Category: Brakes

Does it feel like you just can’t catch a break sometimes? Your brakes might just feel the same way! They work hard for you. Your car is a heavy hunk of metal and when it is rolling down the road it takes a lot of friction to slow down all that momentum, especially when you need to stop quickly. If you don’t take care for your brakes, they can’t do their job. And it’s pretty important work! The well-being of you and your passengers is dependent upon the health and strength of your brakes.

How long has it been since your brakes have gotten a check-up? Here are some signs that they are going to need some attention:

• Low brake pedal or brake fade (reduction of braking power)

• Car pulls to one side during braking

• Shimmy or pulsating feeling when you apply the brakes

• Squeaking, squealing, or grinding sounds

• Spongy or mushy feeling when you step on the brake

• Brake pedal becomes hard to depress

If your brakes are showing any of these signs, it almost always means the brake pads and shoes need replacing.  It also means that you should bring your car to us for a brake inspection. This includes checking the brake linings, the drums and rotors, and the brake fluid. If you have waited too long, it may be more serious and we may have to turn or replace the rotors.

Don’t wait for your brakes to get to metal on metal! It takes much less time and money to repair them before your car is vibrating and groaning every time you pull up to a red light. It isn’t just embarrassing to attract attention at intersections for all the wrong reasons. Don’t forget. You’re transporting precious cargo. The safety of your friends and family is your most important job—so give your brakes a break!

Your brake pads are the critical parts that rub against the rotor (or disc) to slow and stop your vehicle. They eventually wear down.

When your pads are worn too much, they won’t stop your vehicle as well. When the friction material is worn away, metal parts of the pad are exposed and you’ll hear a squeal or grinding sound.

That’s when Glendora car owners should replace their brake pads. Not only will new pads restore your stopping power, but replacing them on time will prevent damage to the rotor.

If your brakes are making noise, ask your Certified Auto Specialists service specialist to review your brakes. Addressing troubles early will restore your safety and prevent expensive brake damage.

Give us a call

Certified Auto Specialists
626-963-0814
476 Vermont Avenue
Glendora, California 91741

The brake rotor, or disc, is attached to your wheel. The brake pads rub on the rotor to slow your auto.

Rotors can warp, crack or become misaligned. They can also be damaged by worn out brake pads that scratch grooves into the surface. These conditions result in less contact surface for the brake pads, leaving you with reduced braking power.

Over time and miles, rotors can also wear down below safe specifications. It is important for Glendora auto owners to know that simply replacing brake pads on a wheel with a bad rotor will not solve the issue. Depending on their condition, rotors may be resurfaced or replaced.

Brake noise or a pulsation in the brake pedal are signs of potential brake problems that should be addressed right away. If you have any brake concerns, please have your reliable Certified Auto Specialists tech perform a thorough examination.

Give us a call

Certified Auto Specialists
626-963-0814
476 Vermont Avenue
Glendora, California 91741

Safety should always be an essential element of your car care. So even if you don’t care about how your car looks, you should practice preventive maintenance to protect yourself — and other Glendora motorists — on the road. And good safety starts with good brakes.

Brakes need a regular inspection. There are essential parts that wear out or wear down, and it’s best to replace them before you have problems.

Of course, if you are having trouble with your brakes, NOW is the time to fix them. If your brake warning light is on, that’s a good sign that you need your brakes checked. Glendora motorists can also tell something is wrong with their brakes by the feel of the pedal or unusual sounds while braking. If the brake pedal is low, feels spongy when you press it or is hard to push, that indicates a problem with your brakes. If you hear squealing, grinding or clunking noises when you brake, that can also indicate troubles. If vibrations accompany braking, then it is essential to get your brakes checked.

Brakes come in two basic types. With disk brakes, a rotor is attached to the axle of the vehicle. Padded calipers straddle the rotor, which close when the brakes are applied. The resulting friction causes the rotor — and the axle — to stop turning. With drum brakes, brake pads (also called shoes) press against the inside of a drum to create friction and stop the drum, and hence the sedan’s wheels, from turning.

When Certified Auto Specialists services your brake system, your reliable service professional checks all of the brake pads for wear. If they are too thin, they need to be replaced. This is an inexpensive repair at Certified Auto Specialists compared to what procrastination will cost you. If pads wear away completely, then the rotors and drums can be damaged. They will have to be either resurfaced or replaced, and that can be pricey. But if your sedan brake pads are worn out, then your brakes are compromised and your stopping power is greatly reduced. You could easily wind up in an accident.

Brake pads come in several different grades such as regular, metallic and ceramic. The higher grades are more pricey in Glendora, but they also work better. California drivers who want better and smoother braking, should consider upgrading. However, Los Angeles drivers should NEVER use a brake pad that is lower than your auto manufacturer’s recommendation.

After you your brake pads are checked at Certified Auto Specialists, it’s critical to have your brake fluid checked. This is a critical element in your brake system. When you press your brake pedal, you are compressing the brake fluid, creating pressure that activates the brake pads. If your fluid pressure is low, it will curtail your braking power. The pads just won’t be able to press hard enough against the rotor or drum to stop your sedan. Just as with worn pads, insufficient brake fluid can lead to a dangerous and expensive accident in Glendora.

