The brake system turns pressure on the pedal into friction at the wheels and stops the vehicle. In this category you can buy aftermarket brake pads, rotors, shoes, drums, calipers, lines and master cylinders, as well as hubs and small parts for American vehicles.
In this guide: Brake bleeder screws, Brake caliper guide pins, Brake calipers, Brake drums, Brake lines and hoses, Brake master cylinders, Brake pads, Brake repair kits, Brake rotors, Brake shoes, Parking brake cables, Wheel bearings, Wheel hubs, Wheel studs.
Brake bleeder screws
What it is: A bleeder screw is a small valve in the caliper or wheel cylinder used to let air and old fluid out of the brake system.
Where it is fitted: Threaded into the top of the brake caliper or the drum brake wheel cylinder.
Signs of wear: A seized or snapped bleeder that prevents bleeding the brakes, or fluid leaking around its seat.
Did you know: Use a box-end wrench rather than an open-end one and keep the rubber cap on; bleeding usually starts at the wheel farthest from the master cylinder, but some ABS systems have their own sequence.
Brake caliper guide pins
What it is: Guide pins are the slides a floating caliper moves on so it can press both pads evenly against the rotor.
Where it is fitted: In the caliper bracket, protected by rubber boots.
Signs of wear: Uneven pad wear (one pad worn out, the other nearly new), pulling under braking and one wheel running hot.
Did you know: Lubricate guide pins with high-temperature silicone grease, not ordinary petroleum grease, which swells the rubber boots and makes the pins stick.
Shop — Brake caliper guide pins
Brake calipers
What it is: The caliper holds one or more pistons that use fluid pressure to clamp the pads against the rotor.
Where it is fitted: At each wheel with a disc brake, bolted to the knuckle or axle and straddling the rotor.
Signs of wear: Pulling under braking, one wheel overheating with a burning smell, fluid leaking at the piston and uneven pad wear.
Did you know: Never let the caliper hang by its flexible hose during a brake job — support it with wire, as a stretched hose can be damaged internally.
Brake drums
What it is: A drum is a bowl that turns with the wheel; the brake shoes press against its inner surface.
Where it is fitted: On the rear axle of many pickups, vans and older cars, bolted to the hub under the wheel.
Signs of wear: Pulsing pedal, weak rear braking, squealing and grooves on the drum friction surface.
Did you know: Most drums have a maximum inside diameter cast or stamped on them — if machining would exceed it, the drum must be replaced.
Brake lines and hoses
What it is: Rigid lines and flexible hoses carry pressurised brake fluid from the master cylinder to the calipers and wheel cylinders.
Where it is fitted: Rigid lines run along the underbody and frame, and flexible hoses connect them to the calipers and the rear axle.
Signs of wear: Fluid leaks, a soft pedal, rust on rigid lines and cracked or swollen rubber hoses.
Did you know: Older American vehicles often use inch-thread double-flare fittings while newer ones use metric ISO bubble flares — never mix them, as the joint will not seal.
Brake master cylinders
What it is: The master cylinder turns pressure on the pedal into fluid pressure that is sent to the calipers and wheel cylinders.
Where it is fitted: Under the hood, bolted to the brake booster on the firewall in front of the driver, with the fluid reservoir on top.
Signs of wear: The pedal slowly sinks under steady pressure, feels soft or needs pumping, and the fluid level drops with no visible leak at the wheels.
Did you know: Bench-bleed a new master cylinder before installing it — it saves a lot of time and helps keep air out of the ABS module.
Brake pads
What it is: Pads with friction material are pressed against the rotor by the caliper, and their friction is what stops the wheel.
Where it is fitted: Inside the brake calipers at wheels with disc brakes, on both sides of the rotor.
Signs of wear: Squeal from the wear indicator, metal-on-metal grinding, longer stopping distances and a pad wear warning light.
Did you know: Pads are always replaced as a set for the whole axle, and new pads need to be bedded in with a few gentle stops before they reach full performance.
Brake repair kits
What it is: Kits contain seals, boots, springs, clips and other small parts needed to rebuild calipers or drum brakes.
Where it is fitted: They are fitted in brake calipers and in the drum brake mechanism.
Signs of wear: Cracked piston boots, leaks, squealing or loose pad clips and weak shoe springs.
Did you know: Springs and clips lose their properties from heat, so it pays to fit a new hardware kit with every pad or shoe replacement.
Brake rotors
What it is: The rotor turns with the wheel, and the pads clamping it turn the vehicle's motion into heat.
Where it is fitted: On the wheel hub, between the hub and the wheel, straddled by the caliper and pads.
Signs of wear: A pulsing pedal and steering shake when braking, deep grooves, a lip at the edge and thickness below the minimum.
Did you know: The minimum thickness is stamped on the rotor, and a “warped rotor” is usually uneven thickness or pad deposits — rotors are replaced in pairs on an axle.
Brake shoes
What it is: Shoes with friction lining expand inside the brake drum to slow the wheel; smaller shoes also serve as the parking brake.
Where it is fitted: Inside the drums on the rear axle, or inside the rear rotor hat as a parking brake.
Signs of wear: A weak parking brake, squealing or grinding from the rear, longer pedal travel and thin lining when the drum is removed.
Did you know: Shoes are replaced as an axle set, ideally together with the springs and self-adjuster, since heat-weakened springs cause squeal and sticking.
Parking brake cables
What it is: The cable transfers force from the parking brake lever or pedal to the brake mechanism at the rear wheels.
Where it is fitted: It runs under the vehicle from the lever or pedal in the cab to the rear brakes.
Signs of wear: The parking brake does not hold, does not release and the brakes overheat, or the lever travels too far.
Did you know: On many pickups and SUVs with rear disc brakes the cable operates small shoes hidden inside the rotor hat (drum-in-hat design).
Wheel bearings
What it is: The bearing lets the wheel and brake rotor spin smoothly while keeping them exactly on axis.
Where it is fitted: In the hub or knuckle of each wheel.
Signs of wear: Noise that rises with speed, wheel play and rotor runout that causes a pulsing pedal and faster pad wear.
Did you know: A loose bearing can push the caliper piston back, so the first pedal press after a corner may feel longer — worth checking bearings during a brake job.
Wheel hubs
What it is: The hub with its bearing holds the wheel and rotor; it often also carries an ABS tone ring or sensor that reports wheel speed.
Where it is fitted: Bolted to the knuckle or axle housing at each wheel, behind the brake rotor.
Signs of wear: Noise while driving, wheel play, rotor runout felt through the pedal and an ABS warning light.
Did you know: Clean all rust off the hub face before fitting a new rotor — even a thin layer causes runout and a pulsing pedal.
Wheel studs
What it is: A wheel stud is a threaded pin pressed into the hub that the lug nut threads onto.
Where it is fitted: In the flange of the hub or axle shaft at each wheel.
Signs of wear: Stripped or stretched threads, a lug nut that will not tighten and a bent or broken stud.
Did you know: Tighten lug nuts with a torque wrench in a star pattern — hammering them on with an impact gun stretches the studs and can cause rotor runout.
Where to next
- Catalogue: brake system — choose your make, model and generation.
- Parts by VIN — we will check the fit for your car.
- Parts guide — other systems.
We sell aftermarket replacement parts, not genuine parts from vehicle manufacturers. Descriptions are general — check the fit for your vehicle by OEM number or VIN.