BRAKES | BRAKE DISCS | BRAKE PADS
The brakes are the mechanical devices which inhibits motion and is responsible for stopping a brake disc or drum part of a vehicles braking system. Its opposite component is a clutch which moves a vehicle forward. Frictional brakes are most common and can be divided into "shoe brake" or "pad brake" types, using an explicit wear surface. Friction brakes that are shoe or pad brakes mostly incorporate rotating devices with a stationary pad and a rotating wear surface such as the brake drum or brake rotor or brake disc as commonly referred to. Most motor vehicles have brake shoes that work in conjunction with a rotating drum with shoes that expand to rub the inside of a drum, called a "drum brake". Brake pads that pinch a rotating disc are commonly called a "disc brake". A disc brake includes the assistance of a brake caliper which is hydraulically operated, forcing a piston or pistons to close a set of brake pads onto either side of a brake rotor.
Most commonly brakes use friction to convert kinetic energy into heat, though other methods of energy conversion may be employed. For example regenerative braking converts much of the energy to electrical energy, which may be stored for later use. Brake systems also use magnetic fields to convert kinetic energy into electric current in the brake disc which is converted into heat. Still other braking methods even transform kinetic energy into different forms, for example by transferring the energy to a rotating flywheel.
Brakes are generally applied to rotating axles or wheels of a vehicle, but may also take other forms such as the surface of a moving fluid which can be flaps deployed into water or air. Some vehicles use a combination of braking mechanisms, such as drag racing cars with both wheel brakes and a parachute.
Friction brakes on automobiles store braking heat in the drum braking or disc brake while braking then conduct it to the air gradually. When traveling downhill some vehicles can use their use their engine brake to act as a braking system.
When the brake pedal of a modern vehicle with hydraulic brakes is pushed, ultimately a piston pushes the brake pad against the brake disc which slows the wheel down. On the brake drum it is similar as the cylinder pushes the brake shoes against the drum which also slows the wheel down.
Most modern vehicles use a vacuum assisted brake system that greatly increases the force applied to the vehicle's brakes. This additional force is supplied by the intake manifold vacuum of the running engine of the motor vehicle. This force is greatly reduced when the engine is running at full throttle, as the available vacuum is diminished and where brakes are rarely applied at wide open throttle where the driver takes his foot off the gas pedal and moves it to the brake pedal.
Brakes are the lifeline of any motor vehicle and are designed to stop a vehicle and its cargo at varying speeds. Brakes and relative components should be checked for defects and serviced at regular intervals by a professional brake technician or brake expert.
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