Various Brake Parts That Each Car Owner Should Be Aware About

How many times have you nearly averted an accident by pressing the brake pedal at the right time and your tires screeching to a stop? That is the time when the significance of brakes is realized by a car driver. Brakes are highly important safety feature as well as provides you a great deal of ease while driving. The brake, is not just a pedal that you press with your foot in the car. It is actually a large network of interlinked brake parts, perfectly aligned to work in synchronisation. There are even protective brake parts, whose sole function is to provide protection to the functional parts enclosed within. As these brakes as so important, knowing a bit about various brake parts and their functions would help you diagnose simple brake issues and help you mend those easily. To help you know your brake and brake parts better, here is a list:

Brake Parts

• Master cylinder: The master cylinder is shaped like a cylinder and thus the name. It is located in front of the driver’s seat above the firewall, within the engine. It actually houses 2 separate master cylinders which are connected to a separate set of wheels. Their task is to control hydraulic pressure of the hydraulic fluid. The tubing lines that transfer hydraulic fluids are passed through the master cylinder and then connected to the brake cylinders. When the brake pedal is pressed, there is a movement in internal pistons and that leads to the opening of valves that releases the required amount of hydraulic fluid.

• Drum brakes: This brake part is a component of the rear wheels. They spring into action after the brake pedal is pressed. The pressurised hydraulic fluid forces its way from the master cylinder to the drum brakes and then pushes the brake shoes into contact with the inside of the drum brake and that in turn slows down the vehicle. As, the rear wheels need more force to come to a stop as there is.

• Disc brakes: These are the components of the front wheels. The disc brake has callipers that is pressed firmly against the piston and the fluid from the master cylinder is forced through it. The piston is pressed with the force of the fluid and that squeezes the brake pads on the disc rotors and forces the wheel to slow down and stop. In modern cars, all the four wheels are equipped with disc brakes.

• A proportioning valve: Whether it is a disc brake or a drum brake, there is a proportioning valve. This brake part is of high significance when hard brakes are applied. This valve reduces some amount of the pressure going to the rear wheels and ensure that all the brakes operate evenly. 

• Anti-locking system: There are instances when wheels lock up due to panic braking and the driver loses control of the steering.  This brake part has a detector that detects locked wheels and rapidly pump the brakes. It is a system with several sensors, speed monitors, and signals that can pulse the brakes.

• Brake booster: This is located behind the master cylinder. It is a booster that has a shell divided by a rubber diaphragm. It amplifies applied foot pressure and then applies it on the valve of the master cylinder and thereby minimises the force that is needed to be applied by the foot to apply brakes and stop the car. 

Car Brake Parts

All these are the significant brake parts. There are several other minute components as well. Having a basic knowledge of all these parts and their functions will give help you to analyse your brake condition and thus determine whether the fault in your brakes is major or minor and in which part the fault is.