Have you been considering a brake upgrade? Do you want rotors with better corrosion protection to help maintain both brake performance and appearance? Does increased stopping power when towing or hauling sound like something your truck or SUV would benefit from? Now is the perfect time to upgrade!

From now through September 2, 2020, Power Stop is offering RockAuto customers 10% off on two of their popular Rotor & Brake Pad Kits.

Evolution Geomet Coated - Power Stop’s Evolution Geomet Coated Rotor & Brake Pad Kits feature rotors that are fully coated, including inside the vanes, to extend rotor life and maintain that “like new” look behind open wheels. These kits also include Power Stop’s Clean Ride Ceramic brake pads that significantly reduce brake dust. If you are looking for a solution to rust related braking problems for your car, truck or SUV, the Evolution Geomet Coated kit by Power Stop is a cost-effective solution!

Z36 Truck & Tow - Power Stop’s Z36 Truck & Tow Rotor & Brake Pad Kits are specifically designed for trucks and SUVs used for towing and hauling, or modified trucks with lifted suspension and/or larger wheel upgrades. Each kit includes drilled and slotted performance rotors for maximum cooling and Carbon-Fiber Ceramic brake pads that provide severe-duty stopping power without sacrificing everyday drivability. This combination of rotors and pads delivers the extreme braking performance hardworking vehicles need!

To see the Power Stop Rotor & Brake Pad Kits we have for your vehicle, go to the RockAuto catalog and click on the "Brake & Wheel Hub" category and look for the parts with a "". Simply put a featured Power Stop kit in your cart to instantly save 10% off RockAuto's already reliably low prices.

VWforums.com is an online community dedicated entirely to all Volkswagen models including the Golf, Jetta and Passat! Join the discussions about TDI, Turbos, reviews, maintenance, upgrades and more!

From the MK1 series to the most recent models, if you drive a Volkswagen, this extensive forum is definitely worth a visit.

If you are the administrator or member of a forum and you would like to see your website featured in an upcoming newsletter and receive a discount code to share with your members, contact marketing@rockauto.com.

Years ago, my brother and I decided to change the thermostat on my 1987 Toyota Tercel. After all, it was right there in front and fairly easy to get to. Armed with some documentation, like a Haynes manual, and a torque wrench (since we knew what we were doing), we started. The housing came off easily enough and the old thermostat popped right out. We checked the temp set-point of the new one and dropped it into place. We installed a new gasket and reinstalled the housing. Two bolts were installed and snugged down, then it was time for the torque wrench (since again, we knew what we were doing). The Haynes manual says “80” so we set the torque wrench to 80 ft-lbs and drove the first bolt home….until we heard the "SNAP!" Oops....

There seems to be a bit of difference between 80 ft-lbs and 80 in-lbs, about 12 times to be exact. Luckily just the head snapped off the bolt and we extracted what was left of it quite easily. We got new bolts and torqued them to about 7 ft-lbs (sure enough the manual said 80 in-lbs). To this day, I will scour the internet for torque values (always highlighting the units, ft-lbs or in-lbs) before I attempt any job. I even use a torque wrench on my oil pan drain plug….my friends at work make fun of me.

Lionel in Louisiana

Tell us about your most infamous auto repair blunder or unconventional fix. Use your woe to help others avoid similar mistakes or share off-the-wall solutions that worked (at least for a while!). Please email your story to flamur@rockauto.com. Include your mailing address and if you would like a RockAuto T-Shirt (please let us know your shirt size) or Hat if we publish your story. See the T-Shirts and Hats under Tools & Universal Parts in the RockAuto catalog. The story will be credited using only your first name and your vague geographic location (state, province, country, continent, etc.) so you can remain semi-anonymous!

What is a "line lock?"

A. Adaptive cruise control and self-driving modes use the lines painted on the road to maintain the vehicle's position.
B. A mechanical device, typically a steel or composite ball, blocks the fuel line if the vehicle ever rolls over.
C. A solenoid closes a valve in the brake line to maintain hydraulic pressure which keeps the front and/or rear brakes applied for better drag racing or four-wheeling.

Answer below

This century, electric parking brakes have gradually been spreading from luxury brands to more common models. A thirteen-year-old Volvo S80 might have enough miles on it to need new electric Parking Brake Actuators, but it is now important to understand electric parking brakes even when simply replacing the rear brake pads on a three-year-old Chevy Malibu.

