Thread: race brakes
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Old 09-26-2003, 11:46 PM
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Richard Hudgins Richard Hudgins is offline
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Cobra Make, Engine: Porsche 928 S4
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Scott,

The rotors are much more important than the calipers.

Remember, when you put on the brakes you are converting the kinetic energy of the cars forward motion into heat. The rotors need to absorb the heat (energy) produced during the stop.

I know that everyone is now going to say "Wait, that is why you use ducts and have vented rotors."

Well, sorry. There is no way that you can remove the heat quick enough to match the input speed of same. You must first store it in the rotor. Then the heat transfer from the surface and the interior vents/vanes to the atmosphere will attempt to bring the rotor back to ambient. If there is not enough time between stops, you will reach a point where you are putting in heat quicker than it can be released and you get brake fade.

I know, pad compounds etc. will change this fade point, but the bottom line is you need enough rotor mass to do the job.
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