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The Brake System Simplified.

What is a Brake System?

A brake system is an assemblage of mechanical, electrical and hydraulically controlled components that use friction and heat to stop a moving vehicle.The brake system is the most critical system on a vehicle.

How Does A Brake System Work?
When pressure is applied on a brake pedal, the pressure is transferred through the piston in the master cylinder assembly by hydraulic fluids through channels called the brake lines and hoses to pistons on the wheel caliper assemblies.

The pistons in the wheel caliper assembly upon receiving the hydraulic pressure from the master cylinder, transfers that pressure to the inner brake pad in the caliper assembly, forcing the inner brake pad to compress on a spinning brake disc.

The compression of the inner brake pad causes the friction material surface of the inner brake pad to make contact with the supposed smooth surface of the brake disc.

The caliper assembly further receives pressure from the contact between the inner brake pad and the brake disc, forcing the caliper assembly to slide horizontally along a slide pin, causing the outer brake pad to also compress on the brake disc to make a double pad friction on the surface of the brake disc.

The frictional force of both inner and outer brake pads on a spinning brake disc, forces the spin to slow down to a stop depending on the pressure level applied on the brake pedal.

This is your brake system simplified.

Watch out for my post on Components of The Automotive Brake System and Brake System Maintenance and Culture in Nigeria. Coming soon!