As you know the disc brake pads are pressed against the disc or rotor which causes friction and heat and slows the car down. While the pad may not physically touch the rotor as a layer of gas may be between them, the pads will tend to wear out.

Pads come in different compositions designed for different purposes. A pad that stops a street car may not be effective on a race car. And a race car pad will be so hard that premature wear will occur if it’s used on a street car.

How do you know when your pads should be replaced? Most pads come equipped with some method of alerting the driver when it’s time to replace them. Some have a thin piece of soft metal that causes the brakes to squeal when the pads need replacing. Sometimes the indicator is a soft metal tab embedded in the pad material that lights a warning light when the brake pad gets too thin.

Rotors must also periodically be replaced, but usually less often than the pads. While pads wear out faster, the disc surface is also being worn. The harder the pad, the faster the disc will wear out. Discs start out at some particular thickness. Discs can also be damaged by warping, scarring and cracking. Most of the time you can correct these problems with a brake lathe. This lathe takes off a thin amount of disc material from both sides of the disc.

Every manufacture has determined the minimum thickness for their discs. When this has been reached the disc is no longer safe to use, and it must be replaced. Too thin of a disc will warp and can cause other damage under hard braking.

If you start hearing a squealing or other strange sounds from your wheels, it may be worn brake pads. Get them checked. If you start noticing that the car is pulling to the left or right side of the road when you apply your brakes, it may be warn or warped rotors. So get them checked also and keep safe.

Detailing chemicals must be made out of different ingredients which are formulated in every job in particular. Chelators, solvents, saponifiers, surfactants, and wetting agents are the most common kinds of chemicals that are used to detail your car.

Surfactants are fancy. They are molecules that are created by combining different compounds. Molecules tend to be attracted to the soil and the other, to water. Hydrophile is the chemical that is attracted to water. A hydrophile’s job is to encompass the soil. On the other hand, the compound that is attracted to dirt is known as hydrophobe which is responsible for breaking down soil into small pieces wherein the hydrophile can float away.

In order to dissolve soil, one needs a solvent. Yes, you need water! That is the universal solvent ever known to man. There are solvents that can work perfectly on phasing out grease and tar and all those irritable dirt that sticks deep into your car. These solvents also contain properties that have lighter effect than water and therefore have a more defining effect. Solvents commonly used in caring for your car includes butyl and d-limonene which is made from lemon and orange peels. D-limonene is considered as one of the most expensive solvents although it can be one of the safest to use throughout the entire car.

Manufacturers of the hydrophobe and hydrophile molecules tend to modify the different characteristics of the surfactant. Wetting and penetrating will allow water to surround dirt or soil so that it can be removed easily. Chemists have indulged in improving your car’s performance by modifying the detergent used.

Ever heard of animal fats used in soap manufacturing? Well, believe it because you may not know it but you have already used such soap together with lye in bathing. This process chemically removes the oils and fats in your car’s body. It’s like fighting fire with fire. In order to convert oil and fats into soap, chemists use saponifier which is known to be a kind of strong alkaline produced substance. If produced as soap, it can be washed away by water.

Now that you have the slightest idea on the different chemicals that are used it is just proper that you use the information that you have learned in order to choose the right chemicals for detailing your car. In summary:

1. Whenever you are in doubt about a certain chemical, always test it before applying. Use a hidden part of your car in order to verify the compatibility of the chemical to the nature of your car.
2. BNAcids remove soils which are non-organic.
3. Alkaline remove soils which are organic.
4. Petroleum cleaners should be used to remove petroleum soil
5. Do not use a cleaner that is not compatible, whether strong or mild, for your car’s surface.