Tech Update: Warped Rotor Syndrome
Putting The ‘Brakes’ on A Common Customer Complaint Warped rotors are probably one of the most common complaints made to shop owners and technicians who repair and service brake systems. The less confident or sophisticated driver may complain that when he hits the brakes, “my pedal pulses,” “the vehicle chucks during a stop” or “it
Brake Lathe Care and Feeding: Breaking the Cycle of Neglect When it Comes to Machining Rotors
How often do you use your brake lathe? Once a month? Once a week? Once a day? If you’re like most undercar shops, your brake lathe is humming along for at least several hours per day, every day. Even a one-man shop will find a brake lathe to be an indispensable piece of undercar equipment.
The Long-Lasting Brake Job: Can Your Brake Job Go 12, 000 Miles Without a Problem?
All shops what to see a customer again, but not for a brake comeback. What is the magic number of miles that can separate a comeback from a service situation? In my opinion, the minimum is 12,000-miles. Even installing new friction, rotors and calipers will not ensure a long-lasting brake job. The long-lasting brake job
‘My Rotors are Warped!’
Warped rotors are probably one of the most common complaints from a drive upon entering any shop that does brakes. The less confident or sophisticated driver may complain that when he hits the brakes, “my pedal pulses,” “the vehicle chucks during a stop” or “it shakes my teeth during braking.” Generally a quick turn of
GM ‘W Platform’
Preventive Maintenance and Undercar Service
Diagnostic Solutions: Brake Maintenance & Inspection
” height=”234″ alt=”” border=”0″ align=”right” /> Although brake systems wear at a relatively glacial rate, a point will be reached when they can no longer stop the vehicle in an emergency situation and brake system inspections are therefore required to prevent accidents caused by brake component failure. Inspection procedures vary from area to area. Mountainous
Cross-Examining: Selling Brake Jobs
Cross-Examining Service Adviser: “May I help you?” Customer: “Yes, I need to get a brake job.” Service Adviser: “OK, sign here and we’ll get right to it.” The technician pulls the vehicle in and finds that the pads are low. The brake job is already authorized over the front counter. The tech does the job,
Upgrading Rotors for Hard-Driving Fleets
Police cars, ambulances, taxis, parcel delivery trucks and even pizza delivery vehicles can chew up brake pads and rotors almost as fast as any race car. Hard use combined with frequent, sudden stops makes the brakes run hot, and when brake temperatures shoot up, the life of the pads and rotors plummets. For every increase
Hyundai: From Ball Joints to Brakes…
Uncovering Needed Repairs With Undercar Inspections The brake and suspension systems on Hyundai’s popular line of cars and SUVs are both undercar systems where problems can be detected during routine maintenance. From loose ball joints to worn-out brakes, it’s all there to be checked while the vehicle is on the rack for service and, oftentimes,
Engineering: What Goes Up, Must Come Down!
Validating that the vehicle brake system is capable of getting the vehicle down a mountain is one of the major tests that occurs during the development and “prove-out” of the vehicle. In most cases, the manufacturer or the brake system supplier will test the vehicle on the road. This is also where a lot of
Doing the ‘Complete’ Brake Job
Brake work continues to be a solid service opportunity for independent repair shops because brakes are items that inevitably wear out. Disc brake pads need to be replaced, and the rotors usually need to be turned or replaced. The front brakes do the most of the braking, so they receive most of the attention when
Rotor Runout: Cause and Correction
The vehicle owner may say that under light braking the vehicle pulses to a stop or under heavy braking the vehicle shudders. Technical service bulletins (TSBs) often describe these symptoms as a “judder.” There are only two causes for judder — lateral runout and disc thickness variation on the rotor’s friction surface. What could have