There are two common electric parking brake designs. The first type is common on GM vehicles; everything from Escalades to Camaros. It basically uses an electric motor instead of a human hand or foot to pull the parking brake cable. The Parking Brake Control Module screws in or out to pull a conventional parking brake cable attached to conventional parking brake shoes mounted inside the rear brake rotors.

Parking Brake Actuator (top) & Control Module

The second design is what other vehicle manufacturers use. GM uses it as well on cars like that three-year-old Chevy Malibu. Car manufacturers like it because it eliminates parking brake cables and parking brake shoes. Parking Brake Actuators are mounted on both rear brake calipers. The parking brake actuator turns a gear connected to a shaft inside the caliper piston. The shaft forces out the caliper piston to push the conventional brake pads against the brake rotor.

Since the parking brake system shares the brake pads and brake rotor with the primary braking system, this is the design that typically requires you to be extra careful to disable the electric parking brake before attempting to service the rear brakes. Otherwise the parking brake actuators may still be pushing on that shaft inside the caliper piston at the same time you are trying to compress the caliper piston in order to get the brake pads off. You may win that pushing contest, but doing so will unnecessarily destroy the parking brake actuator and/or the caliper piston mechanism.

There is typically a parking brake "service mode" that spins the parking brake actuator motors so that they are not applying any pressure to the caliper pistons. Activating "service mode" is usually accomplished by pushing buttons or using the infotainment screen on the dash. Like turning on and off the radio these days, it is easy to do once you know how to do it, but it varies between vehicles. Check the owners manual or service manual for your vehicle to find out how to put the electric parking brake in "service mode." Online forums devoted to your car or truck will likely also have threads explaining the button pushing sequence. After the rear brake work is done, the electric parking brake system is typically reactivated by simply pushing the button/switch that normally applies the parking brake.

Like power window and door lock motors, Parking Brake Actuators (push the brake caliper piston) and Parking Brake Control Modules (pull the parking brake cable) eventually need to be replaced. Power brake actuators bolted to brake calipers are exposed to road salt, heat, cold and other under-car hazards. It is often a good idea to replace the brake caliper along with the failed parking brake actuator so that a new parking brake actuator motor is not damaged while pushing against a balky old brake caliper piston mechanism. Connecting a new Parking Brake Control Module on a GM vehicle to an old severely corroded parking brake cable would also be unwise. Find Parking Brake Actuators, Parking Brake Control Modules, Calipers, Parking Brake Cables and other brake system parts for your specific vehicle under "Brake & Wheel Hub" in the RockAuto.com catalog.

Tom Taylor,
RockAuto.com

To read more of Toms articles, click this link and choose from story titles on the Newsletter Archives page.

My car is a 1999 Audi A8 Quattro with 205k miles on it. I have used many parts from RockAuto including but not limited to filters, spark plugs, fan couplings, brakes/rotors, wheel bearings, seals, gaskets, shocks, cv joints and a clutch. It is surprising how many parts are in stock for a 21-year-old German car! I recently took the whole motor apart to do some repair and got most of my parts from RockAuto because they have OE parts at a fraction of the dealership prices. Plus they come right to my door!

Jason in West Virginia (RockAuto customer for over eight years)

Share Your Hard Work
Do you purchase parts from RockAuto? If so, RockAuto would like to give you the opportunity to have your car or truck possibly featured in one (or occasionally more) of our publications such as the monthly newsletter, collector magnets, RockAuto social media or other commercial use. New, old, import, domestic, daily driver, trailer queen, classic, antique, we want to see them all! Please email flamur@RockAuto.com with the vehicle history, interesting details, your favorite images (tips for taking pictures of your car) and what parts from RockAuto you have used.

What is a "line lock?"

A. Adaptive cruise control and self-driving modes use the lines painted on the road to maintain the vehicle's position.
B. A mechanical device, typically a steel or composite ball, blocks the fuel line if the vehicle ever rolls over.
Answer: C. A solenoid closes a valve in the brake line to maintain hydraulic pressure which keeps the front and/or rear brakes applied for better drag racing or four-wheeling.

Back up to trivia question