Brakes are something that many vehicle operators tend to take for granted. Inherently, there’s nothing wrong with that. When you press the brake pedal, there’s a reasonable expectation for the vehicle to come to a stop. The real issue here is that not enough people understand how this process works, which is what leads to them taking the system for granted.
We’re here today to help people better appreciate what their brakes do for them every time they use them by going over the main components of a brake system. By reading through this guide, you’ll have a better understanding of how your brakes work, which will likely come in handy someday.
While brakes might look fairly simple on the surface, they’re actually quite complex, and that’s mostly due to the number of parts they use. In this section, we’ll cover the main components of disc brakes since these are used in a majority of vehicles on the road today. By going over each part separately, you’ll be able to better understand the finer details of what makes your brakes work reliably each time.
Calipers are the main component of brake systems. This is the piece that performs the clamping motion that brings your wheels to a stop. They do this by using hydraulic pressure to tighten the harder you press down on the brake pedal. Each vehicle will typically have four calipers, one for each wheel. While this isn’t always the case, it’s pretty rare to have fewer than four. When pressing the brake pedal, all four work simultaneously to bring your car to a halt.
Each car also has four disc plates. These are the circular hunks of metal that calipers grip onto in order to slow your vehicle down. They are connected to your car’s axle and spin at the same rate as your wheels. That means stopping the disc will also stop your wheels. Disc plates can be made of cast iron, carbon-ceramic, or composite materials. The latter two options are lighter than cast iron, making them ideal for performance, but the affordability of cast iron is what keeps this common among average drivers.
Brake pads are easily the most important component of your brake system that we’ll talk about in this guide. That’s because they’re the part of your calipers that grind up against the disc plates to slow your vehicle down. Without them, stopping in a reasonable amount of time would be nearly impossible. Brake pads can be made with a variety of materials. Most boil down to three simple categories: organic, semi-metallic, and ceramic. Organic brakes tend to be quieter than semi-metallic, while semi-metallic ones offer better stopping-power than organic. Ceramic offers the best of both worlds, only at a slightly higher price.
Before, we mentioned that calipers use hydraulic pressure to tighten themselves. In order to achieve this, your vehicle needs access to brake fluid, which is stored in a separate reservoir. The brake fluid is sent where it needs to go through dedicated brake lines that run through your car. The entire system is pressurized in order to offer the hydraulics needed to perform the braking function, so cracks and gaps in the system can be detrimental to your vehicle. Fortunately, the reservoir and lines are quite resilient.
An important thing to note is that even though the calipers are the component that utilizes hydraulic pressure to perform a successful stop, they aren’t the part that actually creates this pressure. That falls on the master cylinder. This part is what activates when you press down on your brake pedal. When doing so, the cylinder pushes a piston through the main compartment that’s full of brake fluid in order to initiate the hydraulic pressure. If this part fails, you won’t have working brakes. Fortunately, master cylinders are made to last the entire life of a vehicle, meaning it’s a component you’ll rarely have to worry about as a car owner.
Last but not least, we have the brake booster. This component is equivalent to power steering for the driver wheel—it makes it easier for you to apply your brakes without the need for excess force. The brake booster achieves this by multiplying the pressure applied by the pedal to force enough compression on the master cylinder to stop your car. It does this by using a vacuum created by your car’s engine. The specifics here get a lot more complex, but these are the basics of the system that lead to you not having to slam on the brakes every time you stop.
While the argument could be made that some of these components are more important than others, one thing is for certain: missing any of these parts will lead to your car being unable to stop. Since we’re sure you understand why a car that can’t stop is a bad thing, we can’t understate how important each and every one of these parts is. Without them, your car would essentially be inoperable.
If you ever notice that your brakes aren’t bringing your vehicle to a stop as quickly as they used to, there could be an issue with any of these components we’ve gone over today. More often than not, it’ll likely be due to worn-out brake pads and disc plates. Still, it’s never a bad idea to get a professional’s opinion. If your calipers or master cylinder are failing, you’ll want to know as soon as possible so you can take proper action to remedy the situation.
If the lack of brake power is due to something as simple as worn-out brake pads, WheelerShip is here to help. While we may be known for our vast selection of wheels and tires, we also have a decent selection of high-performance brake pads for sale , and rotors, too! If you remember, we mentioned that ceramic pads are the best type available, and that’s exactly what we sell. While we mentioned that they tend to be more expensive than organic or semi-metallic, we’re proud to offer ours at a remarkably low price. That means you can rest easy knowing you have the best brake pads available while not breaking the bank to get them.
Get notified when the product will be available.
REVISED SEPTEMBER 2, 2026
This privacy policy has been compiled to better serve those who are concerned with how their 'Personally identifiable information' (PII) is being used online. PII, as used in US privacy law and information security, is information that can be used on its own or with other information to identify, contact, or locate a single person, or to identify an individual in context. Please read our privacy policy carefully to get a clear understanding of how we collect, use, protect or otherwise handle your PII when you use our website.
