Five Brake Maintenance Mistakes You Need To Avoid If You Have An Antique Vehicle

Proper brake maintenance is especially important in older classic or antique cars. If you don't keep brakes properly maintained, your vehicle could eventually become unfit to drive and you will lose all the money and effort you've put into it.

The following are five brake maintenance mistakes to avoid on your older or antique vehicle to keep it in mint condition as long as possible:

Neglecting to check the condition of the rotors and pads occasionally

Any damage to rotors and pads can cause a lot of issues to the braking system and alignment of a vehicle.

Rotors and pads should be regularly inspected on an older vehicle to make sure they are not worn down. Fortunately, it's easy to detect worn brake pads because they will start causing a scraping or grinding sound when the brakes are applied. 

Neglecting to regularly check brake fluid levels

Brakes will not work as effectively if the brake system is not supplied with an adequate amount of brake fluid. Also, older brakes tend to be a little more sensitive and will wear down quickly if they are being used without enough brake fluid. 

Never completely changing out brake fluid

It's not only important to refill brake fluid if the brake fluid level is not high enough. It's also important to completely change out brake fluid periodically.

Brake fluid will gradually become contaminated with debris, and dirty brake fluid is especially hard on old brake systems. Make sure you're not only keeping track of your brake fluid level but also doing a complete replacement periodically. 

Changing brake fluid incorrectly

It's important to remember that when brake fluid is changed out, it should always be put right into the master cylinder.

Another thing to remember is that a lint-free cloth should be used to wipe the cylinder reservoir clean before new brake fluid is put in to avoid contaminating the original brake fluid. 

Going a long time without bleeding the brakes to make sure they don't have air built up in them

Older vehicles need to have the brakes bled occasionally to prevent air from building up in them. Air built up in the brake lines makes it so that brakes compress air rather than fluid and the brakes develop a spongy feel.

Eventually, this spongy feel will worsen to the point that brakes will not be capable of responding as effectively. Air built up in the brake lines can cause premature wear and tear on the brake system. 

Contact a company like Brake & Equipment Warehouse for more information and assistance. 

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