Types of Brakes and Braking Systems

Car brakes come with different types of braking systems. Braking system is the mechanism that is used to stop or slow down a vehicle. It is the entire system that starts from the brake pedal or lever to the brake shoe.

Types of Brakes

The types of brakes car depend the vehicle you are driving. The following are the types of brakes that are available in modern cars;

Mechanical Brakes

• Drum Brakes
• Disc Brakes

Hydraulic brakes

• Single-circuit hydraulic brakes
• Dual-circuit hydraulic brakes

Power brakes

• Air Brakes
• Power Brake Booster

Electric Brakes

• Brake-by-wire
• Antilock Braking Systems (ABS)
• Advanced emergency braking system (AEBS)

Parking Brakes

Emergency brakes

The following are notable types of braking systems that are available.

Hydraulic Braking System

The hydraulic braking system operates using cylinders, brake fluid, and friction. It creates pressure within. The glycol ethers or diethylene glycol forces the brake pads to bring the wheel to a halt.

Forces generated in the hydraulic braking system is greater compared to the mechanical one. It is considered to me one of the most effective braking systems in the modern vehicles. Moreover, the chances of brake failure with this system are lower compared to others.

Electromagnetic Braking System

The electromagnetic braking system is mostly found in modern and hybrid vehicles. To achieve its effectiveness, it uses the principle of electromagnetism.

A magnetic flux is passed in the direction perpendicularly to the rotating direction of the wheel. This creates an opposing force to the wheel rotation and it brings the wheel to a halt.

It is equipped with quick magnetic brakes that eliminates the traditional brakes that are likely to slip. Additionally, it’s also small in size compared to traditional ones.

Servo Braking System

The servo braking system is also known as vacuum or vacuum-assisted braking. The pressure is applied on the pedal by the driver.

It uses the vacuum that comes from the petrol engine by the air intake system in the engine’s intake pipe. It can also come through the vacuum pump in diesel engines. Power assistance is used to reduce the human effort.

Mechanical Braking System

It powers the handbrake or emergency brake. The brake force applied on the brake pedal is carried to the final brake drum or disc rotor by the different mechanical linkages. They include fulcrums, cylindrical rods, springs, and many more. All this work to stop the vehicle.

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