Phil’s Points and Plugs
As the rabbit in Alice in Wonderland was fond of saying:
“I’m late, I’m late, I’m LATE!”
Now if you ever find yourself feeling like that rabbit and are hurrying to your next destination, then you need to read these comments on steering and stopping. Or as I like to say: “If it won’t stop you should hope it won’t start!”
With an estimated 204 million cars and light trucks crowding our roads (as of 2001), your safety and that of others is at risk when your vehicle isn’t stopping and steering at its best. Reducing your vehicle’s stopping distance by just an inch or so could make the difference between a minor scare and a major fender bender. Crowded roads aren’t the only concern. The roads themselves are in a sorry state of repair. Portions of our highway system haven’t seen much in the way of maintenance or repair since they were built. In our cold climate the freeze/thaw cycle enlarges the cracks and holes in the pavement and the result is a moonscape of potholes that can affect the handling of your vehicle.
Bad roads cause your suspension and steering components, so vital to steering control and handling, to grow old before their time. Now I know that most of you don’t spend much time thinking about your suspension and steering and as a result you will probably not notice any problems in this system until the resultant wear shows up in your tires. But you can be proactive by simply giving a qualified professional the opportunity to inspect your steering and suspension every time you have your vehicle serviced and by having the vehicle alignment inspected and adjusted on an annual basis.
But what about the brakes?
In my opinion it is imperative that you have your brakes inspected annually. Not doing so usually results in growing costs and may increase your odds of having an accident. For a typical brake job, you’ll have to buy not only new brake pads, but new brake rotors as well to replace the ones that were ruined by procrastinating. Even if normal wear dictates rotor replacement, the upside to annual inspections is that you have kept your stopping distance at the shortest distance possible for your car.
Here are some tips for safe brake service:
- Invest in a top quality pad.
- If any rotors are marginal for continued service after refinishing (too thin or very close to the minimum thickness specification), have them replaced. If you have an older vehicle which is still equipped with Original Equipment rotors, be prepared to replace them.
- Have the brake calipers inspected to ensure that any moving parts (such as their slides and bleeder screws) haven’t corroded and frozen up. Don’t always jump to the lowest quoted price for your brake job. A low price quote can mean that you’re not getting the complete brake system serviced.
- Have your brake hydraulic system serviced/flushed to remove moisture and impurities from the reservoir, lines, calipers and wheel cylinders. A professional test for moisture and copper content will tell you if this service needs to be performed.
- For drum brake applications, ask to have a new brake hardware kit installed when the brake shoes are replaced and the drums are refinished.
- Have your emergency brake assembly tested periodically. Have it adjusted or repaired as necessary. (this in one of the components which would be tested and adjusted in the annual inspection I recommended)
Now I must admit that while this approach to vehicle maintenance may cost a little more up front, you can be sure that if you make the investment your car or truck will stop in the shortest distance possible and be able to steer around trouble. Plus, in the long run, it will actually save you time and money.
Phil