Brakes are perhaps the most important system on your car. At Economechanix we take your brakes and your safety VERY seriously.
At the same time we attempt to give a reasonable up front price that doesn't double or more once we get it apart. Our basic brake job starts at $80 to $125 per axle and includes many features which are charged as extras at other shops. If you see a price cheaper than this, WATCH OUT!!! They're going to make money off you some way or the other.

See THE CASE OF THE $19.95 BRAKE JOB!

All modern brakes are hydraulic. (except for the parking brake)

This means your brake pedal presses a piston inside a cylinder. This applys pressure on the fluid in the cylinder. (brake fluid) .

This cylinder which is on the end of the brake pedal is called the "master cylinder".

The pressurized fluid from the master cylinder (fluid doesn't compress, so it's almost like a solid linkage) is carried equally to all wheels, which have "slave cylinders."

There are 2 basic kinds of common brakes: disc and drum.

Drum brakes are older, and use two half moon shaped "brake shoes" which are pressed outwards agaist the inside of the "brake drum" by the "slave cylinders", which are called "wheel cylinders". These brake are found on the rear of most vehicles, and on the front of some new and most older vehicles. (pre 1980)

Disc brakes have a "caliper" for the "slave cylinder", and the caliper presses disc brake pads against both sides of the flat brake rotor.

CONCERNING POWER BRAKES;

Power brakes use a booster (either vacuum or hydraulic) to assist you in pressing the brake pedal. As you first press the pedal, a valve opens and operates the booster.

WARNING!!!!!! If your engine dies and you lose power brake assist, THIS DOES NOT MEAN YOU HAVE LOST ANY OF YOUR BRAKING ABILITY! YOU WILL JUST HAVE TO PRESS THE PEDAL HARDER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I've been a mechanic for 22 years now, and I've heard this sad tale at least twice:
Little old lady gets in horrible car wreck. Her story is: "Well, I was coming off the interstate exit in my Cadillac, and the motor died. As you know, this means I lost all steering and brakes!"

I didn't have the heart to inform her that she was mistaken, especially since she swore she would never drive again. What it was, she was used to just barely touching the brakes and the car would stop. When she touched the pedal with the usual light touch and nothing happened, she assumed there were no brakes, and went crashing into traffic.

She had to weight 130 pounds: if she'd used the strength of both legs on that brake pedal, it would have stopped.

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We also serve the surrounding communities of Alachua, High Springs, Hawthorne, and Newberry!

Thank you for visiting the ECONOMECHANIX WEB SITE. Please feel free to comment. We also serve the surrounding communities of Alachua, High Springs, Hawthorne, and Newberry! Gainesville has been my home since 1974, and I've loved Gvl and the Gators since I came here in the fall of 1974 to attend the University of Florida. I loved it so much I stayed and opened my car repair business. Originally it was out of the back of a 1963 Chevrolet wagon, but in 1977 a fellow mechanic and I opened an auto repair shop with actual walls, etc. I stayed in the same location for 26 years, and recently moved my operation to property I bought 15 miles east of Gainesville. I am doing most all the repairs myself now, having reduced my overhead from $1500 per month to practically nothing. I do work by appointment only. I mostly work only on my established customers cars, but I will occasionally take on new clients. E-mail me and I will either make arrangements to look at your car, or I will recommend you to someone who will.

George G. Scott, Jr.