Brake System

The brake system uses pedal pressure to turn the motion of the car into heat. Fluid carries the pressure from the master cylinder to the calipers, the calipers clamp the pads onto the discs, and the friction between them slows the car. On a circuit, where the brakes work hard lap after lap, every link in that chain runs hotter than it does on the road.

Most upgrades start with pads and discs, and the product data grades both:

• Pads are listed by use, from OE-type and street through sport to race, and by compound: organic, para-aramid, ceramic, semi-metallic or semi-metallic carbon fibre.
• Discs are listed by construction (one-piece, or two-piece with a floating or fixed ring), by face (plain, slotted, dimpled or drilled), and as vented or solid.

The section also covers braided brake lines, calipers and caliper rebuild kits, drum brake shoes, pad wear sensors, bleed nipples and fittings, brake fluid, master cylinders and valves.

Treat the system as a whole. A track compound pushes fluid temperatures up, so the fluid should be fresh and high-boiling. Many track cars also swap rubber hoses for braided lines, which swell less under pressure. A caliper with sticking pistons or perished seals should be rebuilt before new pads go in. Balance matters too: upgrading only the front brakes changes the front-to-rear balance, so review the rear pads at the same time.