[s-cars] G60 Confusion !! (small typo correction)

[Keith Maddock]

Scott,

Agreed agreed!  Very good point about the MC compatibility.

Don't forget another evil of the G60's... unsprung weight!!  (though usually offset by heavier "big rotors" in an upgrade)

RE Why doesn't a Audi ditch sliding calipers?

The problem is that fixed calipers are more expensive to manufacture, and are more difficult to make quiet and keep quiet.

Unfortunately, 99% of the car buying public cares more about brake noise and cost than how good their brakes actually are.....

Hence why cheap, sliding calipers are the norm for most cars ...

Cheers,
Keith


Keith Maddock, TRW Automotive,  Koblenz, Germany
Slip Control Systems, Systems Design, Traction Control
+49 (0)261/ 895 2474    -   -   keith.maddock at trw.com


>>> <QSHIPQ at aol.com> 15:14:36 28.10.2003 >>>
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Keith:
Thanks for the corrections on the math.  I think it may be prudent to put
some corrections into the heads of a few, given what the math indicates.  I
remember specifically your Chicago visit a while ago when we discussed the very
topic of G60's shortcomings....

The *best* thing about G60's is their piston size, it makes 4 piston fixed
caliper "upgrades" possible without MC problems usually associated with the
swap.  The worst thing about G60's is their floating caliper design.  We could
support this by several math equations, including comparable "fixed" caliper:
brake rotor size, pad swept area, regardless of piston size.

Waaaay back, when Carl Jerritts and I first cooked up the whole BR craze
(1995?) it was because we both drove the "new" M3 ('95 version) and found those
brakes to be unreal.  What's up tho, the rotors are basically the same size, the
pad is the same size....

Fixed Caliper rules braking Gentlemen!  I chuckle all the time when reading
increased this or that with a given brake setup.  90% of the braking
improvement IMO/E comes from the rigid caliper arrangement found in 99% of audi brake
"upgrades".  I dare say, you could run a stock audi rotor with a fixed caliper
and get better braking running a "smaller" pad, even a smaller rotor!

Audi could do well to ditch all these floating caliper designs.  I know when
my '87 4Runner sports 4 piston fixed calipers with cooling ducts from the
factory, there is no excuse looking to the performance car arena.

My .02

Scott Justusson
QSHIPQ Performance Tuning


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