Hillmuth Auto Care offers comprehensive brake services and repair in our four convenient locations in Clarksville, Columbia, Gaithersburg and Glenwood. Front and rear brake systems in your car have numerous wear parts that may need to be periodically serviced or replaced to ensure optimal brake performance and safety of your vehicle.
Signs That You May Need Brake Service
A safety checkup of your brakes is recommended to be performed annually or every 15,000 miles. But sometimes you may need to take care of it sooner, especially if you are noticing the following signs and symptoms:
- Your stopping distance is longer then usual
- It takes extra effort and more pressure on the pedal to come to a full stop
- There are squealing or grinding sounds when you apply brakes
- Dashboard lights related to brakes lit up
If any of the above sounds familiar, bring your car to one of our four service stations for brake service in Gaithersburg, Columbia, Glenwood or Clarksville.
Brakes Checkup, Cleaning and Adjustment
Consider this: being able to stop your car just 10 inches sooner may save you from a fender-bender. That’s just one of the reasons to keep an eye on your brakes and check their condition at least once a year. When Hillmuth does an annual checkup and tuneup of your brakes, here are some of the things we include:
- Road test, note pedal height, feel, before and after
- Remove all wheels and drums
- Inspect shoes and pads for wear
- Check rotors and drums for excessive heat
- Check rotor and drum run out
- Check brake hardware for proper functioning
- Check emergency brake operation
- Check hydraulics, clean brake shoes and pads
- Adjust shoes
- Install and re-torque wheels
- Adjust tire pressure
- Check master cylinder operation & fluid levels
- Road test, note brake life percentage on repair order
- Check fluid condition or contamination.
Contact us today for your milestone brake service by scheduling an appointment with one of our 4 Maryland auto care stations.
Front and Rear Brake Service
Our staff is experienced in performing checkups, diagnosing problems and performing repairs on front and rear brakes, regardless of the makes, year and model of your car. Our front and rear brake service is rather comprehensive and may include any or all of the below, depending on your specific needs:
- Removal and replacement of brake pads and/or shoes
- Resurfacing of rotors and/or drums
- Inspection of brake lines and components
- Testing of the parking brake
- Cleaning of the surface contact between hub and rotor
- Lubrication of the caliper slides and cleaning of the caliper piston
- Replacement of brake hardware as necessary
Ask about our brake squeal parts and labor guarantee!
Brake Shoes/Drums Replacement
Some older vehicles use a brake drum system for rear brakes. These rear brakes are more complex than disc brakes and operate by pressing brake shoes against a rotating drum, which slows the vehicle down. A typical drum brake involves a brake cylinder, pistons, adjuster, emergency brake mechanism and a variety of other components that suffer ongoing wear and tear. Here is how we can help you keep your rear brakes in good shape.
Checking the condition of brake shoes and drums:
- Road-test the car
- Remove wheels and drums, check shoe wear
- Check hold-down springs and brake hardware
- Check shoe backing plate movement
- Check wheel cylinder for leakage and movement
- Check emergency brake operation
- Check drum measurements for specs
Replacing brake shoes and drums:
- Remove old shoes
- Check backing plates for even shoe seat
- Clean backing plates and hardware
- Lubricate backing plate
- Install new shoes and hardware
- Install finished drum
- Install wheel and torque to specs
- Check emergency brake for proper adjustments
- Road-test for proper operation.
Brake Fluid Flush
Brake fluid is the essential component of your car’s braking mechanisms. The fluid is what creates the pressure to activate brake drums and rotors. Over time, brake fluid may become contaminated with air, moisture and other particles created as the fluid slowly brakes down. Flushing brake fluid involves completely draining it from all lines and hoses and replacing it with a fresh fluid. Brake fluid flush is recommended every 30,000 miles or two years. Here is how we do it:
- Flush old fluid from 4 corners of the vehicle
- Remove all contaminated or worn fluid from system and ABS Module
- Bleed air out of the system
- Inspect reservoir and cap
- Inspect lines and fittings
Contact us to schedule any of the above brake service in Columbia, Gaithersburg, Glenwood or Clarksville.
