If you had to make a list of the most important components in any vehicle, your brakes would undoubtedly be right at the top.
As one of the major elements of your car’s safety, it stands to reason you’d want to keep your brakes operating at peak efficiency for as long as possible. Yes, normal wear and tear happens – but there are several steps you can take to keep your brakes functioning well for many miles (and years) to come.
Prolonging the Life of Your Brakes: An Overview
The most important thing you can do to extend the life of your brakes is make an effort to better understand those driving habits that may be putting unnecessary stress on them in the first place.
Avoid Fast Driving
Case in point: fast driving. The faster you’re driving, the more energy it takes to bring your car to a complete stop – and the more stress it puts on your car’s braking system. Even the difference between braking at 60 MPH versus 50 MPH is appreciable – especially if you do it all the time. So regardless of what your schedule is like and where you have to be, try to bring your car to a slow, safe stop whenever you can.
Avoid Unnecessary Brake Taps
You’ll also want to avoid any unnecessary brake taps, like the kind you might regularly experience in stop and go traffic. This, too, can put unnecessary stress on your brakes – thus artificially limiting their lifespan. Try to be mindful of traffic patterns and look ahead while you’re driving. If you can avoid heavily congested areas, it’s definitely in your best interest (and that of your car) to do so.
Follow Your Vehicle’s Regular Maintenance Schedule
Similarly, you’ll want to make an effort to follow your vehicle’s regular maintenance schedule – something that is dictated by the original manufacturer for a very good reason. The precise maintenance needs of a car will vary depending on the model you’re talking about, so always make sure you’re having a technician complete work on the manufacturer-provided schedule.
This will include not only checking your brake fluid and adding (or replacing) it as needed, but they’ll also perform crucial tasks like checking the position and movement of your parking brake cables. They’ll take a closer look at your brake lines to make sure there are no leaks or other damage, and they’ll regularly clean brake pad contact points and similar areas as well.
If nothing else, they’ll be able to stop small problems now before they have a chance to become much bigger ones down the road – which itself could save you a tremendous amount of money in the long-run.
Conclusion
To find out more about how to best extend the life of your brakes, or to discuss your own automotive needs with someone in a bit more detail, please don’t delay – contact the team at Drilled Rotors today.
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