You might not give your car’s brakes much thought until they cause a problem, but there’s a whole world of things happening every time you press the brake pedal. Though most cars today come equipped ...

Brake job proficiency is a sort of status symbol among do-it-yourself truckers, indicating a grade of mechanical expertise that commands awe among greenhorns and respect from seasoned professionals.

The hardest part of disassembling the brakes is usually removing the drum. Some drums and most backing plates have inspection slots near the bottom (sometimes covered with a rubber plug or a steel ...