Concerned about your brakes
If you have any concerns about your vehicles brakes or would just like to have them checked for peace of mind before,
for example, undertaking a long journey then Sixers Group are here to help, simply book your vehicle into one of our garages.
Free brake safety check
Our technicians will carry out a FREE brake safety check on your car brakes friction and hydraulic systems and advise you accordingly.
We carry out repairs on all makes and models at very competitive prices.
Please call Carisbrooke Garage Newport (01983) 532200 or York Avenue Garage East Cowes (01983) 290028
How do car brakes work?
When your vehicle is moving it has a lot of energy known as kinetic energy.
Kinetic energy is simply the energy an object possesses because it has both mass and velocity.
The heavier something is and the faster it is moving, the more kinetic energy it has. In order to stop a car, we need to get rid of this kinetic energy which is where the brakes system comes in.
The brakes use friction to convert the kinetic energy into heat.
When you press the brake pedal, connected levers push a piston into the master cylinder, which is filled with hydraulic fluid.
That hydraulic fluid gets squirted along a system of pipes into other, wider cylinders positioned next to the brakes on each wheel.
This hydraulic system multiplies the force of your foot on the brake pedal into enough force to apply the brakes and make the car stop.
Most brakes are usually one of two types either disc brakes or drum brakes
Disc brakes consist of a brake disc, a brake caliper, and a brake pad. When the brake pedal is depressed,
the hydraulic fluid causes the brake caliper to press the brake pad against the brake disc.
The rubbing of the brake pad against the brake disc generates friction, which converts kinetic energy into heat in the brake pad.
Stopping a car can heat the brakes to over 500 degrees centigrade. In order to cope with these temperatures,
the brakes have to be made out of materials that will not melt such as alloys or ceramics.
Drum brakes also use friction but in a slightly different way. Drum brakes consist of a brake drum and brake shoes.
The hollow drum turns with the wheel.
When the brake pedal is depressed, a hydraulic cylinder pushes brake shoes with friction linings against the inner surface of the brake drum,
creating friction and thereby slowing the wheel.
For a FREE brake check and repairs at competitive prices, call Sixers Group on (01983) 532200