Brake Pads For Sports Cars - 7 Things You Must Know
Brake pads for sports cars are actually complimentary disc brakes that enhance the performance of the actual brake. They have been amazingly popular especially in sports cars, simply because of their great performance during high speeds.
How do brake pads work?
Normally, two brake pads are essential per wheel/disc. Now, while road vehicles usually have two brake pads per caliper, the racing calipers can utilize up to six pads each varying with its frictional properties and ensuring the best performance.
They are contained in the brake caliper with their special friction surface facing the disc. So when the car starts braking, they apply to the disc squeezing the two pads together into a spinning discs to slow and stop the vehicle.
So, what are the things everyone should know about brake pads?
We have summaried the 7 Things below:
- There Is a Difference Between Street, Autocross And Sports Cars Brake Pads
- There Is NOT An All Around Racing Brake Pad
- Brake Pad Size Has A Limited Effect On Stopping Power
- Racing Brake Pads Need To Be Heated Up To Work Best
- Aggressive Brake Pads Will Give You Signs
- Braking Harder In Shorter Periods Will Reduce The Heating
- Lots Of Factors May Cause Racing Pads To Squeal
1. There Is a Difference Between Street, Autocross And Sports Cars Brake Pads
The main difference in all of this is the operating temperature as well as the coefficient of friction that brake pads share. While street pads are tuned for comfort and work in all type weather conditions, autocross brake pads are high-performance pads that stop better than a street pad. They are also known as sports brake cars and can vary in their design according to the type of racing.
2. There Is NOT An All Around Racing Brake Pad
Sports cars cannot share a universal brake pad. In reality, each pad has trade-offs and the one that may best suit your needs depends upon the type of racing that is performed. However, performance and abuse tolerance are the most important things to consider when shopping for sports car brake pads.
3. Brake Pad Size Has A Limited Effect On Stopping Power
The truth is, racing pads require heat in order to work best. Therefore, the size of the pad is one of the elements of the level of heat a brake pad can handle. It works like this - the higher the temperature, the car would stop better. The rotor, pad and caliper all have crucial roles in the overall sports cars brake systems.
4. Racing Brake Pads Need To Be Heated Up To Work Best
Every racing brake pad requires heat because of its chemical makeup and the friction formulation. Without a proper heat up, a racing pad will harm the rotor and will be worn out more quickly. Also, when rotors are not heated up properly, they may wear quicker than normal and result with ring-grooving.
5. Aggressive Brake Pads Will Give You Signs
There can be excessive heat caused by using the wrong racing brake pad. This can also be felt on the brake pedal - sometimes you will have to push it too far in order to stop the car. This is the main factor that causes a lot of heat and is hard on the discs.
6. Braking Harder In Shorter Periods Will Reduce The Heating
You can definitely notice the impact of stopping shorter and harder with brake pads for sports cars. When there is less brake wear and lower temperatures, the hard and short stopping will be better. In fact, all sport car brake pads have a maximum operating temperature - so make sure you practice stopping and keep the optimal level of temperature.
7. Lots Of Factors May Cause Racing Pads To Squeal
Factors like noise, vibration and harshness are engineered to many different levels and different manufactures of brake pads. These factors may influence the degree of squeal as well as the hardness of racing brake pads, axle, calipers and rotors - which all impact the degree of squeal. That is why a top quality brake bad for sports cars is important.
A Final Word
In the end, ceramic brake pads for sports car as considered as a top choice. Although there is a variety of brake pads used in the sports car marketplace, some may wear well over time while some wear off quickly - which are definitely factors to consider when driving in high performance. Along with that, a brake pad is the main drive of safety - which every sports car driver must consider as a priority.
