The basic idea of the cars braking system is relatively simple. However, as illuminated by the hundreds of individual parts for sale at your local auto parts shops, it actually takes a lot of technological apparatus to make cars work. When it comes to your car’s safety, brakes top the list of systems that need monitoring. Here are some simple starter tips on how your braking system works.
How Brakes Work
A car’s brakes are probably the most critical system on the vehicle. If they go out, you have a big problem. Thanks to the mechanical operating system of leverage, hydraulics and friction, braking systems provide unconceivable stopping power. So, what happens after you push the brake pedal?
How Disc Brakes Work
Disc brakes are the most common braking system found on a car’s front wheels, and they’re often on all four. This is the part of the brake system, which does the actual work of stopping the car. Your auto repair mechanic can tell you more about disc brakes and when to have the brake pads changed.
How Anti-Lock Brakes Work
Stopping a car in a hurry on a slippery road can be challenging at best and very, very scary at worst. Anti-lock braking systems (ABS) help alleviate the danger. The anti lock braking system is mainly designed for a safe and comfortable ride. A wheel, which is skidding, has less traction on the road than a wheel, which is not skidding. On wet roads, the wheels are going to get very little traction when the brakes are applied. The ABS avoids wheels from locking when braked, letting them rotate at a lower speed, thereby preventing the car from skidding.
How Power Brakes Work
Power brakes are inspired machines — they let you stop a car with a simple shudder of your foot. The concept at the heart of the power braking system is force multiplication. A whole bunch of force multiplication. This system uses the power of engine and battery to increase the efficiency of braking system. If you’ve ever opened the hood of
your car, you’ve probably seen the brake booster. It’s the round, black canister located at the back of the engine compartment on the driver’s side of the car. The brake booster uses vacuum from the engine to multiply the force that your foot applies to the master cylinder.
How Master Cylinders and Combination Valves Work
We all know that pushing down on the brake pedal slows a car to a stop. We depend on that every day when we drive. How does this happen? The master cylinder supplies pressure to both circuits of the car. It is a remarkable device that uses two pistons in the same cylinder in a way that makes the cylinder relatively failsafe. The combination valve warns the driver if there is a problem with the brake system, it also does a few more things to make your car safer to drive. Your mechanic can demonstrate the full scope of your braking system if you want to learn more.
There you have it, your cars braking system explained in a nutshell. Was this article helpful?
