Brake Repair and Service Akron OH

Your brakes will always let you know when you have a problem. More often than not, you will hear a high pitched squealing or rubbing noise coming from the wheels. You might even hear this noise without the brakes being applied. Most vehicles are designed with wear indicators located on the brake pads. The wear indicator is designed to touch the brake rotor and squeal to let you know that your brakes need to be serviced. If you hear the squealing or rubbing noise from your wheels without the brakes being applied, that means that the wear indicator has made full contact with the rotor. If you hear any other strange sound coming from your wheels, you need to get your brakes checked right away. Even if that sound goes away and comes back, you should still get your brakes checked. Eventually, the brake pad will come off, and the next noise you hear will be a grinding noise. That indicates that your pads and rotors have gone “Metal to Metal.” Your brake pads have a friction material adhered to a metal backing, and most brake pads have 10mm to 12mm of friction material. Your wear indicator will hit the brake rotor with 2mm of friction material remaining. When the friction material is gone, the brake pad’s metal backing will contact the brake rotor and cause some serious problems that will raise the cost of a normal repair.

If your brake pedal starts pulsating or you feel a steering wheel vibration while your braking, it typically means your brake rotors are warped. Brake rotors have two unique sides that are machined flat with some ventilation in the center. This ventilated area is designed to keep your brake rotors cool. The brake pads on each surface squeeze down on the rotor to make the vehicle stop, and they can get very hot! Eventually, the massive amount of heat will distort the brake rotor’s metal, causing it to warp. When the brake rotors are warped, those machined surfaces are no longer flat, which causes your brakes to pulsate and vibration of the steering wheel. Your rotors can be machined to correct the problem. The thickness of the rotor is important when resurfacing your brake rotors. Your brake rotors need to be measured by trained professionals to ensure that they are thick enough to resurface. When your brake rotors fall below the minimum thickness, they may need to be replaced, as having brake rotors below the minimum thickness is a safety hazard.

Does your brake pedal not feel quite right? Then you might have a problem with the hydraulic portion of your brake system. Your brake pedal might feel a little soft or spongy, or it might go all the way down to the floor. Your hydraulic system is an important part of your brake system as it creates the pressure to squeeze the brake pads to the brake rotor so the system can stop the vehicle. If you experience these issues, be sure to have your brake fluid checked and bring your vehicle in for service here at Fred Martin Superstore right away.

If you find that your anti-lock or ABS light on your dashboard is on, it’s a clear indication that you have a problem with your vehicle’s anti-lock brake system. Your anti-lock brake system consists of a hydraulic pump and values that, when engaged, controls the hydraulic pressure to certain wheels under different conditions. All of these systems are controlled by a computer inside your vehicle. Your anti-lock brake computer then gets information from the wheel speed sensors to determine how much brake pressure is needed to apply to your wheels. If your ABS light is on, the system is bypassed to the normal brake system, and the vehicle is safe to drive in most instances. Your anti-lock brake system is incredibly complex and should only be looked at by trained professionals at Fred Martin Superstore.

If you find that you have any of these issues, it’s time to have our professionals here at Fred Martin Superstore take a look at your vehicle! Your brakes are the most important part of your vehicle, and you don’t want to let another day go by letting them go unchecked! Our highly skilled technicians will go over every inch of your vehicle to make sure it’s running like new again. To schedule an appointment, you can either stop by our dealership or by doing so right here on our website. We can’t wait to work on your vehicle here at Fred Martin Superstore.