Utmost comfort as well as safety on the road are just two of the most lauded features of the new and improved Audi A4. The German automaker has made sure that the latest version of the Audi A4 will take center stage not only in the 2007 Frankfurt Auto Show, but as well as on the real road.

The new Audi A4’s brake system is considered to be one of the best offerings of this Germany-made car. Audi A4’s electro-mechanical parking brake, which has been patterned after the Audi A8, can aid the driver in backing away from a standstill and moreover work as an emergency brake for the vehicle.

What makes the Aud A4’s brake system this tough? The answer is found behind the wheels of this big car. The brake discs equipped in each wheel has a 314 mm diameter and 300 mm diameter for front and rear wheels, respectively. In addition to that, the brake pads utilized by the Audi A4 have been designed and manufactured with more friction material. The rubbed area now covers about 20 percent of the total brake pad size. On the other hand, the Audi A4 models with bigger V6 engines are geared with even larger and powerful brake discs. To carry the heavy load of a V6-engined A4, 320mm discs and composite spheroidal-graphite and aluminum callipers were utilized.

While only some brake parts are unique to specific A4 models, the brake pedals of all, on the other hand, are the same. In order to achieve precise slowing down and stopping , the brake pedal has a firm action with the aid of the accurate feedback that allows effective brake application even when the pedal has not been pressed that hard. Behind this braking system is the ESP stabilization technology that contributes greatly to the optimum performance of the brakes. Hydraulic valves are the key players of ESP and these parts will be able to build up pressure for better braking. For example, an A4 driving along a snow-filled road at a speed below 70 km per hour could disengage some of the anti-slip functions by only slightly pressing the brake pedal.

Moreover, the ESP geared in the new A4 has additional features such as stabilize the vehicle, dry the brake discs, and activate the hazard signal once the brake pedal was suddenly pressed.

8. Vacuum Pedal Drop: after exhausting the reserve vacuum in step 7, hold the pedal down firmly and start the engine. The pedal should drop slightly as vacuum is applied to the booster.

9. Master Cylinder Inspection: Check the outside of the cylinder for signs of leakage. Wipe dirt away from the cylinder and remove the cover. The fluid level should well be within one-fourth inch of the top of the reservoir, and the fluid should be clear with no sign of contamination.

Watch the fluid in the reservoir as an assistant depresses the pedal one-fourth to one-half inch. A spurt or agitation indicates that the compensating port is closing correctly. This occurs only in the front reservoir in dual-chamber cylinders. Be sure the vent holes in the cylinder cover or cap are open and that the diaphragm, if used, is not torn or deteriorated.

10. Power booster connections: check the vacuum line at the booster and at th engine for signs of leakage. With the engine running, listen for hissing sounds, indicating a vacuum leak. On vehicles with Hydro-Boost hydraulic boosters, check the lines at the booster and the power steering pump for leakage.

11. Hoses, Lines and Fittings: inspect all hoses, lines and fittings for damage, chassis interference, or leakage. Do not overlook the rear hose, or hoses. Metal lines and fitting must be free from leakage. Be vigilant in your inspection so you don’t miss anything.

Raise the vehicle on a hoist and turn the steering from lock to lock. Brake hoses must not hit the chassis or wheels in any wheel position. Rub rings may contact the chassis as long as the body of the hose is not worn.

Inspect the brake lines for use of copper tubing in place of steel lines. Copper tubing is inferior in material and thus, is unacceptable for brake system use.

12. Parking Brake: inspect the parking brake linkage and cables for damage and fraying. Cables should move freely in conduits. Apply the parking brake and attempt to move the vehicle. On pre-1967 cars, the parking brake should hold the vehicle securely at two-thirds lever or pedal travel. Many 1976 cars as well as later models have a ratchet-type parking brake linkage that provides a greater mechanical advantage but which must be pumped up during application.

13. Drum Brake Components: remove the brake drums and inspect the drums, shoes, linings, wheel cylinders and all hardware. Brake drums wear in normal use. Some of the common wear patterns are:

Scoring—grooves worn in the drum surface by contact with the lining. If the lining is worn down to the rivets, or shoe surface, deep scoring will result

Bellmouthed—tapered wear which will also be seen as uneven lining wear.

Concave or convex—concave wear is occurs when there is greater wear in the center of the drum than at either edge. Convex wear is when there is greater wear at the edges than in the center.

Heat checks—hairline cracks in the braking surface caused by overheating from severe use.

Out of Round—an out of round condition may exist with any of the other wear patterns. This condition is verified by measuring the drum diameter in several places with a micrometer.

A slight amount of any of these wear conditions can be corrected by turning the drum on a lathe to restore a uniform surface finish and diameter.

