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Automotive vocabulary · Brakes, Suspension, Steering and Tires

Brake disc

Meaning in automotive, with examples

nounCommon term

In automotive, brake disc means: The metal disc that turns with the wheel and is squeezed by the brake pads to slow the car. Its minimum thickness is usually stamped on the disc itself.

In Turkish: fren diski, disk

How it is used

Technicians measure disc thickness and runout, and replace or skim (machine) discs. Uneven discs cause vibration through the pedal or steering wheel when braking; people often call them warped discs.

Example sentences

  1. The brake discs are below minimum thickness and must be replaced with the pads.

  2. The steering wheel shakes under braking, which points to uneven front brake discs.

Common collocations

  • brake disc thickness
  • warped brake discs
  • skim the discs
  • vented disc
  • brake padA steel plate with a layer of friction material that the caliper presses against the brake disc to slow the wheel. Pads wear down and must be replaced regularly.
  • brake caliperThe housing with one or more hydraulic pistons that sits over the brake disc and squeezes the brake pads against it when the driver presses the pedal.
  • brakeA device that slows or stops a vehicle by pressing a friction material against a rotating disc or drum. Most cars have hydraulic disc brakes at the front.
  • ABSShort for anti-lock braking system: it stops the wheels from locking under hard braking, so the driver can still steer. Wheel speed sensors tell the ABS unit when a wheel is about to lock.

More terms: Brakes, Suspension, Steering and Tires

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