common sense
Listen for squeaking and feel for pulsating when braking.
Too much of either and you should have them looked at.
You have a problem with the brakes, have a mechanic check it out soon before you have no brakes.
if you need to ask, then get a garage to do it.
change brakes or check drums
You can ask around town or look on the web for comparisons on places which will check or fix your brakes. Often car shops will know of places which do this.
You do not need to wait to lt the brakes cool down from city driving, if you are in a race on the other hand everything changes. If your brakes are bright orange when you get out of you car then you should check the oil coolant system.
There are front brakes and rear brakes. There are a total of four brakes on a car. Every wheel on the car has its own brake and every car has the same number of brakes.
oil, gas, engine, brakes, tires, battery
the brakes are the only thing between you aand the car you might hit,besides the car around you,you should check them regularly to avoid cossions,or minimise the damage,hitting a car at 75 can total both cars and cause injuries,using the brakes can minimise the injury or even PREVENT the crash
Check for the brake specifications in the car handbook. Alternatively get a repair manual or search the internet with your car details
Check that the hand brake is not applied. Check the conditions of your brakes like the drums check if there any grooves or are hot to the touch. If you feel any grooves replaces brakes and lathe the drums or replace the drums aswell.
your back brakes are supposed to apply before your front brakes, they do this so your car does not take a nose dive every time you apply the brakes. but if it is very noticeable i would check the adjustment of your rear brakes (if you have a disc/drum setup) or i would check your proportioning valve if they are locking up
If you are looking to change brakes yourself you can look at an online website which people can direct you on how to install new brakes. You can also check the phonebook or web to find reliable auto shops.