HOW BRAKES STOP VEHICLES
Brakes are an energy-absorbing mechanism that converts vehicle movement into heat while stopping the rotation of the wheels.
All braking systems are designed to reduce the speed and stop a moving vehicle and to keep it from moving if the vehicle is stationary.
Service brakes are the main driver-operated brakes of the vehicle, and are also called base brakes or foundation brakes.
Most vehicles built since the late 1920s use a brake on each wheel. To stop a wheel, the driver exerts a force on a brake pedal. Force on the brake pedal pressurizes brake fluid in a master cylinder.
This hydraulic force (liquid under pressure) is transferred through steel lines and flexible brake lines to a wheel cylinder or caliper at each wheel. Hydraulic pressure to each wheel cylinder or caliper is used to force friction materials against the brake drum or rotor.
The heavier the vehicle and the higher the speed, the more heat the brakes have to be able to absorb.
Long, steep hills can cause the brakes to overheat, reducing the friction necessary to slow and stop a vehicle
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