The braking system on your car has a variety of different parts that have to work together in order to bring the car to a stop. Most car owners take their braking system for granted until there is a problem with it. The calipers on your car are what hold the brake pads and puts pressure on the rotors of the vehicle when it comes time to stop. The calipers have rubber brake hoses that attach to them, which carries brake fluid from the master cylinder to help engage the calipers when needed. When you press your brake pedal, you will be activating the calipers. The brake calipers are designed to last as long as the vehicle does. Due to the constant use that they receive, the calipers will begin to show signs of wear. Not being able to have the full braking power of a car at your disposal can pose a variety of different problems. Doing things like changing the brake fluid in your car every 30,000 miles can help to reduce the issues that you have with your calipers. You need to also keep an eye on your brake pads and rotors when trying to conserve your calipers. Driving your car with worn pads or rotors can do a lot of damage to your calipers.
The importance of having good working calipers cannot be overstated, which is why it is so important to get the repairs done when needed. For the most part, you will become quite familiar with the way your car handles, which can make spotting repair issues with your calipers a bit easier. When your calipers are in a state of disrepair, here are some of the things that you will start to notice:
- The brakes are squealing all of the time
- The car pulls hard left or right when coming to a stop
- The brakes feel spongy
- Clear brake fluid leaking out of the wheels
Getting the brake calipers on your car fixed in a hurry will help to reduce the amount of damage that is done to your vehicle. A professional mechanic can repair your damaged calipers before they start to compromise the safety you and your passengers.