BRAKES

Whether you are a Drag Racer, Road Racer, vigilante Canyon Carver / Street Warrior, or just the average guy pushing along on the freeway we have all had those "OH S**T" moments. And 99% of the time our foot is slammed on that STOP pedal! Yeap, you've got it, this months newsletter will be on that part of our car that makes life just slow down, your brakes. These are arguably the most important part of your vehicle. Yes you need a powerful engine to go fast, and suspension to make everything stay planted, but you aren't going to be doing anything unless you can stop your vehicle.

Disc brakes and ABS are standard on the majority of vehicles these days. The technology to power these devices has become more and more advanced. But for most of us performance oriented car nuts stock simply still isn't enough. Today I will discuss a few different things you can do to improve your braking, some will be cheap, some will put a dent on that credit card bill you have to hide from your wife (At least I hope I'm not the only one that has caught on to this trick).

Step one, Fluids. As you know brake fluid is probably the most overlooked thing in automobiles. Many weekend racers and street drivers focus solely on other aspects, tires pressure, oil levels; but they forget about their brake fluid. Overheated brake fluid will often cause problems leaving gas bubbles inside your brake lines and causing a soft brake pedal and diminished braking capabilities. Changing your stock fluid with a product like Valvoline Synpro brake fluid is a great and easy step in insuring you maintain proper braking capabilities. It is a DOT 3 / 4 fluid that is great for those that do some hard street driving with some occasional track time. For someone that is spending a lot of time on the track, you may want to look into a DOT 5.0 or 5.1 fluid, something that can be found from the usual fluid companies; Redline, Royal Purple, Valvoline, etc. Keep in mind that brake fluid should also be part of your regular maintenance. Once a year should be more then enough for the average driver.

Step two, Pads. Generally there are three types of pads; Organic, Ceramic, and Semi-Metallic. Organic pads are quickly getting phased out and generally were only used on older vehicles. Semi-Metallic pads are the most common right now. They are a blend of metals and organic materials and offer great performance. Many older vehicles can now be switched to semi-metallic pads to gain braking performance. Ceramic pads are fairly new to the market and are common with many aftermarket companies. They offer superior performance and brake pad life compared to Organic and Semi-Metallic pads while also cutting down on that evil brake dust that makes our wheels dirty. Some excellent aftermarket pads can be found from companies like EBC, Hawk, Porterfield, and others.

Step three, Rotors. As you know, this is important for most performance drivers. Stock rotors often can't handle the abuse most of us give and overtime are very prone to warping from the excess heat that hard braking creates; I am sure most of you have experienced this obnoxious vibration under braking. There are many options for aftermarket rotors, and the most popular ones from many manufacturers seem to be the slotted variety (contrary to the drilled rotor popularity, drilled rotors aren't always the best option as they have been known to crack under performance driving). Slotted rotors are superior to stock rotors in that they allow avenues for gasses and heat to dissipate, this is essential in preventing brake fade as well as preventing your rotors from overheating and warping. Many hardcore enthusiasts are also switching to two piece rotors that significantly cut down on weight providing less unsprung weight and stress on your automobile. Some great aftermarket rotor companies are Disc Brakes Australia, PowerSlot, Brembo, Stoptech and many more.

Step four, Big Brake Kit. This is for the hardcore enthusiast who simply needs the best braking capabilities they can get. Big Brake Kits generally consist of larger diameter rotors matched with a multi-piston caliper that will provide superior braking force. Now this is an expensive upgrade, but is a necessity to many, but be prepared to bring out the credit card and expect to pay anywhere from $3-6K for a true Big Brake Kit. Some of the manufacturers you should be looking into are AP Racing, Brembo, Stoptech, and others. They have found great solution for the hardcore enthusiast who wants as much braking power as he has going power. If this is for you, make sure to hold your eyes when you slam on that brake pedal so that they don't fly out of their sockets.

I have provided a few tips for you and hope this may help prevent you from having that "OH S**T" moment in the future. Get out, drive hard, drive safe...and Godspeed.