Section A. Automotive Services

Unit 9. Automobile Service

Braking System

Every car must have brakes to be slowed or stopped once it has been set in motion. Modern cars travel very fast, so good brakes are essential for safety.

Two kinds of brakes are in general use today: drum brakes and disk brakes. Disc brakes have more powerful stopping effect that’s why they are fitted to the bigger and faster cars. Most of cars combine the two and have disc brakes for the front wheels and drum brakes for the rear.

When the brake pedal is pushed a piston pushes the pad towards the brake disc which slows the wheel down. On the brake drum it is similar as the cylinder pushes the brake shoes towards the drum which also slows the wheel down.

Most discs today are fluid operated (hydraulic). When the driver presses the brake pedal it causes a piston to move inside a master cylinder. This forces the fluid along narrow pipes to each wheel where a small piston is pushed outward to operate the pads.

 

Notes:

braking system, n.–тормозная система

drum brake, n.–барабанный тормоз

disk brake, n. – дисковый тормоз

brake drum, n.–тормозной барабан

pad, n.–тормозная колодка

shoe, n. – тормозная колодка

fluid, n.–жидкость

master cylinder, n.главный тормозной цилиндр

booster, n. усилитель


I. Scan the text “Automobile Service Station” to find answers to these questions.

1. Why are automobile service stations in great demand nowadays?

2. What services do service stations offer?