Think Brakes Think Service

Brake Safety

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Come in for your Free Brake Safety Inspection

The Brake system is exposed to the worse weather conditions imaginable. In the winter months; snow, ice, salt, sand, this means a lot of corrotion and rust, the metal gets eating away gradually. Rusted infected brake pads tracks don’t allow the pads to move freely anymore this leads to premature wear.

Corroded caliper sliders don’t allow the caliper to float properly causing to hang up to one side, this will accelerate the wear on both the brake discs and pads, this means your wasting 50% or more of your brake pads and discs. If you don’t change the brake fluid at proper time intervals, will lead to air pockets bult up and the result is poor brake pedal.

AUTO SERRA provides the best quality brake job, following the manufacture guiding lines and use only OEM parts delivered daily by the local dealers.

The labor is carried out by trained mechanics with over 20 years of experience.

Joe Serra has been servicing brake system since he was 9 years old. Starting with is own Vespa back in Italy to a Fomula One Ferrari. THINK BRAKES the ultimate SAFETY for your car.
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BRAKE JOB $49.95 (Front or Rear pads or Shoes)

I’m sure you’ve seen ads like this leading you to think you’re getting a real brake job done, all it is a PAD SLAP BRAKE JOB (replacing the brake pads and nothing else) using cheap pads not meeting manufacture standards imported via the GRAY market and installed not properly trained mechanics earning minimum wages. The final catch (includes labor and life time warranty on pads only) that means you must pay the labor again, that is a lot of profit earning $50. bucks for installing cheap pads. A PAD SLAP BRAKE JOB even using OEM original PADS only invite trouble down the road. If the brake pads or brake shoes are worn and need to be replaced, chances are other components in the brake system may require attention too. The most obvious ones would be the brake discs (Rotor) or drums and brake calipers or wheel cylinders. Both the front and rear brakes should be inspected. The front and rear brake hydraulic flex hoses also wear out very quickly. Performing a brake job is not as hard as you might think. But when you’re installing premium brake pads you should also do everything else that’s necessary to insure your brakes are safe and dependable. A quality brake job should cover every aspect of the system from the brake master cylinder to the calipers and wheel cylinders. Brake discs require a clean, smooth, flat surface, otherwise brake performance will suffer. A rough surface will accelerate pad wear and increase the risk of noise. Uneven surface or variations in brake discs (rotor) Thickness can cause vibrations, noise and annoying brake pedal pulsations. Brake drums that have grooves or or any kind of damage should be replaced immediately. Wheel bearing should be inspected at this time (repacking on older vehicles). Lubricating all critical areas such as calipers slides and shoe pads with moly-based high temperature brake grease. Brake fluid must be changed to get rid of moisture contamination. Hydraulic flex hoses, calipers and wheel cylinders should be checked for leaks, sever corrotion or damage and rebuilt or replaced if a problem is found. If a master cylinder is leaking externally or internally (pedal slowly sinks to the floor) it must be replaced. Inspect pad wear sensor and pads for cracks or damage. If the warning light is on inside the car prior to inspection it should be replaced. The brake pedal should be firm for the brake system to operate properly, quietly and provide safe stopping power once the job is complete.
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BRAKES ON

THE $99.99 BRAKE JOB MYTH

As the most important safety system on a vehicle, car owners need to better educate themselves on what constitutes complete brake service. Considering the cost of an Automobile today it’s important to educate yourself  about the specialized equipment and technical skills required to perform a complete brake job. Why are people naive enough to believe they can get a  complete brake job that is advertised for only $99.00- or even less?

It’s important to look a little closer. A very common occurrence, it has probably happened to  you in the past, has you’ve applied force to the brake pedal you heard a strange grinding noise. When this happens most people take the car in to the repair shop. The mechanic pull the wheels and does a thorough inspection. He discovers that  the noise is actually due to the complete lack of friction material on the left front, inboard brake pad. The backing plate is grinding in to the discs (Rotor) with every brake application. At the very least, you will have to replace the pads and discs. Beacause the outboard pad is not worn as badly, the mechanic suspects a problem with the caliper. He removes it and discovers corroded hardware. As he continues his diagnisis, he discovers that the brake fluid is dark and murky.

The first thing you ask naturally, how much is all this going to cost? The service writer works up an estimate. With AKB Ceramic pads, Brembo brake discs, hardware kit, two rebuilt calipers, brake flush with Pentosin DOT4 brake fluid and bleed system the bottom line $495.00. A reasonable price considering the parts quoted. But you saw the ad of that specialty shop just few miles away a complete friction reline for $99.99. The only two words that click into memory are “complete” and “99.” “put the wheels back on”, you tell the mechanic.

