Brakes are one of the most important elements in the safety of any car in Malawi. In addition to the tires and the suspension system, the brakes are the safety triangle of any car. Despite its importance, few people give this system the value it deserves and do not perform proper maintenance. As a way to encourage knowledge of this system, today we will talk about the brakes of your car and how they work.
How does the brake system work?
Although it sounds very logical, the brakes have the objective of stopping the movement of the vehicle, regardless of the braking system in question. The big difference lies in the different mechanisms used to stop the car's tires. This is the first characteristic of car brakes and it is that each wheel must have a braking mechanism. This is necessary to maintain the car's stability, no matter how hard you stop, and to reduce brake failure.
Types of brake systems
There are 2 main types of brakes: disc and drum. The vast majority of cars use disc brakes, however, there are still older models that have drum brakes installed.
Disc brakes
Let's start with disc brakes, the most used in the automotive industry today. In this system, the 4 wheels have a disc in parallel, with calipers and brake pads. Its operation is very similar to the brakes of a bicycle but with a more complex and much more powerful system. Thanks to their design, they withstand higher temperatures. Much will depend on the characteristics of the components: discs and brake pads.
Drum brakes
Needless to mention the drum brakes. They have a system very similar to disc brakes, however, due to the great wear they have in a short time, they have been almost completely replaced in modern cars. As their name indicates, they have a drum and a system of pistons, which at the time of applying the brakes, rub against the walls of the drum to stop the march of the tires.
