Racing Brake Calipers

No matter whether you are an avid racer or an amateur, you certainly know that total control over your car is a number one priority on the track. Having an impressive amount of horsepower under the hood isn't enough for getting an exciting and safe racing experience. The ability to control that power is what makes every race so thrilling. Brakes can slow a vehicle allowing it to go deeper into corners for improved lap times and certainly lead it to a halt when needed. To guarantee your brakes operate at their peak, all its components should be in good condition and perfectly cooperate together. The other important factor you should consider is their ability to handle harsh racing conditions, including extremely high heat. Brake calipers are no exclusion.

These car parts are built to squeeze the brake pads against a rotor to slow and/or stop a vehicle. The main criteria for racing calipers are light weight, superior strength, ability to resist high temperatures, and surely, providing proper clamping force. Nowadays, the industry offers two types of those car parts: floating and fixed. The former caliper construction includes a bracket that is solidly mounted and a caliper which can slide within it. The latter one features a caliper fixed within its bracket.

They also differ in a number of pistons used. While most floating calipers have a single piston, the fixed ones come with 2, 4, 6, or 8 pistons on both their sides. They are heavier when compared to the floating ones. They also require centering which isn’t needed with the floating units. However, fixed calipers provide greater stopping power by applying the same amount of friction and pressure to both sides of a disc, which makes them a more frequent choice among racers. Besides, this caliper construction ensures that brake pads wear more evenly.