Will your brakes stop you in wintery weather? It will be here soon!

Blog // Will your brakes stop you in wintery weather? It will be here soon!

Winter is coming – are your brakes ready for slippery roadways?

So, you have good tread on your tires (or snow tires) and are ready for slippery roads. (If you haven’t changed out your tires yet, this is your friendly reminder!)

But will your brakes stop you as quickly as needed?

Tires and brakes are crucial for stopping effectively any time of the year, but especially in the winter.

Brakes pads and rotors (or drums) will wear with time and will need periodic

New brake pad top, very used pad below.

maintenance and replacement to be effective and safe. Since being able to stop quickly is essential for you and your family’s safety, keeping an eye (and ears!) on your brakes is very important.

Have you felt one or more of the following?

Squealing and/or grinding when you depress the brake pedal
Having to depress your brake pedal further than you used to (“squishy” feel)
Feeling a “shudder” in the steering wheel upon braking
Vibration or clunking sound when braking
Parking Brake no longer works effectively

If so, your brakes need some attention. Any of these can be indicators of impending brake failure, or simply the need for routine brake maintenance. Having them looked at sooner rather than later can save you money in the long run.

Thickness of brake pads can be accurately measured once the wheels are removed. New brake pads are 10-12mm thick. When the pad is worn to about 2mm thick, wire sensors on the brake pads will alert you by making a squealing or grinding sound. This lets you know that the brake pads require replacement very soon. However, the squealing sound will only continue for a week or two, and then the sound may disappear (for now). The new sound you will begin to hear is metal-on-metal grinding…not good!

If the pads are not replaced, not only do you lose stopping power, the metal-to-metal contact can result in permanent damage to the rotors or drums. When permanent damage such as overheating/warping, heat cracks, or metal-to-metal grooving has occurred on the rotors or drums, they will require replacement.Replacing brake pads in a timely manner will be significantly less expensive than having to replace rotors. We are always happy to actually show you the thickness of your brake pads – never wonder if your bake pads really needed to be changed.

In order for the pads and rotors to have optimum surface contact area and ensure

Rotor with Pad Upper Right.

smooth stopping power, we generally machine the rotors/drums at the same time we replace the brake pads or shoes. Rotors can be machined up until the time they become too thin (per manufacturer’s specifications) and fall below the manufacturer’s recommended specifications.

Brake fluid should be flushed approximately every 3 years, regardless of mileage (check your Owner’s Manual for specific recommendations for your particular vehicle). Brake fluid is essential for the hydraulic pressure that allows your brakes to function properly, while lubricating the seals in the Master Brake Cylinder.

Timely brake maintenance and service keeps you safe, decreases repair costs, and saves you money by warding off those very expensive accident costs associated with poorly functioning brakes.

Don’t delay – have your brakes inspected by your favorite Honest Accurate Auto technician now and drive safely!