By Alberto Frammartino, December 15, 2024
If you feel as though you are having issues with your car brakes and want to do something about this then you have come to the right place. This guide will tell you what you need to know, so you can pinpoint any potential issues before they damage your car.
Resistance on the Pedal
A common issue would be if your brakes feel spongy, or if the pedal doesn’t have any resistance when it is engaged. If the pedal sinks right down to the floor and you don’t have to push down much at all then this can be a sign that there is a leak in your brake system. After all, the point of pushing the brake is to compress the pads. If the pedal isn’t experiencing resistance, it’s not being compressed. A leak can be dangerous, and it can also make an accident quite likely to happen. It’s very difficult to stop suddenly when you can’t stop well, so if you are experiencing issues like this then you must get a mechanic to take a look at your car for you.
Pulling to One Side
A common reason why your car pulls to the side is because you have a frozen caliper on one side. Brake calipers squeeze two pads against the rotor, which creates friction while causing the car to reduce in speed. The caloper can become stuck because of rust or corrosion. This often happens if you have been in a car accident. This can result in uneven pressure being put on the pads, causing your car to pull to one side. If you want to fix this issue then you may be able to clean and lubricate the caliper by yourself. You can use a maintenance kit to do this, but it may be far more effective for you to replace it yourself rather than clean it. You can get several brake kits online if you want to upgrade your car, so be sure to keep this in mind.
Steering Wheel Vibration
If your steering wheel is vibrating then this is another big sign that you have an issue on your hands. There are a lot of reasons why this may happen, with one of the big ones being that you have a warped front rotor. This can be because of irregularities from heat, or issues with your pad impression. This is separate from issues that come with tracking, which can cause your steering wheel to judder when you drive at speed so be sure to keep this in mind.
As a general rule, if you feel shaking in your steering wheel then it’s likely that the source of the issue is located somewhere in the front of the car, so make sure that you’re mindful of that. It’ll make the repair easier and it also means you can localize the issue. It’s easy to fix issues like this if you have your rotors resurfaced, so keep that in mind if you can.