Water can build up in your brake fluid, which can cause harmful corrosion in your braking system. Eventually this can cause your brake fluid to leak. So Glendora motorists should also change their brake fluid periodically. Your sedan owner’s manual will have guidelines on how often it should be replaced or ask a reliable service professional at Certified Auto Specialists. We have been servicing brake systems in Glendora for 32 years. 

Remember, Los Angeles folks, safety first. It’s essential auto advice for all Glendora drivers on the road. You’re not just protecting others; you’re protecting yourself.

When it comes to preventive maintenance and car care, most Glendora drivers know how vital it is to check their brakes. But brakes are more than just brake pads and shoes. There are a lot of components in the brake system, and they all need to be in good working order.

The pads and shoes are known as the friction materials in the brake system. They push together, providing friction, which stops the vehicle. It’s no wonder they have to be checked regularly for wear, and that brake pads and shoes need to be replaced periodically.

Brake pads/shoes gradually wear out, but that doesn’t mean your braking gradually becomes less effective. The pads are engineered so that they maintain good braking until they wear too thin to provide adequate friction. At this point, they need to be replaced.

But your braking system also has mechanical parts. These pistons and springs can also gradually wear out or get gummed up by oil, dirt and other road spatter. A brake inspection in Glendora at Certified Auto Specialists includes a check of these parts as well as the pads and shoes. Your reliable Certified Auto Specialists service specialist can then advise you of any parts that need cleaning or replacement.

The fluid component to the brake system needs a regular check-up at Certified Auto Specialists as well. The brake fluid cools and protects your brake system. Protective additives are gradually depleted by the operation of the brake system, and moisture build-up inside the fluid can diminish its effectiveness. When you have your brakes serviced at Certified Auto Specialists in Glendora, the fluid should be checked and, if needed, replaced, which will clean out water, debris and dirt.

It is critical to remember that your brake system also includes your tires. No matter how well your brake system is performing, if your sedan tires are worn, you won’t get good stopping power. Traction is the gripping power of your tires to the roadway. Traction is always better on tires with a good tread. Good traction translates to good braking.

This is particularly critical on wet Azusa roads. A good tire will give you good braking on either wet California roads or dry. But stopping distance increases dramatically when worn tires meet wet roads. Tread on a tire acts to channel away water as the sedan passes over the wet road, thus maintaining contact between the tire’s surface and the road, which maintains traction. But the thinner the tread, the less effective the water channels become, and water can get between the tire and the roadway, reducing friction. A loss of friction means a longer stopping distance and possibly the loss of control.

Braking depends on two things: the weight of your sedan and the speed of the vehicle. The heavier the vehicle or the faster the vehicle, the more braking power it requires. Thus, brake systems vary from vehicle to vehicle. For example, a pickup that is designed for heavy loads has a more powerful braking system than a compact car. Sports cars also have higher-grade braking systems than minivans.

Regardless of what kind of car you drive in Glendora, it is always good auto advice to keep your brake system in good repair, and that means ALL of your brake system. Just one more way to keep your travels accident and worry-free.

Hello Glendora, let’s talk about brakes. Braking, as all California drivers know, is slowing or stopping your vehicle. As you can imagine, brakes are engineered to work well on a particular vehicle application. For example, you would expect more powerful brakes on a heavy-duty pickup that routinely hauls big loads and pulls trailers, than you would on a compact car. And a Corvette that can go over 180 miles per hour would have much different braking needs than the family mini-van you drive around between Glendora, Los Angeles and San Dimas.

But the mechanical aspects of the brakes themselves are just one issue. There’s also the power brake pump and brake fluid. And then there are the tires, which are critical to the effectiveness of the brakes.

Let’s step back. A new sedan or truck rolls off a local Glendora showroom floor. It has brand new brakes with brand new brake pads. The brake lines and pump are filled with fresh fluid and are completely clean inside. And the tires are brand new, with full tread. It is ready to go.

Naturally, braking power is at its peak performance. Now the miles start to add up on the sedan. Glendora motorists tend to focus on the brake pads. In the automotive business, the pads, and shoes on drum brakes, are called the friction material. That’s because they provide the friction used to stop the vehicle. The pads are designed to be effective throughout their useful life – it’s not until they are worn so thin as to be out of car makers’ specs that they lose their ability to stop.

The mechanical parts of the brakes have pistons and springs that get quite a workout while breaking. Over many miles around California, these wear and get gummed up. They start to lose effectiveness gradually and could even fail – a scary possibility That’s why a regular brake inspection at Certified Auto Specialists is important for your sedan and your family’s safety. At Certified Auto Specialists we can test the operation of the brakes and see if any parts need cleaning or replacing.

That leads us to brake fluid service at Certified Auto Specialists. Some of the critical additives in the fluid that lubricate and clean the sedan fluid system are depleted over time. That and moisture building up in the system reduce the performance of the brake fluid. A brake service at Certified Auto Specialists cleans out deposits, water and dirt. Then the system is filled up with fresh fluid.

The tires are what connect the sedan to the road. Stopping force all comes down to traction. The better the tires grip the road, the quicker you’ll stop.

This is especially important on wet Los Angeles area interstates and surface streets. Studies have shown that wet stopping distance increases significantly as tires wear down. California car owners need to understand that they can have brakes that are operating at peak efficiency and yet still be in danger because their tires are worn out.