BRAKE SYSTEM COMPONENTS: POOR MAINTENANCE AND CARE CULTURE IN NIGERIA. By Jide Akinsanya(CEO, Du Craft Ltd)

Available data shows that apart from over-speeding and bad roads, brake failures are the leading cause of accidents on Nigerian roads.

On my previous post, i stressed that the Brake System is the most critical system on your vehicle.

Brake Systems don't just fail overnight. They degrade over time due to poor maintenance culture, before they finally fail.

Sadly, In Nigeria, we pay little or no attention to our brake system maintenance and care.

Some vehicle owners rarely carry out routine maintenance on their brake systems, apart from brake pad replacement.

Just as you service your vehicle engines, replacing oil filters and engine oil, air filters and spark plugs, the brake system of your vehicle also requires regular care for its efficient and effective performance to be sustained.

The brake system is composed of critical components and over forty critical parts that require periodic maintenance and care. The following critical components need periodic maintenance for proper functioning of your brake system:

1) The Disc Brake Rotor
2) The Brake Caliper Assembly
3) The Wheel Hub Assembly and
4) The Master Cylinder Assembly

To function optimally, the DISC BRAKE ROTORS require regular inspection, resurfacing when necessary or complete replacement in some instances.

Brake systems work with friction, hence your brake disc experiences material loss on the surface over a period of braking. The volume of loss largely depends on the quality of brake pads that your have one them.

While some brake pads have high wearing effects on your brake disc, some other brake pads(like Du-Craft Premium Ceramic Brake Pads) have low wearing effect on your disc.

Essentially, ceramic brake pads of good quality and low copper content have very low wearing effect on you brake disc, thus prolonging disc life. But ultimately a disc rotor surface will eventually experience material loss and thus will either need to be surfaced or changed completely.

The BRAKE CALIPER ASSEMBLY requires careful inspection, lubrication at critical lube points and brake pad replacement(with high quality OE or aftermarket brake pads) when necessary.

A brake caliper assembly that is not regularly inspected and lubricated could greatly reduce the efficiency of your brake system. Brake calipers are exposed to water, mud and dirt, hence they have critical lube points to avoid rustiness, thus allowing critical free movement of brake pads for overall braking efficiency.

The WHEEL HUB ASSEMBLY should be replaced with a brand new, good quality wheel hubs whenever the inner bearings are bad or have exhausted their service life.

The MASTER CYLINDER ASSEMBLY requires periodic inspection of quantity and quality of the hydraulic content(brake fluid) as the fluid is prone to degradation and reduction over time. Without the appropriate quantity or quality of hydraulic fluid in the master cylinder, overall performance of the brake system is compromised.

Lack of periodic maintenance on the critical components briefly discussed above degrades your braking system, and ultimately causes it to malfunction over time. Malfunctioning brake systems could cause irreparable bodily damage or even death in the event of an accident.

It is therefore critical, important and very essential that you regularly have components of your brake system checked out and maintained by a competent and experienced technician in order for them to function optimally.

It is equally critical, important and essential that you apply top grade replacement parts on your brake system components. The quality of your recurrently consumable replacement parts such as brake pads and brake fluid is extremely important to the overall performance and efficiency of your brake system.

For premium-grade ceramic brake pads manufactured to international quality and environmental standards(also certified by the Standards Organisation of Nigeria), offering smooth, stable, safe and quiet braking, please visit http://du-craftbrakes.com/page/product_list/shop-here/.

Always look for competence and experienced technicians to handle your brake system maintenance and care works.

And remember! Trying to save cost by looking for cheap, poor quality replacement parts or technician could cost you much more than you tried to save. ALWAYS INSIST ON PREMIUM-GRADE BRAKE SYSTEM PARTS, COMPONENTS AND TECHNICIAN.

Enjoy safe driving and enjoy your weekend!

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