Feel like something is wrong with your brakes, but you're not sure what it is? You should take your vehicle to a mechanic to get a brake inspection. Here is what a mechanic will verify if your brakes are in good condition or not. 

Perform A Test Drive

Your mechanic will likely want to take a test drive in your vehicle before they start an inspection. This will give them a good idea of how the vehicle is performing on the road, how the brakes feel when pressure is applied, and how they sound. They might discover other things that may be a concern. This will let them know what to look for when they start looking closely.

Remove The Tires

It is essential that a mechanic removes the tires on your vehicle to get a look at the brake system. Your vehicle will need to be put on a hoist to get it up in the air, all hub caps will be removed if you have them, and then an impact gun is used to remove the lug nuts. With the tires removed, the entire brake system will be exposed for an inspection.

Inspect The Brake Pad 

If you look at the brake assembly from the outside moving in towards the car, you'll notice that there is the rotor, the brake pad, and the brake pad backing. This gives you a good idea about how much brake pad material is left and if the pads need replacement. The pad should be no less than 3-4mm thick. Anything at that thickness or less indicates that it is time to get new brake pads for your vehicle. 

Inspect The Brake Drum

The mechanic will need to pull the cover off the brake drum of your vehicle to inspect it. The mechanic will take a close look at the wheel cylinders, which is what puts pressure on the brake drum to cause friction against the brake pads. They are looking for signs of liquid that is leaking out of the wheel cylinders since that fluid should not be leaking in the brake drum.

Install The Tires

The tires will need to be put back on your vehicle so that you can get back on the road. The mechanic will need to make sure that each tire is put on properly, which involves putting the lug nuts on in a star pattern so that the pressure is evenly distributed across all lug nuts.

To learn more about brake inspections, contact an auto shop like Escondido Auto Tech.