(253) 582-9166
9210 South Tacoma Way
Lakewood, WA 98499
Your One Stop For All Your Custom Wheel & Tire Needs!
[GEOTITLE]
[GEOADDRESSONE]
[GEOADDRESSTWO]
[GEOPHONE]
Directions
Store Hours
[GEOHOURSMONDAY]
[GEOHOURSTUESDAY]
[GEOHOURSWEDNSDAY]
[GEOHOURSTHURSDAY]
[GEOHOURSFRIDAY]
[GEOHOURSSATURDAY]
[GEOHOURSSUNDAY]
Change Location
Current Location
[GEOTITLE]
[GEOADDRESSONE]
[GEOADDRESSTWO]
[GEOPHONE]
|
Directions
Store Hours
[GEOHOURSMONDAY]
[GEOHOURSTUESDAY]
[GEOHOURSWEDNSDAY]
[GEOHOURSTHURSDAY]
[GEOHOURSFRIDAY]
[GEOHOURSSATURDAY]
[GEOHOURSSUNDAY]
Change Location
Go
Use current location
Home
Tires
Car, Truck & SUV Tires
Commercial Tires
Wheels
Search Wheels By Brand
Automotive Services
Our Services
Custom Wheels
Car Care Tips
Coupons
Purchase Options
Snap Finance
Acima Leasing
Progressive Leasing
About
News Center
Customer Reviews
Photo Gallery
Find Us
Contact
News Center
24
How Do My Brakes Work?
posted on
4/24/2019 10:02:29 AM
It’s a sunny day and you’re driving down the road with your windows down and music turned up. All of a sudden, the car in front of you stops abruptly, causing you to slam on your brakes. Thank goodness your brakes worked perfectly, and you avoided a collision. Until this incident occurred you probably haven’t given your brake system much thought. Sure, you know your brakes should be inspected and serviced every once in a while… but how do they actually make your car stop with just a tap of the foot?
When you really stop and think, you realize brakes are a pretty amazing invention. They have the power to bring a large, multi-ton machine traveling at 70 miles per hour to a complete stop with just a push of the pedal. This ability is all thanks to science!
A moving car has a lot of kinetic energy, meaning “energy in motion.” To stop your car, your brakes must eliminate that kinetic energy. When you push your foot to the pedal, a connected lever will be pushed into a small cylinder filled with hydraulic fluid in its reservoir. This causes the hydraulic fluid to travel through a system of lines into other larger cylinders, or calipers, located by the wheel. When fluid enters the caliper, this pushes the caliper to actuate the brake pad against the brake rotor. When the brake pad and brake rotor meet, this generates friction which in turn slows down the outer wheel and tire… bringing your car to a complete stop! Simple, right?
The brakes themselves are one of two types: disc brakes or drum brakes. Drum brakes appear similar to a drum, hence the name. Drum brakes have shoes located inside the drum which are pushed outward when you press your brake pedal. This causes the shoes to rub the inside of the drum and slow the wheel. Disc brakes operate a bit differently. Disc brakes use a metal rotor which spins with the wheel. When you push the pedal, a caliper squeezes the brake pads against the rotor and slows the wheel. This action is very similar to the one you would use to stop a spinning disc by squeezing it between your fingers!
The next time you drive your vehicle, take a moment to appreciate your brake system and the science used to bring your car to a halt with just the tap of a pedal. Take care of your brake system by having it inspected and serviced regularly by an experienced technician to ensure that when you need your car to stop, it will.
Categories:
Auto Repair 101
| View Count: (20) |
Return
Related
How Potholes Can Damage Your Car
2/6/2019
Why Are My Headlights Foggy?
6/25/2019
Do You Need Winter Tires?
10/31/2019
How is a Tire Made?
9/28/2020
How to Know You Need a Wheel Alignment
4/16/2020
Why is My Auto AC Blowing Hot Air?
7/11/2019
Tires & Wheels
Michelin®
BFGoodrich®
Uniroyal®
Bridgestone
Firestone
Services
Tire Balancing
Tire Installation
Tire Rotation
All Services
About
Home
Tires
Wheels
Automotive Services
Coupons
Purchase Options
About
Find Us
Visit Our Shop
Contact Us
Email:
[email protected]
Phone:
(253) 582-9166
Fax:
(253) 582-9423
Address:
9210 South Tacoma Way
Lakewood, WA 98499
.
Powered by Net Driven
Login
Universal Tire & Wheel
9210 South Tacoma Way,
Lakewood, WA 98499
Phone:
(253) 582-9166
Fax: (253) 582-9423
98499
47.17372,-122.4844
Uh oh!
Page not found!
Sorry the page you are looking for may have been moved or deleted.
Please click anywhere to
continue browsing our site.