As an aside, remember to check the lining for cracks or breaks that impair attachment, loose mounting, contamination with grease and oil or brake fluid. One must also be on the lookout for wire backing visible through lining material, bent shoes or broken welds and badly deformed slots or holes for springs, anchors, or pushrods.

How much do you know about the applications that go on in your car? What forces are at work when you press your foot hard onto that pedal?

Braking force begins with the driver foot on the brake pedal. The mechanical linkage and hydraulic parts of the system multiply the pedal force and transfer it to the brake shoes or pads.

After which, the mechanical linkage from the brake pedal to the hydraulic master cylinder uses leverage to increase the pedal force as it is applied to the master cylinder. For example, a pedal force of 35 pounds may be increased to something like 210 pounds at the master cylinder pushrod. The master cylinder, in effect, applies the force to the hydraulic fluid in the system. When force is applied to a confined fluid, pressure builds up and is transmitted equally throughout the fluid. Fluid pressure transmits braking force equally from the brake pedal to all four wheels.

As further information on the matter, hydraulic pressure is measured in pounds per square inch or psi. Pressure acting on the wheel cylinder or caliper pistons can be used to multiply as well as to transmit braking force. If the pressure is applied to a wheel cylinder or caliper piston, the output force is increased.

On matters of weight transfer as well as balanced braking, hydraulic multiplication is used in order to ensure balance the existing braking effort between the front and rear wheels. The inertia of the moving car tends to keep the car moving as the brakes are applied. This causes the center of gravity or weight of the car to shift forward and the front of the car to dip during braking—which is quite a precarious position to be in, actually. Because of this weight transfer during deceleration, the front brakes are designed to provide more braking effort than the rear brakes. This ultimately demands that a greater amount of force be supplied onto them. With hydraulic multiplication, this is made possible and the balance is kept as well as maintained so as to allow the car to function competently.

Hydraulic systems are, after all, one of the major parts of the braking systems in your car. Knowing all about these allows you to gain a greater perspective on things. Hopefully, this information will inform a number of your future choices when it comes to managing your braking system. Which of course, makes it important for you to know about braking applications like this one. After all, it is admittedly true that before you can care about something in particular, you first have to know what it is and what it is about.

So the next time you mull over another braking purchase, particularly from the extensive brake products available online, you’ll know what they’re about and you won’t have to blunder about the sites, looking for information on this or that because you already know. This kind of knowledge will make things a whole lot simpler and faster to see to from time to time on car matters so you can bet that it won’t be a waste knowing what a hydraulic system from a brake pad is.

Ford’s all new Ranger Bakkie promises more style, more practicality, more durability, and more comfort, because as Ford believes it – more is more. This new Bakkie features a new exterior design , a re-designed interior the loading and towing capacity has also been increased, an all-new common-rail diesel engine. This Ford Pick-up truck was built locally at Ford Motor Company of Souther Africa’s Silverton plant.

Like before, this Ford ranger continues to offer an array of three different styles – the four-door Double Cab, four-door Super Cab, and the two-door Single Cab. The first seats five adults, the second features a pillar-less reverse hinged rear-door system for easy access, and the third style is the typical two-seater bakkie.

This Ford Ranger sports a new engine, a 3.0L common-rail diesel that produces 115kW at 3200 revolutions per minute and 380Nm at 1800 rpm. However, the engines that were first offered are still available, thus buyers have an option between two petrol derivatives and three diesel derivatives.

It would also be great to know that this latest Ford features a new powertrain, stiffer body, and upgraded suspension. Because of this upgraded suspension, drivability is enhanced. But that isn’t the only thing that enhanced the drivability because the torsion bars and spring bushing, larger wheels and all-terrain tires, a larger diameter shock absorber, and increased leaf spring length all contributed to the improvement of driving experience.

Because of all this enhanced features of the Ford bakkie, they also improved their safety measures for the truck. They also now have installed an improved hydraulic braking system. This hydraulic braking system is an arrangement of braking mechanism which uses hydraulic fluid. This is typically some type of light-viscosity silicone oil and it is used to transfer the pressure from the controlling unit. This controlling unit is usually near the operator of the vehicle and the pressure is transferred to the actual brake mechanism, and this is usually at or near the vehicle. The most common arrangement of hydraulic brakes consist of a brake pedal, a vacuum assist module, master cylinder, hydraulic lines, a “slave cylinder,” and a brake rotor and/or brake drum.

The vehicle is also safer because of the improved handling, which was made more precise with the revised suspension, improved aerodynamics, and more responsive steering.

There is a service interval on all models and it happens every 10,000 km, with a five-year/90,000 km service plan as standard across the range. As part of the Ford Ran