What Happens if Your Brakes Fail?

It’s something that almost never happens, but it happens to someone. Whether you’re on your way to a budget brakes store to get your brakes fixed or perhaps driving home on the highway, brake failure can to anyone. Take a look below for our budget brakes panic-free guide to stopping a car with no brakes.

1. Don’t panic, and don’t turn the ignition off until the car is stationary. Don’t pull the parking brake yet, and don’t jump out of the vehicle unless you really do have absolutely no other choice. Now is the time to take your foot off the gas.

2. Start by applying pressure to your brakes until they pedal hits the floor. If the pedal seems jammed, try and check with your feet to clear any possible obstruction such as the floor mat.

3. If the pedal isn’t jammed and isn’t working, then start pumping the pedal like a foot operated bicycle pump. Your goal is to pump enough pressure so that you can press the brakes and slow down.

4. Use the engine’s braking to slow the car. If you are in a high gear change down a gear, but do so gradually and don’t go from a high gear into a low gear. Change down one gear at a time so that you don’t destroy the engine and or lose control.

5. Finally, if nothing else works, use the parking brake. Apply it slowly and gradually, applying more pressure as the vehicle slows to a halt. Once the car is stopped switch off the ignition and call for help.

With free brake checks, Budget brakes can ensure that total brake failure is practically impossible. If you keep your brakes well maintained and looked after, you’ll at least know that if anything fails, it’s not going to be your brakes.

The Importance of Regular Brake Inspections

From budget brakes and pads to more high quality items, the single most important factor in ensuring that your auto is actually safe, is to ensure that you get your brakes inspected regularly – even if there are no signs of problems! This act of preventative maintenance goes a long way to ensure that expensive repairs aren’t necessary and it also ensures the safety of you and your family.

Getting your brakes seen to really is like going to the dentist. It’s an inconvenient convenience that everybody needs, but nobody has the time for! Today more and more people are on a tight budget, but it’s easy to forget that your car’s brakes could very well be your lifeline. Getting regular inspections might just save you hundreds of dollars if not your life.

Minor brake overhauls such as changing brake pads is a pretty easy task and it typically takes around just an hour or two. However, it’s often put off until the last minute and while you might just be thinking you’ll get a few more weeks out of your budget brakes after they start making noises, you might also find that they stop working just when you need them…

Budget Brakes offers free inspections and we’ll let you know exactly what’s going on behind the scenes. This check-up service gives you a great deal of peace of mind and it ensures that your disc brakes last for longer which really can save you a small fortune.

Types of Brakes

Certain systems on your car must be checked on a regular basis to ensure they are operating properly. This is for your safety as well as the safety of other drivers. One that must be checked on a regular basis is your braking system. Due to the frequency of the use of this system, it often needs to undergo regular maintenance. Do not put this off.

Cars have one of three types of brakes. The first are drum brakes. When you press the brake pedal in your car, your brakes shoes will press against a drum, creating friction. This friction is what causes your car to slow and stop. Very little pressure on the pedal is required on your part, but over time the various components will wear out and must be replaced. Components of the drum brake system include the drum itself, the brake lining, the return spring and the piston. Wheel cylinders, brakes shoes, brake pads, a wheel hub and studs are also part of the drum brake system.

Disk brakes, in contrast, are much simpler than drum brakes and are also more effective. These budget brakes consist of a flat, round piece of metal which presses against a wheel to slow or stop the car. As only three components make up the disk brake system, you have less that needs to be replaced on a regular basis. The three components are the disk brake, the brake line and the brake shield. Any time you take your car in to an auto repair facility for work, you should ask that your budget brakes be checked. It is better to be safe than sorry.

Most newer cars now come with anti-lock budget brakes. These brakes consist of a hydraulic actuator, wheel speed sensors in each wheel and an electronic control unit. If the electronic control unit detects a problem anywhere in the brake system, an ABS warning light on your dash will come on. If this occurs, take your car in immediately to have your budget brakes checked. This is one repair that cannot be put off.