Ensuring that your car brakes are functional and well maintained is crucial, especially during colder seasons where there’s an increased risk of ice and snow on the streets.
In addition to mainly contributing to countless injuries and accidents throughout the year, poor brake maintenance also significantly reduces your car’s performance, durability, and longevity.
Although your vehicle’s braking system can seem complex, it’s unexpectedly simple to maintain. You should learn how to inspect your car regularly and repair or replace parts in the system.
Fortunately, this article is here to help; here are the essential tips for brake maintenance.
Don’t Apply Brakes Constantly
Many drivers have the bad habit of riding their vehicles while pressing the brake pad. This isn’t just an annoyance for your passengers. It’s also very damaging to your wheels.
Since brakes produce heat when they stop your car, repeatedly applying the braking pressure without letting your brakes cool down can cause premature wear and force you to get brake repairs.
Instead of keeping the brakes on at all times or applying brakes too suddenly, try to slow down steadily with stable pressure and give time for your brakes to cool off.
Clean Your Brakes Thoroughly
Keeping your tires and brakes clean is an important responsibility that most drivers tend to neglect. Make sure that you take the time to rinse and clean them when washing the rest of your car.
Squeaky clean brakes and wheels have the advantage of being more effective while also preventing unnecessary friction or heat from generating in them.
Inspect Your Brakes Often
Many factors cause brake deterioration, including intense weather, sudden or excessive braking, and cheap car parts, but brake repairs and inspections are too costly for most people.
One of the most effective and lowest-cost ways to ensure the maintenance of your car brakes and your own safety is by looking after them. Even a visual inspection is enough most of the time.
Avoiding some of the earlier mentioned factors like excessive braking will most likely reduce the need for frequent repairs due to brake failure.
Replace and Upgrade Old Brake Parts
If you’ve been regularly inspecting your vehicle’s braking system and you happen to find parts that need to be replaced, it’s an excellent opportunity to upgrade your components while you’re at it.
For instance, you could use an alternative like slotted disc brakes that have higher heat resistance or instead switch to ceramic pads, which can be quieter and generate less dust.
Check Brake Pads Regularly
Brake pads and rotors are especially important to look out for because they are the point of contact between your brake system and your tires. They also tend to deteriorate quickly and thus require frequent maintenance.
If you notice that you need to apply brakes harder than usual, the time it takes for your vehicle to stop has increased significantly, or there’s a smell of something burning, then head to the nearest service center immediately.
