How Your Accord Disc Brakes Work

The basic way disc brakes works is to transfer the kinetic energy of the rotating wheels into heat, with friction. This will help stop your vehicle. The major components of the this type of brakes system are first a hydraulic system to transfer fluid from the movement of the brake pedal into movement of the brake pads. Brake pads are the next component.  A rotor or disc, made out typically of a material like iron, that spins with your wheels. A caliper with one or more pistons that move the brake pads onto the disc.

•   Let's examine the three major components of a disc breaks system, the disc, the caliper and the pads. The disc brakes must withstand a great deal of heat as it works to slow down the car. Early approach was to make the disc our of solid cast iron. This worked fine for most cars, but those that went really fast or weighed a great deal found that the solid cast iron disc could overheat and warp. A warped disc reduces the ability to stop the car. So other disc designs were developed. On approach was to hollowed out the disc brakes with either fins or vanes joining the disc's brakes two contact surfaces. This was called a "ventilated" disc design for brakes.  

•   The caliper has one or more pistons who press the pads against the disc in these brakes. Various designs for brakes have been used, but today the most common is called a single-piston floating-caliper which is both self-centering and self-adjusting. This caliper is able to slide from side so it will move to the center each time the disc brakes are applied.

•   The last major component of a disc brakes system is the brakes pad. Brakes pads are designed for high friction, and early brakes pads contained some amount of asbestos. This presents a danger if you find yourself working on an older car's brakes, usually with drum brakes instead of a modern disc brakes system.