Brake System

The braking system is designed to decrease the speed of a vehicle. In order to slow a vehicle there needs to be friction between parts. Disc and drum are two types of brakes commonly used on automobiles. Some vehicles only have disc brakes, but many vehicles have a combination of both types. On vehicles with discs and drums, disc brakes are the front brakes while drum brakes are the rear brakes. More recently, manufacturers have been installing disc brakes on all four wheels as standard equipment. Hybrid vehicles use regenerative braking in addition to conventional brakes. Regenerative braking turns a motor to recapture energy instead of wasting it as heat from friction. Please use the links below to view disc, drum, and antilock brake videos.