Brakes on any vehicle work with a friction pad placed against a disc with force. The friction of the pad against the disc causes heat to spread out over the brake disc, causing the car to slow. The same applies for brake drums with the brake shoe pressed against it, heating up and again slowing the vehicle.
Starting under your foot the pressure you apply to the brake pedal is transferred to the brake servo, this utilises engine power to increase the pressure and ensuring you can still feel your leg after a long journey!
How is the pressure transferred to the friction (brake) pads? Well the secret is brake fluid - this is contained in a brake pipe that runs from the servo to the brakes. Fluid is used as cables would require constant adjustment due to stretching from the heat and constant use.
As mentioned the heat is dissipated from the pad by the brake discs. For improved dissipation vented brake discs have a central channel that increases the surface to air ratio of the disc and gives more efficient cooling. Drilled and vented discs increase the air ratio, prevent a build up of gases and keep the pads in a clean condition. To further improve the braking of a high performance car you can always fit larger discs but you may have to fit different wheels.
Brake pads are obviously an essential part in stopping your car and the higher the friction the better the performance. Fast road pads give a good compromise between standard and racing pads with some generating zero pads. Remember that regardless of the pads your driving style will play a large part in the wear on the pads and discs.
ABS helps to prevent lockups under heavy braking and allows you to steer the car but steering will reduce the braking efficiency as the ABS cuts in more.
Brake Upgrades Stainless steel braided hoses prevent any flexing and therefore loss of pressure at the pad end, they also look nicer and theoretically last longer too - get a full set and do the front and back at the same time.
You have many options to upgrade your cars braking system. The fitting of bigger discs is an upgrade that could be a fairly simple option. Take a standard family car for example with small discs - you could visit your local breaker or buy brake parts online for a performance model from the same vehicle. Small cars usually share the same brake parts than their larger brothers and just a small amount of research could turn up some surprises.
General Care of Your Brake System At least once per year you need to give your brakes a once over. Start by checking your pads and discs for wear and tear. The discs should not have a ridge on the edge due to excessive wear, thin discs can warp under immense heat conditions. Check your pads for wear as they will eat into your discs when worn.
Brake fluid levels should be changed at least once per year but no longer than every two years.
One point to make is to test your brakes by applying them after driving through standing water to remove the water and grease build up.
I hope you have found this information useful, it’s important to understand the attention you need to give your brakes as you need to stop your car with confidence.
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