Your car's brake rotors need to be replaced every so often. We'll tell you what the rotors do, why they need replacing, and ...

Depending on your vehicle, those brake mechanisms are composed of either rotors, calipers, and brake pads; drums, wheel cylinders, and brake shoes; or a combination of the two systems.

Note: The rim-brake instructions here are only for swappable pads in systems that have separate brake pads and shoes. Some inexpensive brakes feature one-piece shoe/pads that must be unbolted.

What to look for when servicing brakes.There are four general types of brake pads for cars and trucks: Semimetallic: This formula, containing about 30 to 65 percent metal, typically includes ...

If you drive only 8,000 miles a year but it’s mainly in a crowded urban area such as Chicago, Boston or Washington, D.C., you will need to replace brake pads or shoes more often than someone who ...

Since brake pads create the friction that helps slow your car down when you press the left pedal, which subsequently pushes the pads against the brake disc (also called the brake rotor) or drum ...

Older-style drum brakes work using the same principle, although the chunks of braking compound that wear down in drum brakes are in “shoes” instead of “pads.” ...

Drum brakes, commonly found in older vehicles and on the rear wheels of some modern cars, use brake shoes instead of pads. The lifespan of drum shoes is similar to brake pads at around 30,000 miles.

The DIY spirit is alive and well in automotive. However, be wary of these 10 mistakes you might be making with changing brake pads.

Checking the condition of drum brake shoes is a bit trickier than checking disc brake pads. That's because the drum itself covers up all of the braking mechanisms — even if you can peer through ...