Brake Repair Services by Tri Valley Automotive – Dublin, CA

Your brakes are an important part of your vehicle, right? You want to make sure you’re going to be able to stop quickly when it’s critical. We want the same thing and when we service your brakes, we have that in mind. We aren’t out to sell you as many parts as we can…but only to replace those parts that are worn or damaged to give you the best brake job possible, which will provide you with the most miles of trouble free service.

The brake pads are the first thing we’ll talk about, as it’s the most familiar to the general public. There are many different brands and several formulations of friction material out on the market these days. For regular cars and SUV’s, like the Accord or Camry, or the Pathfinder or the Tacoma, the most common formulation used from the factory is Ceramic. This is the style we prefer to use as it gives the best compromise between longest life, quietest operation and best modulation over the widest temperature range. In other words, they just work. and damn good, I might add. Also, they are relatively dust free. Some larger trucks, like the Ford F350 or Chevy 3500, require a Metallic or Carbon Kevlar formula, but their needs are different from the grocery getter.

Next up are the rotors, or brake discs. These are the parts that the pads are pushed up against to create the friction necessary to slow the car down. The surface of the rotors need to be smooth and flat, if not, they can cause noise (squeaking, grinding, etc. ) or pulsation at the steering wheel. If they are damaged in any way, or warped, they should be replaced instead of re-surfaced. The end result is that you end up with a higher quality brake job that will last as long as it should.

These are the major wear parts in the brake system. Of course, there are other parts, but they don’t wear out nearly as quickly as the pads and rotors are designed to do.

When a customer brings their car in with a brake complaint, the first thing we do is inspect it, this is a no charge inspection. We pull the wheels off to get a good look at the major wear items and address the customers complaint, whether it be a noise, vibration,  soft pedal or it’s just time to take a look. We give them an estimate based on what will repair the issue, and will also advise on what might be coming in the future. We aren’t out to sell you as many parts as we can, like some major franchises. Our aim is to take care of you and your car, do the necessary repairs and nothing more, at a fair price. This is our value proposition to you.