by Joe Symmes

Created on: November 07, 2008   Last Updated: November 16, 2008

"Don't drive with the emergency brake on and when you push the pedal and the car coming to a stop, beyond that I don't know anything about my cars brakes."

Sound familiar? Don't worry, your car's braking system is not really all that complicated. The follow guide will help you understand what the basic components are and what actually happens when you apply your car's brakes.

Basic Components:

The brake pedal presses on a small cylinder mounted on the firewall. This is called the master cylinder. The master cylinder compresses brake fluid throughout the brake line which in turn pushes on a larger cylinder at each wheel. The wheel cylinder then press on brake pads which clamp a rotating disk in a disk brake system or press on a rotating drum in a drum brake system. The disk or turn is mounted directly to the axles with the same wheel studs that hold the wheel and tire on the axle. A more in depth explanation with illustrations can be found at Familycar

How brakes work:

Modern automotive brakes are very reliable because they are relatively simple systems. Though simple in nature, this is a very powerful system because of the amount of kinetic energy (momentum) that is converted into thermal energy (heat) each time your car stops. The extreme force required of a car's brakes comes about due to harnessing hydraulic principles. Essentially a small piston acting over a long stroke (brake pedal and master cylinder) pressurizes oil (brake fluid) so that a larger piston can move over a smaller stroke (brakes on each wheel) with a much greater force. At the highest point in the system, generally mounted on the vehicle's firewall, is a brake fluid reservoir which supplies the system with extra fluid as needed. Follow this link for more information about how hydraulic machines work.

Maintenance:

Since automotive braking systems are so simple, they require very little maintenance for the amount of work they perform. As the brake pads or shoes wear their friction material is used up and they must be replaced. Since these are "consumable" components they are designed to be replaced relatively easily. Brake fluid is hygroscopic meaning it will actually absorb moisture from its surroundings. For this reason, it is recommending to change your brake fluid periodically to prevent moisture build up in the lines.

The biggest maintenance concern is air in the brake line. Since air is not as dense as hydraulic fluid it will compress and therefore brake pressure will not be fully transferred

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