Signs Your Brakes Are Failing

Brakes rarely fail all at once. There are quite a few signs that your brakes need replacing long before they actually fail. If you know what to look for, you can have them repaired or replaced before there’s a major problem.

Your Brakes Feel Soft

Do you have to step harder on the brakes to slow down? Does your vehicle take longer to slow and stop than before? This is referred to as the softening of brakes and it means there is something wrong. It generally indicates there is a leak in the hydraulic brake fluid or an air leak in the brake hose. Both can be pretty serious, so you’ll need immediate servicing.

Your Vehicle Pulls to One Side

Most often, misaligned tyres are the cause of the car pulling to one side when you brake. However, this is a bad sign because it means one brake pad will wear faster than the other and this can cause more pulling, lower braking efficiency on the worn side, and eventually drastic swerving when you brake. Tyres can be realigned quite easily, so ensure this is taken care of.

Less common is debris in the brake fluid, which may cause uneven braking and pulling. Take the vehicle to a professional in order to determine the actual problem.

There’s a Squealing Sound When Braking

Brake pads are designed to let you know once they wear down a certain amount. There’s an indicator shim that is set into the brake pad and when the pad wears down enough to expose this, it will hit the metal of the rotor and cause the screeching sound you hear. This is an indication that it’s time to replace the brake pads sooner rather than later.

Your Brakes Make Grinding Sounds

A loud grinding sound means you need to stop the vehicle immediately. Do not continue driving, as this sound means the brake pad is gone and you are braking with metal on metal.

Not only does this cause severe damage to the brake rotor, but it also can be very dangerous. Your brakes can’t work properly without the brake pad.

Braking Causes Vibrations

If your vehicle vibrates every time you brake, this tends to indicate warped rotors. This occurs when you brake for a long period of time, such as going down a mountain. The heat that builds up can warp the rotors and this results in the pads hitting the rotors unevenly. Again, this can be very dangerous, because the brake can’t function correctly without full, even pressure on the rotor.

Are your brakes acting up? Don’t wait until you’re in a crash before you seek help. Contact Acorn Tyres today so we can help get you safely back on the road.