Besides Shorter Stopping Distance, What Else Would You
Improve about the Way Your Brakes Perform?
·
Reduce the amount of ugly black brake dust that
appears on your wheels?
·
Reduce or eliminate that annoying squeal as you pull
up to the toll booth?
·
Reduce the amount of pedal pressure required to bring
your vehicle to a stop?
·
Improve the ability to stop at the maximum level even
after repetitive stops?
Brakes work by converting
kinetic energy (forward motion) into thermal energy (heat). The friction between
the stationary brake pad and rotating disk or drum as it slides past the pad
convert the motion of the wheel and tire into heat, much the way rubbing your
hands together on a cold day will warm them up. Bringing your car to a stop
generates enough heat at each wheel to boil a liter of water in about 7
seconds. Brake temperatures can reach around 500°F during normal everyday use,
and can reach up to 1000°F under heavy or repetitive braking.
The brake disk or drum is
designed to work like a heat sink, and absorbs as much as 80% of the heat
generated during stopping. Fortunately, it also makes a good radiator, cooling
as it spins through the air on the way to the next stop.
The front brakes do most of
the work as the vehicle's weight pushes forward while stopping. Therefore, many
vehicles are equipped with disc brakes on the front axle and drum brakes on the
rear. A disc brake's superior performance is largely due to its ability to
generate friction as the brake calipers force the pads to clamp against the
rotors. The brake rotors are cleaned and dried by the brake pads dragging
across them and the entire brake system is exposed to the air for efficient
cooling. The advantages of rear drum brakes are lower cost and the ability to
easily integrate a mechanical emergency/parking brake system.
Most Original Equipment brake pads are made of many
different compounds, and try to achieve a compromise between stopping power,
low noise, dusting and long wear. Gone is
asbestos, now replaced with modern friction materials.
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