Most modern cars have disc brakes on the front wheels, and some have disc brakes on all four wheels.
This is the part of the brake system that does the actual work of stopping the car. The most common type of disc brake on modern cars is the single-piston floating caliper . In this edition of How Stuff Works , the fourth in a six-part series on brakes, we will learn how a disc brake like this works. If you missed the last three articles be sure and check them out using the links below. Consecutive articles will cover the rest of the components of a car brake system, detailing how each one operates.