You may notice while shopping for brake pads, that some will emphasize there ability to handle the heat well. Heat is an important factor in car brakes. Car brakes and rotors, as well as air flow through the brakes need to be taken into account if you ride the brakes or drive aggressively.
When the brakes get hot, this can increase the wear on the brake pad and may cause glazing and cracks on the pads, and rotors may warp. Under normal conditions a car's brake system won't be taxed too much and heat related issues shouldn't be a problem.
If you are planning on using the brakes often when driving or are involved with heavy braking often, such as with racing, getting brakes and pads that help reduce heat would be helpful. Also consider the quality of the product and recognized that better made parts will stand up to the heat better.
When researching rotors, look to see if you can get a high quality iron rotor because this will impact the performance of the rotors and give them a better ability to handle the heat. Steel rotors can be good as well but may warp under intense heat.
When researching brake pads you usually find that a higher tier pads will preform better than the pads from the car manufacturer. Try to get pads that have been galvanized to prevent rust for and ensure they can last longer without failing.
Here are some brake pads and rotors that claim to handle the heat well .
Drilled and slotted Rotors
Slotted Rotors
Carbon-Fiber Ceramic Brake Pads
Semi-Metallic Brake Pads
Drilled rotors may help with heat, but also not effective when too much heat is present. The slotted areas also help with heat and can help a bit with stopping power.
The vented middle section helps cool the rotor.
The slotted areas help with heat and can help a bit with stopping power.
The vented middle section helps cool the rotor.
The stainless steel shims are supposed to provide better heat dissipation.
The pad itself is a carbon-fiber ceramic , so it can provide stopping power.
The sound isolating shims are supposed to provide heat dissipation.
The pad itself is semi-metallic , so it can provide good stopping power.
If you are driving under normal conditions, you should be fine with a part from the car manufacturer, OEM, or a trusted brand. Most any product will work well, although you may want to get the rotor or brake pad that has the characteristics that best suit your driving conditions and specific needs.
Problems with Over Braking (Riding the Brakes)
If a driver is using the brakes a lot, such as truck drivers going down hill that need to slow down and they are using the brakes until they are too hot, cracks and glazing can occur. Aggressive braking when racing a car can also create these conditions.
Glazing is when the brakes heat up and the surface where the brake pads touches the rotor is glazed. This prevents the brake pad from applying enough friction to stop the car normally. If you see smoke come from the brakes or hear noises as you brake, it's time to check for glazing or cracks.
You can ask a mechanic to inspect the brakes. They may recommend replacing the brakes and rotors for safety reasons. Some people still use their brakes after glazing, until the glazed part is rubbed off by friction. Others try sanding the glaze off. Either way, your brakes are not as effective until they are flush with the rotor surface.
Cracks occur when heat and pressure cause the brake pad to split at one or more places. This is a problem that requires the brake pad to be replaced.
You don't want part of the brake pad to fall off and ruin your brakes. To prevent problems with cracking make sure to stay within the limits of normal braking and make sure there is no undue pressure coming from brake line or calipers.
The best ways to solve heat related issues is to reduce heat by allowing the brakes to cool down, get high quality brake pads and rotors, divert airflow under the car so it can cool the brakes, and get the brake system checked by a mechanic or yourself to ensure brake pads are wearing down correctly and everything is working properly.
If you plan on driving with constant use of the brakes, such as braking down hills often, determine if you need to take precautionary methods to cool down the brakes.
The brake pads and rotors can determine part of the heat build up. Consider the material used in your brake pads and rotors and how that will impacts heat, and stopping distance. Although the best solution is preventative. Try driving under normal condition as much as possible.
Are bigger brakes Better?
Size may matter. A larger size rotor and brake pad could help make the brakes more efficient at dissipating heat. If you upgrade your brake rotors and pads to a larger size, some websites state that this will help stop the car sooner, while others say size does not impacting stopping distance.
When stopping, the brake pad type and rotor type will have the biggest impact, and I think the size of each part plays a part, but it's secondary. There are many ways to adjust brakes to increase braking power, such as increasing brake line pressure.
Making adjustments can create issues though. The best way to add more stopping power is to not make major changes and increase the brake pad and rotor size.
My opinion is that changes tend to create more problems than they fix. Unless you've got a extremely safe and accurate system, I would advise to stay with the same size brake parts and to be extra safe go with OEM parts or original manufacturer parts.
결론 The best brakes are those that fit your style of driving and help you stop in well in different weather conditions you are likely to be in. Determine what your average drive will be like to get the best parts for your vehicle.
For most consumers, upgrading to drilled and slotted rotors, along with getting ceramic, semi-metal, or carbon-fiber brake pads will be your best option.
Although, each persons driving conditions will be different, so determining each parts characteristics will help you make the best decision.