Disc Brake Tutorial - Page 3
Brake System Mechanical Components
To create directional stability while stopping the front brakes are designed to do more work than the rear brakes. Therefore, you will wear out your front pads faster than your rear pads. Your front wheels get dirtier faster than your rear wheels as a result of the faster pad wear. When you use your brakes not only do the pads wear but so do the rotors. The rotors wear more slowly than the pads wear. As a rule, most of our customers will wear out 2-3 sets of pads for every set of rotors.
Below is a diagram of a worn rotor as a pad pushes against it.Now let’s look at the mechanical components. When you remove your tire and rim, known collectively as the ” wheel” , you are face to face with the mechanical portion of your brakes. Below are two diagrams, shown from slightly different points of view, with labels naming the individual components.
Below is a diagram of a worn rotor as a pad pushes against it.Now let’s look at the mechanical components. When you remove your tire and rim, known collectively as the ” wheel” , you are face to face with the mechanical portion of your brakes. Below are two diagrams, shown from slightly different points of view, with labels naming the individual components.
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Once the rotor wears below a minimum thickness the disc will no longer absorb the heat created by friction during braking and the rotors become warped. This leads to vibrations while braking, felt in the steering wheel if the front discs are warped and through the body of the car if it is the rear discs. The more warped the rotors become the more violent the vibration is.
