Home > Brake Mechanics > How Do Brakes Work? > Disc Brakes
Disc brakes work very similar to brakes on a bicycle. If you were to remove the tire on an automobile equipped with disc brakes, it would look something like the image above.
When the brake pedal is applied, the brake pads on either side of the metal disc (also known as a rotor) squeeze together against the disc and stop the vehicle. Similar to drum brakes, disc brakes also contained asbestos which was released as the brake pad lining wears.