|
|
|
Let us begin with the discussion that your brake system on most vehicles today consists of the "base" braking system and another system referred to as "ABS" or antilock braking system. Your base brake system is made up of the mechanical and or hydraulic components within your brake system. These are the components that actually bring your vehicle to a stop by applying pressure from the friction material to the rotor or drum. The ABS components are electronic components that help you to maintain control of your vehicle under heavy braking conditions. The ABS system stops any one of the wheels from locking up and skidding along an icy or slippery surface thus allowing proper steering control to bring the vehicle to a stop while maintaining direction stability. For the purpose this discussion we will only be looking at the base braking system in your vehicle. Once you have obtained a good understanding of this system and how it functions we will move on to an explanation of the ABS system. |
Your base braking system consists of (but is not limited to) friction material (pads or shoes) and the drums or rotors that the friction material squeezes in order to bring your vehicle to a stop. The pads or shoes have pressure applied to them through a hydraulic system which engages calipers or wheel cylinders. The hydraulic system consists of a master cylinder which applies pressure to the brake fluid in order to create flow and pressure at the wheel cylinders and calipers. The brake fluid flows through metal brake lines to the proportioning valve which controls the flow of fluid creating proportional braking thus reducing the likely-hood of brake lock up. The fluid flows from the proportioning valve to the wheel cylinders and the calipers. Steel brake line runs from the master cylinder to the proportioning valve and then near the wheel is typically joined into a rubber brake hose that allows for movement of the suspension system. This rubber hose or flex hose as it is often called joins the fluid to the caliper or wheel cylinder. In the following pages you will find some pictures and diagrams of a typical braking system to help you put all of this together.
|
|
|
|
||