Road Trip Season Means Time to Check Brakes

Many Shops Offer Free Inspections

DULUTH, Minn. – The brakes might just be the most important part of a car.

After all, without brakes cars don’t stop, something which happens in all too often in Duluth.

Under normal driving conditions, a set of brakes can last about a few years.  But in city like Duluth, with so many hills, brakes get worn much faster.

“They don’t call Duluth mini–San Francisco for nothing,” said Shane Martindale, owner of Brakes Plus.  “Duluth definitely eats up brakes more than most cities that are flat.”

According to Martindale, drivers who ride their brakes down Duluth hills definitely need new brakes more often.

“The heat definitely breaks down the brake pad a lot more than if you were just doing some flat driving,” said Martindale.

If you need new brakes, Martindale offers a suggestion.

“You can upgrade to a better brake pad which is going to hold up to heat better,” he said.

If your brakes are good, there are things Martindale says to watch and listen for.

“You might see some smoking in your brakes, in your wheels,” said Martindale.  “Of course squeaking, squealing, grinding.”

Most brake shops, Martindale’s included, offer free inspections to keep drivers safe.