Brake Definitions

From The Infiniti G37 Information Resource

This article is part of our special collection:

Brakes

This article is part of our special collection:

FAQ

[edit] Big Brake Kit

Big Brake Kit

An upgrade to stock brakes, bigger calipers, rotors (which may be slotted, cross drilled, or both) and upgraded brake lines, these will give you more stopping power.

[edit] Brake Fade

Brake fading, or brake fade, can be caused by two separate happenings. Brake fade happens under severe, repeated braking conditions, i.e. track conditions.

Most common type of brake fade is boiling of the brake fluid. Different types of fluids have different boiling points, depending upon your application it is well worth spending extra money for a better fluid higher boiling point.

Second type of brake fade is pad fade. The pad basically melts due to the extreme heat. This can be compensated for by having a brake pad that suits the use of the car. Race pads for track days, and street pads for the street. Having a track pad all the time will not work because on the street it will most likely not reach its optium operating temperature.

[edit] Caliper

The brake caliper is the assembly which houses the brake pads and pistons. The pistons are usually made of aluminum or chrome plated iron. There are two types of calipers: floating or fixed. A fixed caliper does not move relative to the disc. It uses one or more pairs of pistons to clamp from each side of the disc, and is more complex and expensive than a floating caliper. A floating caliper (also called a "sliding caliper") moves with respect to the disc; a piston on one side of the disc pushes the inner brake pad till it makes contact with the braking surface, then pulls the caliper body with the outer brake pad so pressure is applied to both sides of the disc.

Floating caliper (single piston) designs are subject to failure due to sticking. This can occur due to dirt or corrosion if the vehicle is not operated. This can cause the pad attached to the caliper to rub on the disc when the brake is released. This can reduce fuel mileage and cause excessive wear on the affected pad.

[edit] Disc Brake

<--definition here-->

[edit] Drum Brake

<--definition here-->

[edit] Fluid

Brake fluid is a type of hydraulic fluid used in brake applications in automobiles and light trucks. It is used to transfer force under pressure from where it is created through hydraulic lines to the braking mechanism near the wheels. It works because liquids are not appreciably compressible. Braking applications produce a lot of heat so brake fluid must have a high boiling point to remain effective and must also not freeze under normal temperatures. These requirements eliminate most water-based solutions.

[edit] Lines

Brake Lines are metallic or rubber and metallic hoses that allow brake fluid to flow from the master cylinder to the proportioning valve then to either brake calipers, wheel cylinders, or a combination of both. Brake lines are normally replaced and not repaired, as then endure high pressure.

[edit] Master Cylinder

A Master Cylinder is a pump and reservoir mechanism, either all metal or a combination of metal and plastic, which creates pressure, when the plunger is depressed. The upper portion of the unit is the reservoir, which contains brake fluid, it can be one container unit or separated into two chambers.

[edit] Pads

<--definition here-->

[edit] Parking Brake

Most vehicles include a mechanical parking brake system (also called an "emergency brake") which operates on the rear wheels. These systems are very effective with drum brakes, since these tend to lock. The adoption of rear-wheel disc brakes caused concern that a disc-based parking brake would not effectively hold a vehicle on an incline. Though some early vehicles (like the Toyota 2000GT) did use the disc for the parking brake, others used a tiny drum brake embedded inside the rear disc.

Today, most cars use the disc for parking, though some still rely on separate drums. The advent of electric parking brakes will change the rear caliper configuration substantially.

[edit] Rotor

A Disc-shaped component that revolves with hub and wheel. The lining pads are forced against the rotor to provide a friction surface for the brake system, so as to slow or stop a vehicle.