Brakes are by far the most important mechanism on any vehicle because the safety and lives of those riding in the vehicle depend on proper operation of the braking system. It has been estimated that the brakes on the average vehicle are applied 50.000 times a year!

“Brakes stop wheels –not vehicles”. This basic fact means that the best brakes in the world only stop rotation of the tire /wheel assembly. It is the friction between the tire and the pavement that accomplishes the stooping or slowing of the vehicle. A vehicle being driven on an icy street will take an extremely long time to stop. Even with a vehicle equipped with an antilock braking system (ABS), there still has to be friction (traction) between the tire and the road for the vehicle to stop.