What do brake pads do?
The simple answer: they slow you down.
The complex answer:
Brakes are designed to slow down your vehicle but probably not by the means that you think. The common misconception is that brakes squeeze against a drum or disc, and the pressure of the squeezing action is what slows you down. This in fact is only part of the equation.
Brakes are essentially a mechanism to change energy types. When you're travelling at speed, your vehicle has kinetic energy. When you apply the brakes, the pads or shoes that press against the brake drum or rotor convert that energy into thermal energy via friction. The cooling of the brakes dissipates the heat and the vehicle slows down.
Brakes are essentially a mechanism to change energy types. When you're travelling at speed, your vehicle has kinetic energy. When you apply the brakes, the pads or shoes that press against the brake drum or rotor convert that energy into thermal energy via friction. The cooling of the brakes dissipates the heat and the vehicle slows down.
Brake pads should be replaced when
- High pitched squealing
- Vibration in the steering wheel when stopping
- Grinding noises when stopping
- Increased braking distances
- Longer pedal travel
- Feeling the car "pull" to the left or right when stopping
Why Skim your discs
The skimming process will return your brakes to ex-factory condition. The process matches the disc to the hub. In other words, if there is the slightest run-out in the hub (i.e. it doesn’t rotate in a perfectly true way), the skimming process will take care of this and correct it by automatically compensating for it.
Brake Discs should be resurfaced when:
- There is brake vibration or judder
- Discs are corroded or rusty
- Brake pads are changed but new discs are not necessary
- Brakes feel spongy