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LastOfTheV8's
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I am considering upgrading the entire braking system on my C4, what I want to know is, what is the optimum way to do it?
And is it even advisable to change it at all from OE spec? Can I fit larger rotors on my stock 17' sawblades? I am considering this with track use in mind, or even 'situations' on irish roads that require repeated hard braking
and therefore; enduring performance at high temp
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I would also greatly appreciate an informed opinion on the following article from Carma Corvette, no copyright infringement intended!
It states that installing larger rotors will allow you to achieve the same braking power with significantly less pedal pressure, in this example- 7% less. Is this true?
''One of the best ways to increase the heat dissipation ability of your brakes is to increase the rotor diameter. The area of a circle is given by Pi r squared, so lets say we have a 13” rotor with the outer 2” being the portion that the brake pads contact. The radius of a 13” circle is 6.5”, which squared is 42.25, times pi = 132.73. Now we subtract the area of the circle that is not contacted by pads; 4.5 squared X pi = 63.62, 132.73 – 63.62 = 69.11 sq in. Now that’s only one face of the rotor, but lets compare it to a 14 inch rotor with the a similar caliper using the outer 2” as pad contact area: r = 7, squared = 49, X pi = 153.94. Subtracting out the unused portion given by 5 squared X pi; = 78.54, 153.94 – 78.54 = 75.4 sq in. The difference is 6.29 sq in. So we gained 9.1% more surface area per rotor face for cooling, a very significant improvement. As an added bonus we have also gained approximately 7% greater mechanical leverage in stopping the wheel due to the fact that we are now applying the caliper’s clamping force further from the wheel center. This will translate into 7% less pedal pressure required for a given amount of braking, another significant improvement!
Rotors on modern high performance cars are vented, with vanes designed to pump air throught them. The best ones are directional, with curved vanes and must be used on a specific side of the car. Wider rotors allow more cooling area to pass through. As with every improvement in performance, improving brakes has it’s compromises. Increasing rotor diameter and width will increase weight and larger parts cost more too (with everything else being equal). ''
All comments/opinions/advice welcome and much needed
And is it even advisable to change it at all from OE spec? Can I fit larger rotors on my stock 17' sawblades? I am considering this with track use in mind, or even 'situations' on irish roads that require repeated hard braking
and therefore; enduring performance at high tempadI would also greatly appreciate an informed opinion on the following article from Carma Corvette, no copyright infringement intended!
It states that installing larger rotors will allow you to achieve the same braking power with significantly less pedal pressure, in this example- 7% less. Is this true?
''One of the best ways to increase the heat dissipation ability of your brakes is to increase the rotor diameter. The area of a circle is given by Pi r squared, so lets say we have a 13” rotor with the outer 2” being the portion that the brake pads contact. The radius of a 13” circle is 6.5”, which squared is 42.25, times pi = 132.73. Now we subtract the area of the circle that is not contacted by pads; 4.5 squared X pi = 63.62, 132.73 – 63.62 = 69.11 sq in. Now that’s only one face of the rotor, but lets compare it to a 14 inch rotor with the a similar caliper using the outer 2” as pad contact area: r = 7, squared = 49, X pi = 153.94. Subtracting out the unused portion given by 5 squared X pi; = 78.54, 153.94 – 78.54 = 75.4 sq in. The difference is 6.29 sq in. So we gained 9.1% more surface area per rotor face for cooling, a very significant improvement. As an added bonus we have also gained approximately 7% greater mechanical leverage in stopping the wheel due to the fact that we are now applying the caliper’s clamping force further from the wheel center. This will translate into 7% less pedal pressure required for a given amount of braking, another significant improvement!
Rotors on modern high performance cars are vented, with vanes designed to pump air throught them. The best ones are directional, with curved vanes and must be used on a specific side of the car. Wider rotors allow more cooling area to pass through. As with every improvement in performance, improving brakes has it’s compromises. Increasing rotor diameter and width will increase weight and larger parts cost more too (with everything else being equal). ''
All comments/opinions/advice welcome and much needed
