What is a brake caliper and how does it work?
The existence of the caliper part in the car is very necessary because it plays a fundamental role in braking the car. All cars have this part, but disc brakes may be used in some of them, especially in heavy cars. The way this part works in the car is that in the car brake system, the wheels of the car are connected to metal discs or rotors and rotate with the wheels.
The function of the caliper is to slow down the car wheels by creating friction.
The metal plate in this part, which is called the pad, has two parts: boat brake pads and input brake pads.
Boat brake pads are said to be in the outer area of the rotors, which is located towards the front, and input brake pads are said to be in the inner area, which is located towards the vehicle.
When moving, when you put your foot on the brake pedal, the brake fluid, the main cylinder creates hydraulic pressure on the piston. We said earlier that these pistons are located in the carriage of the brake part.
There is a high friction surface in the brake pads. The rotors and the wheels are connected and any reaction that is done on the rotor is also done on the wheel. If the rotor stops, the wheels also stop.
In order for your brakes to work well, all the parts related to the brakes must be in the right condition.
How many types of brake calipers are there?
Generally there are two types of calipers. 1- Floating caliper 2- Fixed caliper.
In a floating caliper, two pistons are located in the inner area of the rotor. When you put your foot on the brake pedal, the pistons compress the entire caliper. Also, the pistons cause friction on each side of the rotor, although it takes help from the brake pads to do this.
In fixed calipers, as the name suggests, they are fixed and do not move. These calipers have pistons located on the outside and inside of the rotor.
The reason why this type of brake is less common in cars is because its price is very high.
How to figure out the brake calipers have been broken?
The first sign that may indicate that the brake caliper is damaged is the abnormal movement of the car. If you are moving on the road, it is possible that the car will go to the right and left without controlling you and will not move in a straight line.
Try to stop and check the brake caliper of your car when such a problem occurs. Because most likely, the caliper is damaged. If one side of the wheel moves slower than the other due to the brake tension, it is possible for the car to vibrate. This happens because of the imbalance between the two wheels.
It is also possible for the car to pull forward when you are moving. This problem occurs when the parts of the brake system are exposed to heat and cause the piston to seize. The occurrence of this problem is visible in car tires, but if for any reason you do not notice the car tire stretching, try to check the device system.
Another cause of brake caliper damage can be brake fluid leakage. The brake fluid puts pressure inside the caliper, and the reason for the pressure is that the fluid must help the clamp of the system and put pressure on the brake pad and the rotor. Any sign of brake fluid leakage can be the result of it breaking. The leakage resulting from breaking affects the overall braking ability.
