Brake Repair Minneapolis

Stop By For A Braking System Check

Having trouble with your brakes? We’re here to help. Whether your brakes are squealing, grinding, or just not working right, stop in to Alexander’s for professional brake repair service. Don’t trust your brakes to just anyone. Our ASE-certified technicians have the expertise and friendly service needed to fix your brakes without the extra headaches.

If your brakes are on the fritz, stop in today or schedule an appointment. Our helpful technicians are here to answer any questions you have and provide honest, courteous service.

Brake Repair Service

You probably know that brakes are what stop your car when it’s moving. What you may not know is how they work and why it’s important to have a certified technician working on your brakes.

There are many pieces between the brake pedal and the parts that actually stop your car. We we’ll start with the brake pedal.

• The driver presses the brake pedal, which pushes against the brake master cylinder.
• This action is assisted by the brake booster, which uses a vacuum to make it easier to push the pedal and stop your 4,000 pound car.
• The brake master cylinder pushes brake fluid through the brake lines and compresses the brake caliper.
• As the brake caliper compresses, the brake pads rub against the brake rotor and slow your car.

Some economy cars and older vehicles use brake drums and shoes instead of brake pads and rotors. In this case the fluid causes the wheel cylinder to expand, and the shoes then contact the drum and slow the car.

Brake Repair is Essential

If any part of the brake system fails or has too much wear, the brakes won’t function and the vehicle won’t stop. This is the main reason why it’s so important to have a certified technician repair your brakes. One misplaced part and the brakes will not function.

Because of the number of parts in the brake system, there are a number of things that can fail. You’ve probably had brake pads and rotors replaced throughout your vehicle’s life. These are wear items; the friction used to stop your car wears on these parts and replacements must be installed.

If brake pads get too thin they can fall out and cause a soft brake pedal. Extreme wear can also cause damage to the brake caliper. On most modern cars the brake rotors need to be replaced with the brake pads. The brake rotors also get thinner with use, and must be replaced when they reach a certain thickness as designated by the vehicle manufacturer.

The brake master cylinder can also fail, which often causes the brake pedal to feel soft. If not replaced when this warning signs happens the brake master cylinder may fail completely when attempting to stop.

If the brake booster fails or there’s a vacuum leak, the brake pedal will feel very hard and it will be difficult to stop the car. In a situation like this you would literally need to stand on the brake pedal to stop in an emergency.

The brake lines and hoses that carry brake fluid from the master cylinder to the brake calipers can fail. The brake hoses are rubber and will wear out over time, eventually requiring replacement. The brake lines generally don’t need servicing but on older vehicles can rust and cause a brake fluid leak. A brake fluid leak is dangerous regardless of where it’s from. If there’s no brake fluid the brakes won’t work!

How We Perform Brake Service

There are a number of different complaints around brakes. How we fix these problems depends on the problem. We’ll first perform a brake inspection, which includes removing the wheels to inspect the condition of the brake pads, rotors, and calipers. The brake fluid is tested and the lines and hoses are inspected for damage and rust.

A typical brake service might look something like this:

• When completing a brake job the wheels are removed, along with the brake pads and calipers calipers.
• The rotors are removed and the contact surface is cleaned before installing new rotors.
• The caliper pins are removed, cleaned, and lubricated. The brake pad slides are also removed, cleaned, and lubricated.
• The brake pads are also lubricated before everything goes back in place.
• The caliper is torqued to manufacturer specifications.
• The wheel is reinstalled and torqued.
• The vehicle is then taken for a test drive to mate the brake pads to the brake rotors.

When replacing rear brake pads and rotors the parking brake needs to be disabled or adjusted to complete the repair. We also recheck the brake fluid level after completing a brake job.

How to Know When Your Brakes Need to Be Replaced

There are a few signs your brakes need to be serviced. If there’s noise coming from the brakes they should be inspected. Some noise is normal, especially the first time the brakes are applied each day. If the brake pedal feels different than normal in any way there’s a problem with the brake system and it should be inspected. This includes the pedal being hard, soft, squishy, and sometimes all of the above!

The other tell tale sign that brakes need servicing is if the brake light shows up on the dash. When this happens, it’s best to bring your vehicle in for an inspection.

Why Choose Alexander’s for Brake Repair Service?

All of our technicians have been trained the proper way to install and service brakes. We also have the equipment needed to properly compress brake calipers,and bleed the brake fluid on nearly all import vehicles. We also have access to a wide variety of brake parts. 

Why do these things matter to you? We have brake repair down to a science, meaning you’ll get exceptional service and performance. We’ll get the job done right the first time and have you back in the driver’s seat before you know it. Most important, we offer honesty, integrity, and professionalism. We hope you’ll stop in today and give us the opportunity to service your vehicle.