Brakes

Brakes are arguably one of the essential parts for any vehicle, regardless of what it is being used for. They effectively stop or help slow down a vehicle by converting kinetic energy into heat and also through friction. The most common types of brakes (disk brakes) work through a disk that is attached to the wheels. This disks spins freely when the car is moving, and when the brakes are applied, a clamp (known as the caliper) pinches down on this disk (this disk is known as the brake disk or brake rotor). This clamp creates friction and converts a lot of the disk’s kinetic energy into heat. These two forces work hand in hand in order to stop the vehicle. The problem with a vehicle’s stock brakes is that they are usually too small and are unable to cool down quickly enough to provide efficient braking. If the brakes are applied frequently (as in racing), then the brake rotors will eventually get to hot and will be unable to convert anymore kinetic energy into heat, therefore the driver will press down on the brakes, but nothing will happen. Because of this, performance cars usually opt for more powerful brakes, which usually include a bigger rotor and/or a bigger, more powerful caliper. With a bigger disk, there would be a larger surface area, therefore there would be more friction between the caliper and the brake disk. Performance brakes are also usually cross-drilled or vented in order to help the brake disks stay cool after braking in order for them to be effective for a much longer period of time. When you get high performance brakes however, you have to be sure that you have a suspension and tire set that is capable of handling the increased braking forces. If not, your car could prove to be uncontrollable in heavy braking conditions. For example, you could skid under heavy breaking if your tires are incapable of handling the increased friction between the road and the tires. Also if you happened to be turning and your car begins to skid, then your vehicle could possibly flip over.

High Performance Brake Parts: