What’s the biggest cause of brake and clutch repairs?
We all know that rush hour traffic is a serious pain, but did you know that it’s also one of the biggest causes automotive clutch repair? The freeways in Brisbane seem to resemble carparks more than freeways in the morning and afternoon peak hours, so at first it seems unlikely that they can lead to an increase in brake repairs.
The problem lies with all the stopping and starting that happens when you are crawling along the freeways. This constant on and off pressure on the brakes, not only leads to greater likelyhood of automotive clutch repair, but it can also affect the life of your tyres as well. If you regularly commute to work in the busy periods, we recommend that you book a car brake service as soon as possible, just to be on the safe side.
Driving in heavy, slow traffic that is constantly stopping and starting leads to problems with your brake lines, drive shaft and your tyres. Let’s look at each one of these in turn:
- Problems with brake lines: The brake lines transfer the brake fluid to the brake pads, keeping them lubricated and operating correctly. That’s why we always check and refill your brake fluid during a car brake service. Constantly stopping and starting all of the time, which happens in peak hour traffic, causes these brake lines to wear away, which if it isn’t caught soon enough, results in leakage of your brake fluid. Your brakes then fail and you have an even bigger problem on your hands!
- Problems with drive shaft: Unnecessary or constant braking cause the ball in the socket of the drive shaft to move and if this keeps happening, it can lead to your drive shaft wearing down. The first signs of a problem are vibrations in the car and loud noises, such as scraping, rattling or clunking sounds coming from underneath the car. The drive shaft transfers the torque from the engine to the wheels, so any problems need to be addressed immediately. It’s a good idea to have a car brake service at the same time as an inspection of your drive shaft, particularly if you drive frequently in heavy, slow traffic.
- Problems with tyres: Whenever you press the brake pedal, the tyres still roll for a few metres (even if you slam on the brakes the car doesn’t stop on a dime). It’s this movement of the tyres after braking that causes excessive wear of the treads, costing you more money in replacements.
For an inspection of your drive shaft, a car brake service or brake and clutch repairs, call us on 07 3809 2711 or send us an email.
