Big Brakes

[Larry C Leung]

Yes, the brake material (in this case combinations of carbon fiber) don't
tend to work to maximum braking potential until they get hot and are
still able to work at red hot temps. But remember, brakes are simply
devices that convert motion into heat, so, unless you can afford carbon
fiber pads AND rotors, the potential to overheat (and start a
chemi-physical breakdown of the pad and de-tempering of the rotors) the
brakes tends to lead to decreased performance. There was an article in
one of this years Grassroots Motorsports issues that does a really
thorough job explaining this. 

LL - NY

On Thu, 30 Aug 2001 17:52:02 -0700 Just Taylor <audi at lart.com> writes:
>At 02:27 PM 08/30/2001, Larry C Leung wrote:
>
>>Technically, no IF the brakes as supplied (little brakes?) don't heat 
>up
>>so much as to cause fade. Other factors, the ability to modulate and 
>hold
>>at the threshold, which better brakes do, uh, better. Bigger brakes 
>fight
>>fade by having more mass to hold the heat in the rotor rather than 
>pass
>>it to the fluid or pads.
>
>I was going to respond with pretty much the same but then I got around 
>to 
>thinking about the brakes on F1's and other race cars... with those 
>isn't 
>the hotter the better?  I read that some brakes with these cars don't 
>even 
>start to work well until the reach temps that would pretty much melt 
>the 
>brakes on my cars :)
>
>
>--
>Taylor
>'89 Audi 200
>'01 Audi A6 2.7T
>