OEReplacement News


Disc brake rotors and brake drums, brake calipers and brake master cylinders and brake lines are all important when stopping a car, but the brake pads are what actually slow a car. When a car is built, the manufacturer spends months and sometimes years testing disc brake pads, making sure they work with the brake rotors on the car, and making sure they’ll last long enough that it won’t need brake repair any time soon. Brake pad replacement will be necessary in every car some time, but original equipment quality brake parts guarantee safety and quality as good or better than the original.

Front brake pads will need to be replaced more often than rear brake pads, since they usually do about 80% of the stopping. Rear brakes have a lot more to do with keeping your car straight than with stopping it. Front brakes are also almost always discs today, while brake drums are still common in the back. But a brake job or other brake service is an easy home repair for anyone who needs a brake service, whether it is for brake noise, a brake bleeding, or to improve brake performance. The first step is to compress the brake pads in the brake caliper, which is easy to do with a simple clamp. This can push brake fluid up the lines into the brake master cylinder, so be prepared for some to spill. Then, use an Allen wrench to release the brake caliper, and swing it out of the way. After that, most brake kits include disc brake pads and shims. Use some brake lube between the brake new rotor pads and the brake caliper to prevent squeaking, clean everything with brake cleaner, and compress the front brake pads with the clamp. After that, the brake calipers swing back over the disc brake, and with a little Loctite on the bolts, they are ready to go. Bleeding the brakes at this stage is a good idea.

Brake repair is a simple job, and using original equipment brake pads, or making sure a mechanic used OE brake pads, whether they’re performance brake pads, ceramic brake pads or as good as the best brake pads the car maker installed, is a good idea for any brake pad replacement.



Filed under: Product News by Josh Razgunas On: January 13th, 2010