Editing Brakes

{{copyright}} {{youcanedit}} ==Preamble== This article will introduce you to brakes and the components that are involved as they apply to the automotive world. We will try to break down the brake system in to its proper categories so that you can understand them better and apply that knowledge. Many people ask frequently about braking systems, and what is better and what is usable. Everyone wants to go faster, handle better, braking is often ignored, mainly due to the price of major upgrades. After research and some experience most people will find that big brake kits, slotted, cross-drilled rotors have not made a huge dent in 60-0 or 70-0 stopping distances. In this article we will look at what ''is'' important in stopping a vehicle and what factors are involved. The reader should remember the concepts behind braking in this article. These concepts are universal: no matter what vehicle we talk of, improving stopping distance is a matter of applying physics based on vehicle parameters, driving habits and driving conditions. Read on and find what you need to start stopping faster. The following are some terms you should know: ==Caliper types== In general, there are two types of calipers, floating and fixed. ===Floating=== Floating calipers usually have one or two pistons located on the inboard side of the caliper and they squeeze the pads against the turning rotor using a thru-bolt as a guide for the pads. ===Fixed=== As the name implies, the caliper does not move. They have the pistons on both sides of the rotor, the equal force applied by the pistons centers the caliper without it needing to float. There may be as many as six pistons that apply pressure to the pads. They are usually a high performance type of brake, i.e. [http://www.baer.com/ Baer brakes]. ==Rotors== [[Image:Disk_brake_close_up.jpg‎]] ==Typical disc brake and rotor setup== Many asked about slotted and cross drilled rotors and how they help cool the brake system. The short answer is air cools them, and without air flow to your brake discs being cross drilled is hardly more effective than standard ventilated discs. The slotted/drilled rotors are more for out-gassing; when the pads reach their operating temps or higher they start to give off gas as they wear and the slots and/or holes gives this gas a place to go so it doesn't build up between the pad and rotor, causing a loss of brake effectiveness. [[Image:Disc_vented.jpg|frame|none|Vented disc rotor‎]] [[Image:Slotted_vented.gif|frame|none|slotted - vented disc‎]] [[Image:Slotted_x_drilled.jpg|frame|none|slotted and drilled disc‎]] The downside to cross drilled rotors is reduce surface area, a decreased co-efficient of friction and they are more prone to thermal shock and cracking. A high performance brake system will often use specific brake fluid for the application, stainless steel hard brake lines, teflon lined braided flexible brake lines, air ducting and venting, along with all the other necessary items to aid in controlling brake component temperatures. As far as cross drilled rotors go, the advent of carbon metallic friction materials with their increased temperatures and thermal shock characteristics ended the day of the drilled disc in professional racing. Typically, in original equipment road car applications these holes are cast then finish machined to provide the best possible conditions to resist cracking in use. But they will crack eventually under the circumstances described in another section. With a properly designed brake system, drilled discs can operate cooler than non-drilled non-ventilated discs, due the higher flow rates through the vents from the supplemental inlets and increased surface area of the holes. That's right, inlets, the flow is into the hole and out through the vent to the OD of the disc. If discs are to be drilled, the external edges of the holes must be chamfered (or, better yet, radiused) and should also be peened. ==Drum brakes== [[Image:Drum_brake.gif‎|frame|none|Internal drum brake illustration]] The picture below shows a typical set of hot rod brakes which utilizes an adjustable proportioning valve, residual pressure valve, master cylinder, and brake booster. This is a system from an under-floor brake setup. [[Image:Hot_rod_brake_system.jpg|border|450px]] ==Proportioning valves== An adjustable fluid valve that allows you to set the amount of pressure being applied to a wheel cylinder by increasing or decreasing the fluid by way of a adjusting valve. ==Residual pressure (RP) valves== A one-way valve that allows fluid to flow through it at any pressure, but limits the amount of return pressure to a certain amount by way of a spring loaded check-valve. Usually comes in 10 lbs. (red color) for drum brakes and 2 - 3 lbs. (blue color) for disc type brakes. These valves are mainly used in under-floor systems where the calipers are higher than the master cylinder reservoir and to compensate for the return spring tension in drum brake systems. RP valves eliminate excessive brake pedal travel in both systems ==Master cylinders== ==Brake boosters== ==Fittings== [[File:SM_brake_fitting01.jpg|border|300px]] ==Brake lines== ==Resources== MP brakes technical support- [http://www.mpbrakes.com/technical-support/configurations.cfm How To's & Configurations]. [[Category:Brakes]] [[Category:Undeveloped articles]]

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