According to the statistics, 1,50,000 accidents happen in India annually and it has counted down to 400 accidents per day. These numbers seem horrifying already but the threat seems a major one when we conclude to 4 deaths every 10 minutes. In these critical situations, it is not feasible that we lose our lives because of amateur behavior.
The excellence of a car is tested on many aspects and one of them is the efficiency of its braking system. All of us realize the criticality of the entire braking system and its requirements in the vehicle. Besides being one of the key functional systems in the car, the braking system also serves as one of the safety measures in a vehicle.
Braking systems may form a very critical part of our cars but what matters the most is our knowledge about different components of the braking system that we can put to use in case of any emergency situations. In this blog, we have compacted all the knowledge you might need about the braking system components.
Components of The Braking System
The complete braking system is just like a part of any other machine that is organized, co-ordinating and interdependent. Just like any other ordinary machine, a braking system is made up of various components. Before we jump to study these components, it is important to understand the functions of a braking system.
Just as the name suggests, a braking system is used to stop the wheels of a vehicle immediately when put to use by ceasing their movement. All kinds of braking systems follow the same principle and work by hydraulic pressure. To use this, braking systems make use of a hydraulic fluid.
Now let us learn about all the components of a braking system.
- Brake Pad – each caliper has two brake pads and their function is to create friction so that the tyres stop moving and the vehicle comes to a halt. When the brake pads get old, they should be replaced in order to ensure excellent friction and to bring the tyres to rest almost immediately after the brakes are applied. Click here to buy brake pads online
- Brake Shoes – These shoes had pretty much the same function as that of a brake pad. This is an obsolete component as it was found in the vintage cars but not much seen in the modern day cars. There is a possibility that the cheaper cars today might have brake shoes as one of the components of the braking system.
- Brake Rotor – these form the most important component of a braking system. These rotors are found attached to the wheel and these rotate along with them as the wheels move carrying the vehicle forward. The brake shoes press against these brake rotors as soon as the brakes are applied and because of the friction created between the two, the vehicle comes to a halt.
- Brake Drum – Brake shoes expand when brake is applied and they cause even more friction with these brake drums in order to make the braking system more efficient and swifter.
- Brake Caliper – these are used in combination with the brake rotors and also form one of the most important component of the braking system. These can be removed and replaced with ease if necessary.
- Brake Booster – the location is reported to be somewhere between the brake pedal and master cylinder. Its function is to help increase the pressure of pedal and help in increasing the efficiency of the brakes.
- Brake Master Cylinder – it is located at the end of the pedal and has one chamber full of the hydraulic fluid. These master cylinders are located near each wheel and help in distributing the fluid pressure evenly throughout the braking system.
- Brake Pedals – this is the only component of the braking system that is visible to our eyes and is present inside the cabin of the car.
- Wheel Cylinders – These cylinders serve the purpose to receive the pressure and fluid from the master cylinder and apply it to the brake shoes or brake pads.
- Brake Fluid Container – it contains the hydraulic fluid that is responsible for the working of the braking system. This fluid is yellowish in color and it is connected to the master cylinder so that it could perform its function effectively.
- Brake Hose Pipe – these pipes connect the master cylinder with the wheel cylinders/ slave cylinders and help in the easy movement of the brake fluid throughout the braking system.
- ABS Module – it stands for Anti-lock Braking System. Its function is to prevent the tyres from locking while they are in use, that is, when the vehicle is moving.
Takeaway
Now that you know everything about all the components of the braking system, it would be easier to work your way out with the brakes and their efficiency. We hope this article proved to be insightful to you and we hope that all the information provided in this article helped you in one way or the other. Hope you will have a safer drive now that you have mastered the knowledge of braking system components.
