The brake hardware in modern vehicles consists of a closed hydraulic system that allows the driver to engage the brakes from inside the cabin to slow the vehicle. There are two main types of brakes used in vehicles, disk and drum brakes and both transfer the force applied to the brake pedal using a system of hydraulic cylinders. Brake hardware also includes components for power assisted braking and anti-lock braking systems that improve the performance of the brakes.
Types of Automotive Brakes
Automotive brakes are either disk brakes that use a rotor and caliper mechanism, or a cylindrical drum in the wheel hub with a pair of abrasive shoes used to slow its rotation. Disk brakes are more efficient and so, because the greatest load is forward during braking, front wheels usually have this type of brake. A disk brake consists of a steel plate, called the rotor, attached to the axle of the wheel which has a caliper mounted onto it so that depressing the brake pedal closes the calipers onto the rotor, slowing its rotation. Drum brakes have a cylinder in the wheel hub with a set of shoes inside of it that press into the inside of the cylinder to apply the brakes. The design of the parking brake in a car bypasses the hydraulic system to engage the brakes manually. The mechanism consists of a simple lever that pulls on a wire cable that runs directly to the rear brakes. In vehicles with drum brakes on the rear wheels this cable directly engages the brakes, while rear disks either use a subsidiary drum brake or a rear caliper piston modified to be manually operable. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vehicle_brake[DGM1]
Hydraulic Brake Components
The force applied to the brake pedal by the driver transfers to the wheels using a sealed hydraulic system. The system uses the force of depressing the brake pedal to force brake fluid, usually a viscous, heat resistant glycol-ether compound from a master cylinder to extend the slave cylinder that operates the braking mechanism. This system uses hydraulic multiplication to magnify the force applied to the brakes by the pedal by forcing a large volume of fluid from the master brake cylinder into a smaller space in the slave cylinder.http://www.howacarworks.com/basics/how-the-braking-system-works [DGM2]
Hydraulic Brake System Component | Function |
Brake fluid
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Transfers the force of the brake pedal through the brake lines
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Master cylinder
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Pumps the brake fluid from its storage reservoir to the wheels
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Brake lines
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Carries the force of braking from the master to the slave cylinders in the wheels
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Slave cylinder
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Operates the calipers or brake shoes in the wheels
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After the brake pads and shoes, the hydraulic components are the hardest working parts of the braking system in a vehicle. Brake fluid loses much of its viscosity due to repeated heating and the pistons in the cylinders are subject to wear because of the forces that they endure during operation. Similarly, brake lines and their connections wear out from the stress placed on them by their internal pressure.
Brake Pads and Shoes
The calipers on disk brakes hold a pair of abrasive brake pads and press them against the rotor disk when the driver applies the brakes. Similarly, the side of a brake shoe that engages the drum cylinder also uses an abrasive compound on its surface to create friction. Materials for brake pads and shoes vary considerably depending on their performance characteristics with softer pads providing more aggressive braking capabilities. Brake pads commonly use durable, heat resistant materials like asbestos, metallic compounds and ceramics in their construction.
Power Assisted Braking Anti-Lock Braking Systems
Brake hardware accessories include auxiliary systems like power assisted brakes and anti-lock braking systems that improve the driver's control while slowing the speed of the vehicle. Power brakes use the vacuum force created by the engine manifold intake to magnify the force that the driver applies to the brakes with the brake pedal, increasing the force applied to the brakes' hydraulic system. Anti-lock braking systems interrupt brake engagement, disengaging the brakes for short periods to ensure that the wheels do not lock up under extreme braking. Some late model vehicles also feature electronically controlled braking that distributes the force of the brakes between the wheels for maximum control and efficiency by maintaining even traction under all of the wheels.
How to Buy Brake Hardware on eBay
It is easy to buy replacement brake hardware on eBay with the confidence that comes with dealing with a reliable seller. The quickest way is to navigate to the eBay Motors page and type "brake hardware" into the search window of the find a part or accessory section. Specifying the make and model of the vehicle refines the search for the exact range of parts that are suitable for your car, making it easy to find the brake hardware that you need.