The Car Care Guide
Brake Basics
When you depress your brake pedal, your car transmits the force from your
foot to its brakes through a fluid. Since the actual brakes require a much greater force
than you could apply with your leg, your car must also multiply the force of your foot.
It does this in two ways:
- Mechanical advantage (leverage)
- Hydraulic force multiplication
The brakes transmit the force to the tires using friction, and the tires transmit
that force to the road using friction also. Before we begin our discussion on the
components of the brake system, let's cover these three principles:
- Leverage
- Hydraulics
- Friction
