Your car’s brakes are one of the most important safety and functionality aspects. Without properly operating brakes, you cannot safely and effectively drive your car. The cost to repair malfunctioning brakes can be high. In order to save money on the repair and maintenance of your brakes, follow these easy tips.
Better Driving Habits
Certain driving habits negatively affect your car’s brakes. In order to avoid increased wear and tear on your brakes, try to slow down steadily and avoid braking hard or suddenly. Abrupt stops put additional stress on your brakes which shortens the lifespan of the parts. Also, riding your brakes while you are driving will shorten the lifespan of the braking system and result in the need for early replacement.
Don’t Skimp on Parts
Purchasing cheap lower quality parts for your brakes is going to cost you more in the long run than investing in more expensive and better quality parts. Ask your mechanic which brakes are recommended for your car and do independent research using consumer guides and review websites. Better parts will last longer and require less expensive repairs.
Frequent Maintenance Checks
Do not wait until something goes wrong to have your brakes checked. Frequent maintenance checks done by a qualified mechanic can keep you from needing to pay for costly repairs to or complete replacement of your car’s brakes. In order to save money on brakes, you have to take care of the complex braking system. An example of a commonly overlooked maintenance step that can extend the life of your brakes is checking and changing brake fluids. This should cost under $100 and even less if you are capable of doing it yourself. Failing to drain and replace brake fluids can cause damage which takes upwards of $1000 to repair.
Rebuild Kits for Calipers
Neglected brakes often need to have calipers replaced. While most mechanics won’t immediately suggest this, brake calipers can be rebuilt instead of replaced. Kits for rebuilding brake calipers usually cost less than half the expense of purchasing a brand new caliper. Rebuilding a caliper also takes less time than installing a new one, which will save you on hourly labor fees.
The best way to save money on brakes is to practice steady driving habits and perform timely maintenance checks with a mechanic. Failing to care for your car’s brakes can lead to expensive repairs and shorter brake lifespan.
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