BRAKE SERVICES

A typical brake system consists of disk brakes in the front, and either disk or drum brakes in the rear, all connected by a system of tubes and hoses that link the brake at each wheel to the master cylinder. Other systems that are connected with the brake system include the parking brake, power booster, and the anti-lock breaking system (ABS). When you step on the brake pedal, you are actually pushing against a plunger in the master cylinder which forces brake fluid to the braking unit at each wheel, arriving with the same pressure it started with. On a disc brake, the fluid from the master cylinder is forced into a caliper where it presses against a piston. The piston then squeezes two brake pads against the disc rotor which is attached to the wheel, forcing it to slow down or stop. With drum brakes, fluid is forced into a wheel cylinder which pushes the brake shoes out, so the friction linings are pressed against the drum (which is attached to the wheel), causing it to stop.