Your price is much too high. What do you do? One of two things will happen. Either you will educate yourself that the price is fair, or you’ll bring the car to the low-ball shop and you’ll pay about the same, or more, before driving out.

Is there any such thing as a $99. brake Job? The answer is yes. Is it a complete brake job service? No. Just as a hot dog is not a complete meal. Some years ago NBC Dateline did a story to see if you could really get a brake job for the advertised price of $99.99. Dateline analysis was that the brake jobs were done properly, albeit  the repair orders showed, brake fluid flush that was not performed, hardware was not  replaced. In addition, the vehicles were never test-driven. The moral of the Dateline story was an age-old and common cliche’: You get what you pay for.
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Brake Calipers

Any caliper that is leaking, has worn or damaged seals, or is causing brake pads to wear unevenly, needs to be rebuilt or replaced, but so do many calipers that appear to be trouble-free.
After three or four years of service, most caliper bores and steel pistons have visible corrosion and pitting. As the surface of the piston becomes rough, it starts to wear the piston seal. Every time the brakes are applied, the roughness on the piston scrapes back and forth across the seal. Eventually, the seal will fail and the caliper will leak.
Although a caliper may not be leaking when the brakes are relined, there is no guarantee how much longer the seals will remain leak free. Seals and pads usually wear at the same time, so it does not make much sense to fix one and not the other.
It is extra expense and effort, but why should your customer have to repeat a brake job in six months or a year when the caliper he should have rebuilt or replaced starts to leak and ruins the new pads you sold him?
In a sliding caliper, only one side of the caliper has an apply piston. The caliper moves in relation to the rotor and is held in a frame rigidly attached to the steering knuckle.
As linings wear, the piston gradually moves further out in the caliper bore as the pads wear. When the piston is shoved back in to accommodate new thicker pads, any dirt or corrosion on the piston will be forced under the seal and accelerate seal wear.
Another reason for rebuilding calipers is because rubber piston seals deteriorate with age. A piston seal performs a two-fold function; it seals the piston so hydraulic pressure can apply the brakes, and it helps retract the piston when the brakes are released.
As the piston is pushed out by the brake fluid, a square-cut seal twists slightly. This helps pull the piston back when the pressure is released, allowing pads to move away from the rotor more easily for reduced brake drag and improved pad wear and fuel economy.
Heat ages the seal. Over time, it loses elasticity and becomes brittle. This reduces its ability to deform and pull the piston back.
A neglected caliper can become a dragging caliper, causing increased pad wear, fuel consumption, and possibly a steering pull.
Rebuilding a caliper usually costs less than replacing it with a remanufactured or new unit, but it does involve extra time and effort.
Many professionals prefer the convenience of replacing old calipers with rebuilt units rather than rebuilding the calipers themselves. If a caliper can't be rebuilt because of damage or severe wear, replacement is the only option.
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Difference between four wheel ABS and rear wheel ABS

Four wheel ABS is used on passenger cars and some light trucks and vans. Rear wheel ABS is used only on trucks. Rear wheel antilock systems are typically used on applications where rear wheel traction is affected by vehicle loading. Rear wheel ABS systems are simpler and less costly than their four wheel counterparts.

On a four wheel application, the ABS system keeps track of wheel deceleration rates with wheel speed sensors. Some have one speed sensor at each wheel while others use a common sensor in the differential or transmission for both rear wheels.

With rear wheel ABS, only a single wheel speed sensor in the differential or transmission is used for both rear wheels.

Four wheel ABS systems include those made by Bendix, Bosch, Delco Moraine, and Teves. Most rear wheel ABS systems are made by Kelsey-Hayes, though Kelsey-Hayes also makes some four wheel systems.

Kelsey-Hayes rear wheel ABS systems have been in use since 1987 on Ford F series trucks, as well as later model Ranger, Bronco, Bronco II and Explorer trucks and Aerostar vans. Ford calls their version the Rear-wheel Antilock Brake System or RABS system.

On General Motors applications, it is called the Rear Wheel AntiLock or RWAL system. It is on '88 and later Chevrolet "C" and "K" series pickups, '89 "M" series (Astro) minivans and "S" and "T" series pickups, some "S" series Blazers, and '90 to '92 "R" and "V" series light trucks and "G" series vans. Dodge has used the RWAL system since 1989 on its "D" and "W" 150/350, Dakota and Ram Charger pickups.


Kelsey-Hayes RABS and RWAL systems are nonintegral rear wheel only antilock brake systems. The conventional master brake cylinder and power booster supply brake pressure to a dual solenoid control valve for the rear brakes.

The ABS control module receives a speed signal from a single vehicle speed sensor. On Ford and Dodge applications, the sensor is in the differential. On GM, it is located in the transmission tailsh