Have you ever wondered how stepping on a pedal can cause your entire car to halt?
The brake system of a car is complex machinery that involves several components. The system transmits the force from your step to its breaks through a fluid. This, in turn, transmits the braking force to the tires via friction. To effectively function, the braking force is multiplied through out the system.
For cars, when people refer to brakes they usually mean the device that makes direct contact with the rotating wheel to slow it down or to stop it. The disc brake (also called disk brake), is a device that is attached to the wheel or the axle. To stop the wheel, friction material called brake pads is forced against both sides of the disc. It may be done mechanically, hydraulically, pneumatically or electromagnetically. This friction causes the disc and attached wheel to slow down or completely stop.
The brake pads are attached to an assembly called the brake caliper. There are two types of these available: floating (also called sliding) or fixed. For the floating caliper, movement is not relative to the disc. It uses one or more pairs of opposing pistons to clamp from each side of the disc. A floating caliper, on the other hand, moves together with the disc. A piston on one side of the disk pushes the inner brake pad until it makes contact with the braking surface. The caliper body is then pulled with the outer brake pad so pressure is applied on both sides of the disc.
In recent years, modern cars for sale have been fitted with an anti-lock braking system or ABS (from the German Antiblockiersystem). This prevents the wheels from locking while braking, which in turn prevents skidding. This offer improved vehicle control over slippery surfaces such as ice, snow, gravel or steel bridges.
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