Owning a bus means performing a ton of maintenance whether you have a full-sized transit bus or a small shuttle bus. One of the most common types of maintenance that might be performed is brake replacement, which isn’t always the easiest thing in the world.

Getting them replaced is simple if you have the right manufacturer, but when you first find a bus for sale and drive it around for a while, you might not be able to tell if they need to be repaired or even replaced. Don’t worry, there are a few telltale signs that will help you to figure it out and get them replaced before they become a safety hazard.

Are your Brakes ‘Juddering’?

If you’ve ever driven an older vehicle, then you know that in some cases, a bit of shaking is normal. If, however, you’re experiencing it in one of our buses, then it might be time for you to consider swapping out the brakes. Let’s start by talking about the rotor. If you were to remove your wheel you would see a shiny metal circle, though to be honest you can see it through the spokes of your tire if you have allow wheels. Basically, they’re what your brake pads rub against when you hit the pedal, and over time, they can become worn out – friction tends to do that. Basically, you’re scrubbing off the material that the brake pads reply on to stop smoothly, and then, you’ll find that they start to ‘judder’, so to speak. Sometimes, depending upon the level of damage, you can have the rotors resurfaced, but if they can’t, you’ll have to invest in new ones. Fortunately, as a full-service bus provider, we offer comprehensive repair, especially on brakes. Ask us about our wide range of vehicles, especially if you want to buy a Diamond bus or find a Turtletop bus for sale.

Are your Pedals Getting Soft?

If you’ve ever bought a new car then you’re pretty familiar with the way the brake pedals feel. They’re sturdy, they have a good bite to them, you feel confident in the way they work. Over time, however, even in a bus, they’ll start to get soft. The less compound you have on the brake pads, the harder you have to push to get good traction. The caliper needs to squeeze the pads against the disc to stop the vehicle, and if it feels like it’s getting soft, it means one of two things:

1. You need to Get New Brake Pads
2. You need to Purge Air Bubbles from the Brake Lines

Either one of these could easily be the culprit, but to be absolutely sure, you need to speak with an expert, like us.

Are you Hearing ‘That Sound’?

You know the sound we’re talking about, in fact, you probably just grimaced a little bit thinking about it. That shrill screech you hear when you press the brake pedal, but what causes it? Basically, it happens when the brake pad compound has work away and hitting the pedal causes metal to rub against metal. This is one you definitely don’t want to delay on fixing; it can cause unnecessary wear and tear on both the rotor and the brake, ultimately leading to even more extensive repairs. The last thing you ever want to do is incur greater expense when it was really a fairly cheap repair in the first place, right?

These are the top three signs that you need your brakes replaced, and it is even more important to make sure that you are doing so on a bus. The biggest mistake that people make is waiting, and procrastination is not a luxury that you can afford when you are transporting guests in a vehicle. If you have noticed any of these symptoms or suspect that one is about to onset, give us a call and we’ll get your bus in for service. It’s s small problem that can potentially become an even bigger problem, so don’t let it come to that!