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Brakes

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A good braking system is not only helpful in improving lap times in racing, it also increases safety in daily traffic enormously, even a half a meter shorter braking distance can protect against massive damage under certain circumstances. There is no such thing as a "best" product when it comes to brakes, the selection of brake components is always a compromise between the braking effect at different temperatures and wear / longevity. The handling behavior is influenced significantly by the weight of the braking system, as this is a part of the unsprung mass of the car.

A larger brake system with new, larger brake calipers and brake discs is not necessary for normal daily use. Alfa / Fiat took this into consideration when choosing the brakes, it was found that the slightly smaller brake units in use were sufficient for daily use, there are of course exceptions to this rule.
Therefore, it is sufficient to optimise just the discs and pads in most cases.

 

Brake Pads

Brake pads offer a great potential to improve the braking performance, as these are critical in reducing stopping distances. The manufacturers offer many different pad compounds which should be selected according to personal requirements and driving behavior. Each compound has its advantages and disadvantages, therefore the selection of brake pads should not be taken lightly. Always chose a balance between the properties you require. The perfect pad (for road use) does not exist, even if the marketing of many manufacturers promises something different. Physics has its boundries, and these can never be overcome.
The selection of brake components is always a compromise out of the following aspects:

  • Braking performance and stability at low and high temperatures
  • Wear of the brake pads and discs
  • Disc wear

The mixture of materials in the pad is designed for as wide a temperature range as possible, but there is no pad that can be stable and brake excellently at high temperatures as well as colder temperatures. Note also the special requirements for the discs when using sport pads (see below).

The greater the braking effect of the pad, the higher the wear of the discs. At the same time, the wear of the pads will usually be less than normal.
The lower the braking effect of the pads, the lower the wear of brake discs, but the pads will wear out faster, causing higher abrasion and dust.

 

Brake Discs

The quality of discs depends primarily on the materials used, the accuracy of production and type of production. Discs have little influence on the stopping distance, but manufacturing tolerances, minimal imbalances and stresses in the material are important factors in the selection. It is our belief that we only offer discs from the market leader and OEM manufacturer, Brembo. In addition to the standard Brembo discs, there are also the slotted Max discs and heat-treated GT Sport discs in slotted or perforated versions. Heat-treated discs are also called "High Carbon Discs". The reason for the higher price is the significantly more complex production process and significantly low sales numbers. The discs are heated up after casting to high temperatures, and cooled down ever so slowly, which means the stresses in the material have been removed and are thus significantly more heat stable,and they do not flex as easily.

Holes and slots are used primarily to disrupt a possible film of water between disc and pad faster & remove dirt and dust. Drilled Brembo brake discs reduce further the fading sensitivity with better cooling. Slotted brake discs are recommended for race use, because they are more heat stable, but they are also louder than perforated or smooth discs.

 

It all depends on the right combination

For the use of the original Brembo-, OEM-, or the EBC Greenstuff pads, the OEM discs or the Max discs will do the job just fine.

For the use of sporting pads such as Brembo High Performance, EBC RedStuff or even the EBC Yellow Stuff you should always use heat-treated discs, otherwise the discs would quickly warp or even crack.

The greater the braking effect of the pad, the higher are the requirements on the thermal stability of the brake disc. Sport brake pads with a higher coefficient of friction result in strong braking with very high temperatures for the disc. If the disc is not heat treated the pads will cause distortion of the disc, thus leading to a shaking of the steering wheel whilst braking.

 

Steel braided brake hoses

To optimise the sensitivity and to stabilize the brake pressure point, we offer stainless steel brake hoses from Brembo & Goodridge. Through the use of a PTFE (Teflon) core, the stainless steel outer braid, and in conjunction with the stainless steel connections, the hoses are very robust and durable. When replacing the original rubber hoses, because of a defect, we therefore would always recommend to replace the rubber hoses with steel braided hoses. The longer the brake hoses are, the more you can feel the difference between rubber and steel braided hoses.

 

Exchange properly

If the discs need to be replaced, the brake pads should be replaced as well, because they have adapted to the old disc and could cause damage on a new disc.
If the pads are worn, it is then sufficient to replace only the pads.

We recommend a detailed telephone consultation before purchasing:
+49 4561 525310

Our sales team has gained extensive practical experience on the road and on the track over the years, and you can profit from it.