High-Performance Brake Systems

While most passenger car brake systems are quite robust and reliable under typical operating conditions, high-performance driving and/or racetrack operation generally require alternative design solutions to optimize consistency and longevity. Whether it is brake fluid fade, cracked rotor discs, chronic knockback, or insufficient brake pad life, the stresses of motorsports can pose unique challenges to even the very best brake system designs. Consequently, ceramic rotors, six-piston calipers, adjustable balance bars, and titanium backing plates have all made their way onto the high-performance brake system scene, but what is the right answer for your application?

This course has been designed to assist you in answering that very question. The day begins with a concise yet thorough analysis of brake system design factors relevant to all types and categories of high-performance vehicles. The principles of energy conversion, gain, balance, and deceleration are discussed and supported with straightforward mathematical models, allowing participants to realize the compromises that must be considered when designing from a system perspective.

From selecting an appropriate brake pedal ratio through the calculation of caliper effective piston area, the second portion of the course dives into the details of brake system component design. Based upon the principles learned earlier in the day, participants will quickly realize that just as with proper system design, brake system component design is an exercise in managing engineering trade-offs. As a result, the material presented will not disclose what components to choose as much as how to choose them.

Day two of the course concludes with a design exercise that will allow participants to put into practice several of the key concepts learned throughout the course. Detailed course notes and illustrations are provided along with a copy of High-Performance Brake Systems: Design, Selection, and Installation for on-the-job reference.

The course has been approved by the Accreditation Commission for Traffic Accident Reconstruction (ACTAR) for 13 Continuing Education Units (CEUs). Upon completion of this course, accredited reconstructionists should mail a copy of their course certificate of achievement and the $5 participant CEU fee to ACTAR, PO Box 1493, North Platte, NE 69103.