When ordering or registering on our site, as appropriate, you may be asked to enter your name, email address, mailing address, phone number, credit card information or other details to help you with your experience.
We collect information from you when you register on our site, place an order, sign up for our newsletter, respond to a survey or marketing communication, surf the website, or use certain site features. We also collect your mobile phone number when you text us or ask a representative to contact you by text message.
Our website is scanned on a regular basis for potential security risks and vulnerabilities in order to make your visit to our site as safe as possible. To maintain the safety of your personal information, we implement a variety of security measures when a user places an order, or enters, submits, or accesses their information.
Your personal information is contained behind secured networks and is only accessible by a limited number of persons who have special access rights to such systems, and are required to keep the information confidential. In addition, all sensitive/credit card information you supply is encrypted via Secure Socket Layer (SSL) technology.
All financial transactions are processed through a gateway provider and no payment information is stored on our servers.
Yes. Cookies are small files that a site or its service provider transfers to your computer's hard drive through your Web browser (if you allow). This enables the site's or service provider's systems to recognize your browser and capture and remember certain information. For instance, we use cookies to help us remember and process the items in your shopping cart. They are also used to help us understand your preferences based on previous or current site activity, which enables us to provide you with improved services. We also use cookies to help us compile aggregate data about site traffic and site interaction so that we can offer better site experiences and tools in the future.
You can choose to have your computer warn you each time a cookie is being sent, or you can choose to turn off all cookies. You do this through the settings on your browser (like Internet Explorer). Each browser is a little different, so look at your browser's Help menu to learn the correct way to modify your cookies.
If you disable cookies, some features may be disabled. It may affect theuser’s experience and some of our services will not function properly. However, you can still place orders.
We never sell, trade, or otherwise transfer to outside parties your personally identifiable information. We have implemented Google Analytics, which uses first-party cookies to compile data regarding user interactions with ad impressions, and other ad service functions as they relate to our website. We use a telecommunications provider to deliver text messages on our behalf; it processes your mobile number solely to send and receive those messages and may not use it for any other purpose.
According to CalOPPA we agree to the following:
Users will be notified of any privacy policy changes:
*On our Privacy Policy Page
Users are able to change their personal information:
*By logging in to their account
We honor do-not-track signals and do not track, plant cookies, or use advertising when a Do Not Track (DNT) browser mechanism is in place.
When it comes to the collection of personal information from children under 13, the Children's Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA) puts parents in control. The Federal Trade Commission, the nation's consumer protection agency, enforces the COPPA Rule, which spells out what operators of websites and online services must do to protect children's privacy and safety online. We do not specifically market to children under 13.
The Fair Information Practices Principles form the backbone of privacy law in the United States and the concepts they include have played a significant role in the development of data protection laws around the globe. Understanding the Fair Information Practice Principles and how they should be implemented is critical to comply with the various privacy laws that protect personal information. In order to be in line with Fair Information Practices we will take the following responsive action, should a data breach occur:
We will notify the users via email
We also agree to the individual redress principle, which requires that individuals have a right to pursue legally enforceable rights against data collectors and processors who fail to adhere to the law. This principle requires not only that individuals have enforceable rights against data users, but also that individuals have recourse to courts or a government agency to investigate and/or prosecute non-compliance by data processors.
The CAN-SPAM Act is a law that sets the rules for commercial email, establishes requirements for commercial messages, gives recipients the right to have emails stopped from being sent to them, and spells out tough penalties for violations.
We collect your email address in order to:
If at any time you would like to unsubscribe from receiving future emails, you can click the Unsubscribe link at the bottom of the email communication or you email us at [email protected] and we will promptly remove you.
We offer two-way text messaging so our customer service team can help you with order status, product availability, shipping and tracking, pickup or appointment times, and callbacks when you were unable to reach us by phone.
How you opt in. You consent to receive text messages from us when you (a) send a text to our business number, (877) 788-8283, or (b) give your mobile number to one of our representatives by phone or in person and ask to be contacted by text. We do not purchase mobile numbers or obtain them from third parties.
What to expect. Messages are conversational and sent by our customer service team in response to your request; message frequency varies. Message and data rates may apply. Consent to receive text messages is not a condition of any purchase.
How to opt out or get help. Reply STOP at any time to stop receiving text messages; you will receive one final message confirming you have been unsubscribed. Reply HELP for assistance, call us at (201) 226-0577 (Monday–Friday, 8 am–6 pm Eastern), or email [email protected] . You may opt back in at any time by replying START .
Your mobile information. No mobile information will be shared with third parties or affiliates for marketing or promotional purposes. Information sharing to subcontractors in support services, such as customer service, is permitted. All other use-case categories exclude text messaging originator opt-in data and consent; this information will not be shared with any third parties.
If there are any questions regarding this privacy policy you may contact us using the information below.
The WheelerShip LLC PO Box 1634 Smithtown, NY 11787