Brake Repair

S.R. Auto does brake repair and service at our shop in Greenpoint, Brooklyn: pads and shoes, rotors and drums, calipers, brake lines and anti-lock (ABS) systems.

Signs your brakes need attention

• A high squeal when you brake: many pads have a wear indicator that makes this sound when they're getting thin
• Grinding, which often means the pads are worn through to metal
• A pedal that pulses, feels soft or sinks further than it used to
• The car pulling to one side when you stop
• A brake or ABS warning light on the dashboard

When to stop driving

A pedal that sinks toward the floor, or a red brake warning light that stays on after the parking brake is released, can mean a fluid leak or low fluid: don't drive the car, have it towed. Grinding means metal is wearing on metal and the stopping distance gets longer; book it in right away and drive as little as possible until then. An amber ABS light is less urgent: normal braking still works, but the wheels can lock in a hard stop, so get it checked soon.

What we do

We inspect the whole system, then replace pads and shoes, resurface or replace rotors and drums, and repair or rebuild calipers, wheel cylinders and master cylinders. We replace worn brake hoses, flush old brake fluid and service anti-lock brakes.

What a complete brake job includes

New pads alone don't always fix the problem. A complete brake job usually covers:

1. Measuring the pads, and the rotors against the minimum thickness stamped on them
2. Checking that the calipers move freely, and cleaning and greasing the slide pins
3. Cleaning rust from the brackets where the pads sit, so new pads don't stick or squeal
4. Checking the hoses and lines for cracks, leaks and corrosion
5. Checking the brake fluid's level and condition
6. A test drive, and bedding in new pads with a series of moderate stops so they grip evenly

Pads, rotors or both?

Pads wear out first, and rotors often last through more than one set of pads. A rotor must be replaced once it is thinner than its stamped minimum. Above that, a rotor that is smooth and runs true can be reused, or resurfaced to make it flat again; many rotors on modern cars are thin enough that replacing them costs little more. A pedal that pulses as you stop usually means the rotor surface is uneven, and that needs the rotors resurfaced or replaced, not just new pads.

Brake fluid

Brake fluid slowly absorbs moisture from the air. Wet fluid boils at a lower temperature, so the pedal can go soft during long or hard braking, and the moisture corrodes parts inside the system. Many carmakers call for new fluid every two to three years; your owner's manual gives the interval for your car, and the type (such as DOT 3 or DOT 4) is printed on the reservoir cap.

City driving and brakes

Stop-and-go traffic wears brakes faster than highway miles. Winter road salt adds rust: on the rotors, on the brackets, and in the caliper slides, where it can make a caliper stick and wear one pad much faster than the other. A thin layer of orange rust on the rotors after rain or a few days parked is normal; it wipes off in the first few stops.

Related work

Wheel bearings, hubs and chassis parts sit right next to the brakes and are often the cause of noise or vibration when you stop. We check and service those too.