Upgrading Brakes

[chameleon]

I wonder? If a cars stock brake setup can lock the wheels when you stamp on the brake peddal, why whould you need to upgrade to larger brakes and disks? Will it help you stop faster? I thought it would be the tire selection that will help you stop faster.

[revNhevN]

People do not uprgrade brakes so they lock up. Larger brakes allows kinetic energy to be converted to heat energy quicker. This reduces brake fade, so braking is more consistant after repeated hard braking.

[smoknhothonda]

Larger diamater discs with aluminium hats dissipate heat more efficiently without warping, unlike convential rotors do also.

Locking up under braking actually lengthens the stopping distances quite dramatically, this is where ABS braking systems help! (by avoiding lockups)

Tyres arent the only factors that help in braking, the type of pads used, and cailpers used also play a huge part in braking performance.

[DLO01]

Your brakes are only as good as the tyres you have on.
It does not matter how good your brakes are, if your tyres are crap theres no point.

[DomenEK]

Your brakes are only as good as the tyres you have on.
It does not matter how good your brakes are, if your tyres are crap theres no point.

^^ What he said...

I don't know how many times I've had to beat this into people.

[keric_02]

Your brakes are only as good as the tyres you have on.
It does not matter how good your brakes are, if your tyres are crap theres no point.


ditto, good tyres are a must :)

bigger brakes allow for quicker stops and faster cooling coz of the larger surface area.

[chameleon]

ditto, good tyres are a must :)

bigger brakes allow for quicker stops and faster cooling coz of the larger surface area.

So big brakes do make you stop faster?!?!
Or do they resist fade better?

[BlitZ]

catch 22 mate...
u cant stop better with brake fade..



you can definitly lock you stock brakes/pads... but u can do it like 3 times before thye would stop biting...

that when u need to upgrade to better performance pads.... if then its still fads with good pads.. then u need to even better that and get larger disc and calipers..

Larger brakes would also give alot better braking whne cold as permance pad general dont work when cold... therefore bad for street..

[VTECACCORD]

btw the last thing you want when your braking is for your brakes to lock up. This is the most ineffective way to stop.

Good ABS, some grippy tires is better then most brake upgrades. Most people have sufficinet brakes from the factory.

Comin from a guy with spoon monoblocks

[chameleon]

btw the last thing you want when your braking is for your brakes to lock up. This is the most ineffective way to stop.


I realised this. I was just making a point that if your brakes were powerfull enought to lock the wheels, then y would you need to upgrade.

After reading all the post i have come to the conclusion that it is really only need if you are going to track. For street, not really needed, just for street cred. :)

[tanghy]

not if u put in a turbo or upzised your engine
and you only have puny cxi brakes

[civiceg9]

I wonder? If a cars stock brake setup can lock the wheels when you stamp on the brake peddal, why whould you need to upgrade to larger brakes and disks? Will it help you stop faster? I thought it would be the tire selection that will help you stop faster.

Larger surface area mean there is a greater friction hence will less the time required to stop a vehicle. (Simple physics)

Brake Pads, Disc, Tires, Suspension etc; Is a method of finding a balance between the all to reduce your stopping distance without locking up.

[VTi-R Civic]

So big brakes do make you stop faster?!?!

Provided your tyres are up to the added braking force they offer and transferring it to the ground the answer is yes.


Or do they resist fade better?
They do that too. As long as the pads are suitable and the rest of the system is in good order and a high temp brake fluid is used.

[saxman]

Larger surface area mean there is a greater friction hence will less the time required to stop a vehicle. (Simple physics)


for quoting simple physics, you're kinda missing a major point.

There is a certain maximum coefficient of friction that the tires can provide. When this max is exceeded, the wheels lock up. When you can lock the tires up, causing greater friction between the brake pads and your larger surface area brake rotors doesn't mean jack as far as stopping faster. Lets put it into numbers...

say the tires have a max cof(coefficient of fricition) of .5
if the stocks have a max of .6 and your upgraded have a max of .8, they both exceed what the tires are capable of. No matter how much harder the brakes grab, the tires are still only capable of .5.

Doing a brake upgrade could shorten distance, only in that you may be able to get to that .5 slightly faster... but you're talking a very minimal distance. To stop much quicker, you need to increase how much grip the tires have.

Upgrading to a larger rotor is for reducing brake fade, which will come from repeated heavy use of the brakes. The larger rotor dissipates heat better, and as such, less brake fade.

so more or less, what some people are saying