Braking 36 www.aftermarketonline.net MAY 2025 Maintaining a vehicle’s braking system is one of the most important aspects of ensuring safety on the road. Brake components work together to provide reliable stopping power, but when individual parts are neglected or replaced in isolation, the overall performance and safety of the braking system can be compromised. Brake pads naturally wear down over time, but if they are replaced without also installing new discs, the old discs’ worn surface can cause the new pads to wear unevenly. This uneven contact reduces braking performance, increases stopping distances and can lead to noise and vibration during braking. While it may seem cost-effective to replace only the brake pads, this approach often leads to greater expenses down the line. Replacing both components at the same time ensures the brake system works optimally. Brake replacement is not just about discs and pads; supporting components like brake hoses, hardware and brake fluid also play a crucial role in overall performance. Neglecting these ancillary parts during a brake service can create significant safety and performance issues. Brake hoses can degrade over time. Cracks or brittleness can lead to fluid leaks, while swelling under pressure can reduce braking efficiency and create a spongy brake pedal. In extreme cases, deteriorated brake hoses can burst. Brake hardware, including springs, clips and pins, ensures the correct alignment and function of the brake pads and shoes. If worn or damaged hardware isn’t replaced during a brake service, it can lead to noise, uneven wear, and poor performance. Loose or misaligned pads will reduce stopping efficiency and increase the frequency of pad replacement. Brake fluid is another critical factor often overlooked during maintenance. Over time, brake fluid absorbs moisture, which lowers its boiling point and can lead to brake fade under heavy use. Contaminated fluid can also cause corrosion in brake lines and calipers. Regular brake fluid flushes, ideally every two years, are essential to maintain reliable performance and extend the life of the entire system. Once new brake pads or discs are installed, a proper bedding-in process is essential. Bedding-in involves a series of controlled braking actions that allow the pads and discs to establish even contact and consistent friction. www.firstlineltd.com First Line product director Kelvin Olds on the importance of maintenance and potential pitfalls of incomplete or improper brake servicing Accelerate your braking expertise Fras-le brand Juratek has added more than 300 calipers to its range and continues to build on its 30-year reputation for supplying high-quality products for passenger car and light commercial vehicles. After introducing calipers six years ago the team has remained committed to research and development to ensure customer demand can be met. “It was a natural progression,” said Matt Leeming, head of product management for the EMEA region at Fras-le Mobility. “We talk to our customers regularly and they were keen to have a larger range of calipers, especially given the success they have in selling the Juratek brand.” The additional 358 numbers, introduced since September 2024, means the range now consists of over 900 calipers and has increased vehicle parc coverage to more than 33 million. Leeming said: “We’re not only committed to meeting application demand in our product development process. We have also gone a step further and developed a system where we look at a customers’ stock levels, and introduce a range based on local vehicle population. This ensures we are developing parts that are important to our individual customers.” www.juratek.com R&D key as range of calipers expands
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