The Development Of Phenolic Disc Brake Pistons for European Vehicles

Phenolic disc brake pistons have been in service for many years in the USA.

Despite the advantages offered by these pistons, no European car manufacturer has fitted them to motor vehicles as original equipment.

This is attributed to the fact that the duties experienced on the European continent (ie high speeds, small discs, high front brake duty, Alpine conditions) are much more severe than those experienced on the American continent.

Phenolic pistons were therefore developed specifically for European conditions and this paper outlines the work carried out.