Blog / Cleveland Ford Dealer

3 Signs Your Ford Needs a Brake Repair

Ford West Brakes

Good brakes are essential for safe driving. When you're behind the wheel, you need to be able to control your speed and stop at any time. Your brakes are subject to wear and tear, and they will need a brake repair. In Cleveland, OH, your Ford dealer can fix any braking problem for you. These are a few signs that your brakes need to be repaired.

3 Signs You Need a Brake Repair at Your Ford Dealer

Your Car Veers to One Side

When you use the brakes, hydraulic pressure is exerted on the calipers to squeeze your wheel rotors and stop your car. It's a scary feeling if you hit the brakes and your car veers to one side. Your car feels like its brakes aren't working, and that's partially true. The brake system on one side of your car has failed. Your car will automatically veer towards the side that has a working brake.

The action to stop your car requires the calipers on both your driving wheels to act simultaneously. It also requires equal hydraulic pressure exerted on both calipers. The cause of the brake failure is either a caliper that doesn't engage or a blockage in one of the brake hoses. In either case, the brake on the affected side won't work, and your car will veer to the opposite side.

Screeching Sounds

When the brake calipers close on either side of the wheel rotors, the brake pads inside the calipers produce friction. The pads have a thick friction material covering that slows and stop the rotors. The friction that causes your wheels to stop also wears off part of the material each time you brake. New pads are 1/2" thick, and they need to be replaced when they wear down.

When the thickness of the friction material drops to 1/4" thick, a metal spike in the material is revealed. This spike is built into the pads as a warning. When you apply the brakes, this spike will scratch against the rotor. This scratching generates a piercing screeching sound. It's also a very audible reminder that your pads are thin and need to be changed.

Soft Brake Pedal

When you step on the brake pedal, it should provide resistance. The resistance is generated by the pressure of the brake fluid. If you step on the brake, and there's almost no resistance, you have a brake problem.

The lack of resistance means either there's a blockage in the brake system or you have a brake fluid leak. Our technicians can easily find the cause of the trouble and fix it for you.

If you have any problem with your brakes, call us right away at Ken Ganley Ford West.

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