Three Signs You Need To Check Your Brakes

Your vehicle’s safety on the road is immensely important. By taking care of your car’s safety features and keeping up with maintenance, you can help avoid costly accidents and keep your family safe. One of the most crucial parts of your car’s overall safety are your brakes. Nothing is more important than your ability to stop your car, and if your brake pads are running thin, your stopping distance could extend to almost double your normal distance. There are three simple signs that you need to get your brakes checked:

1. Strange Sounds

If you are hearing strange noises when you put pressure on your brakes, they could be experiencing a number of issues. The first thing you need to do is check out the noises you are hearing. The most common noises you hear from brakes are squeals or squeaks. These noises can be caused by anything from dust and debris on the brake pads, to thinning brake pads or damaged parts. If the squealing gets progressively louder, you, most likely, are starting to wear through your brake pads, and you need to get them replaced.

Squealing noises are one thing, but if you are hearing any grinding sounds, you need to stop driving immediately and call a tow truck. Grinding noises coming from your brakes means  you have worn through your brake pads and you are using your backing plate for your brakes. Besides being extremely dangerous to drive this way, as your brake calipers are sure to overheat, driving without proper brake pads can quickly lead to extremely expensive repairs. If you hear any noises coming from your brakes, make sure you get your brakes checked out to be sure that everything is running smoothly.

2. Vibrations

There are two main types of vibrations caused by poor brakes: pedal vibrations and whole vehicle vibrations. If you are feeling any vibrations in your brake pedal, these vibrations could be caused by problems with your brake rotors. If your brake rotor has become bent or damaged, your brake pads no longer have a smooth surface to brake against and that, in turn, creates vibrations.

Whole vehicle vibrations can mean a number of things. If your vehicle or wheel wobbles or vibrates, it could be due to a misalignment or other issues with your rotors or tires. Make sure that you bring your vehicle into your local Dobbs Tire & Auto Centers the moment you notice these vibrations, as the longer you wait, the more expensive the repairs will be.

3. Burning Rubber Smell

Burning rubber is a smell synonymous with high-speed driving.  However, if you are noticing a burning rubber odor while you use your brakes, your brakes may be worn dangerously low. The burning rubber smell can be caused by your brake pads heating up to the point of melting. You may need to get your brake pads replaced or upgrade to higher quality brake pads.

If you have any questions about your brakes, or need any maintenance or repair work completed on your vehicle, come into any of the 45 Dobbs Tire & Auto Centers stores conveniently located all over town — today.