside the passenger area. Probably the most common form of parking brake is the stick that can be locked into place. These do not need much maintenance because they work on such a simple mechanical principle: resistance.

Anti-Lock - This braking system is great for vehicles that operate in inclement weather. When applied, the anti-lock system prevents the wheels from locking and skidding (as they would if other braking methods were applied). The ABS system makes it possible for traction to be kept on the surface of the road, thus helping people steer clear of accidents on icy or rainy roads. If a vehicle does not have anti-lock brakes, it might be possible to add them. This would be especially helpful for those living in Longmont, Co, who can get brake service while getting an oil change longmont co.