Cars wear shoes too! (Brake Shoes)

Posted January 21, 2016

Brake shoes work a lot like brake pads, with the same function but different design and operation.

Think about the bicycle you rode as a kid. On the wheel was a pinching device that came together around the wheel to stop it. That “pinching device” is like your vehicle’s brake calipers. The brake pads go onto this device and grip the wheel’s rotor to stop your vehicle.

Brake shoes work with drum brakes. Instead of gripping the wheel to stop it, brake shoes expand inside the wheel drum to stop your vehicle.

Two semi-circular brake shoes rest inside the wheel. As you drive, they rest without touching the wheels to let you travel smoothly on the roads. When you press the brake pedal, these two brakes expand into the drum and apply pressure to stop the wheel.

Whether your vehicle requires brake pads or brake shoes, we have one word of caution: avoid “Cheap” brake jobs.

We’ve seen many vehicles come in after a cheap brake job in worse condition. In order to get that price down, the cheap brake job must sacrifice quality parts, expertise, or both.

Especially with drum brakes, a small mistake can be costly.

Brake shoes are fitted precisely to the drum brakes. The two brake shoes are slightly different sizes. If the brake shoes are put on backwards, your safety and vehicle are at risk. In the best case, your brake shoes will wear down faster and you’ll need to replace them again sooner. Worst case, your vehicle might not be able to stop at all!

Instead of putting your family at risk to save a few pennies, take your vehicle to our quality repair shop. Our technicians are ASE-Certified, with years of experience to appropriately assess the condition of your vehicle’s brakes and perform quality repairs and services. We also use only quality parts that we trust. To stand behind our work, all of our services are backed by our 24 months / 24,000 miles warranty on parts and labor.

To learn more about brake pads, brake shoes, and brake services at Book’s Automotive Service, stop by our shop at 111 N. Santa Fe Ave. in Fountain or give us a call at 719.382.5691.

Categories: Auto Repair

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