SPRINGS

BRAKE AND SUSPENSION

Brake Service

Auto Care Services To Keep You On The Road

Your brakes never seem like a problem until it’s too late. Over 20% of accidents caused by mechanical failure are due to faulty brakes. That’s second only to tires. And unlike tires, you can’t easily check brake wear on your own.

We’re brake experts. We’ll make sure your pads, shoes, rotors, bearings, calipers and hydraulic system are all in good shape before you find out the hard way.

Brake Maintenance 101

The three basic elements of an automobile are go, stop, and turn. Among these, the most important one related to safety is the stop.

Your brakes bear this function by changing kinetic-energy of the vehicle into thermal-energy and releasing it into the atmosphere through friction. Its really “science-y” but it just means that your brake pads press into a rotor to stop your car, and in an instant they are indispensable for realizing your safety and security.

When you slam on your brakes at 60 mph there is enough heat generated to boil two liters of ice water into boiling water
in three seconds!

Its fairly simple to measure how thick the brake pads are.

For the Rotors, however, that's a whole different thing!

It's impossible to tell how much life is left by simply looking at them. As a matter of fact, it's dangerously misleading!
By simply looking at brake rotors, most rotors seem to be wearing fine unless there are cracks or huge chunks missing.

However, that is where the huge misconception lies. Unlike brake pads, which show how much pad is left and have warning sensors, brake rotors have no such indicators.

It's important for the safety and performance of your car to inspect these properly. We recommend to inspect your brake rotors every 10,000 miles to make sure they are within specs.

Call ahead for an appointment

360-726-4904

6 Reasons to Replace
Your Brake Rotors

If at any time, you observe any one of these
6 symptoms, it's recommended that you replace your brake rotors.

1. Visible Crack

One of the most obvious ways to check when your rotors need to be replaced is through visible cracks. If you see a crack, it's time to replace your rotor.

2. Grooves
If you have an open-spoke wheel design, you can run your finger vertically down the brake rotor friction surface. If you can feel and see noticeable grooves, then it's time for new brake rotors.
For cars with hub caps that don't expose the rotor, you will need to remove your wheel to inspect your brake r rotors.
3. Rotor Edge Lip
On worn brake rotors, if you follow the rotor to the edge you can usually feel/see a noticeable lip. This lip is created as the brake pads normally don't contact all of the rotor surface and therefore leaves an outer lip when the rotors are worn down.
Keep in mind that rotors reach their wear limit at only about 1mm. If there is an obvious lip, it's most likely near it's wear limit or is wearing unevenly, resulting in far less than optimal braking surface. Measure with calipers to double check.
4. Heat Spots
Heat spots are a tell tale sign that your brake rotors have uneven brake pad deposits. How do they affect you? Heat spots will lead to brake harshness, vibration and reduced structural integrity. If the heat spots are extensive, you will need to replace your rotors.
5. Rust
There are two types of rust that occur on brake rotors. Surface rust and corrosive rust. Most of the rust on brake rotors is known as "surface rust". Just like it sounds, imagine surface rust on brake rotors as a thin top layer of rust. This doesn't affect braking performance and most of wears off when you apply your brakes. Although some of it remains, such as on the hub and rotor vents, it doesn't hinder performance, but it can be unsightly.

Corrosive rust on the other hand is a completely different story. This is the rust you see when you live in harsh conditions where road salt (electrolytes) is often used. You don't want this type of rust.
6. Warped Rotors
Although the term "warped" rotors is very commonly used, it's in fact one of the least common causes of brake vibration. In fact, what happens in almost every case of a warped rotor is simply uneven pad deposits or heat spots.