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Race Car Brake Upgrade
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The brake system components found on competition vehicles have complex and demanding
requirements placed on them. Combining high speeds, repetitive braking, and little time for cooling
in-between, racetracks have the capability of exposing weaknesses in even the very best stock
braking systems in only a few laps. Naturally, the consequences of brake system failure under
these conditions is to be avoided at all costs, so when preparing a vehicle for competition, the
brake system is usually given priority over more discretionary items.
At the same time, purchasing and installing a big brake kit may not be a viable solution for
improving your brake system performance. Constraints such as sanctioning body rules, regulations,
or simple budgetary limitations often dictate that the only way to address brake system performance
on track is to stick with the factory hardware and improvise. In other words, not everyone has the
luxury of bolting on a set of 14-inch floating rotors and 6-piston calipers to address their brake
system performance concerns.
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No matter what you race, always check
your sanctioning body’s rulebook
before buying any new brake parts, as
certain modifications may be
prohibited. Consequently, it may
require more creativity than cash to
make significant brake system
performance improvements. In cases
like this, a solid understanding of
brake system fundamentals ensures
that your elbow grease is applied in
the correct areas. (Randall Shafer)
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To provide you with ideas to help you choose your own upgrades, this chapter illustrates some of
the most common brake system modifications when racing a production-based vehicle. Note that
any time you embark on a project such as this, you should not be second-guessing your design,
fabrication, or installation abilities. If in doubt, enlist the services of a professional to ensure that the
integrity of the modified components is not compromised in any way!
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Racing in vintage classes may require
participants to adhere to arcane rules
and regulations from the past. While
this is certainly part of the allure of
vintage competition, it may prevent you
from using modern brake system
technology. The 1972 Porsche 911
modified in the pages that follow falls
exactly into this category. (Daniel
Mainzer)
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The Objective
With approximately 280 hp at the crankshaft and weighing in at just 2,000 pounds, this vehicle is
capable of generating a significant amount of kinetic energy in a very short amount of time.
Consequently, the stock brake system, designed for much less power and significantly more weight,
was not able to keep up with the rest of the vehicle’s performance capability.
While brake fade was being managed through friction material selection and a brake fluid upgrade,
brake pad taper, brake pad life, and rotor cracking were all causing headaches on track. In
addition, there was no adjustability in the stock brake system to adjust the brake balance for the
vehicle in full race trim, resulting in extended stopping distances.
Therefore, the objective of this upgrade was to increase the thermal capacity of the brake system in
order to reduce brake temperatures to more manageable levels without causing unwanted changes
in brake system gain or brake balance. At the same time, a caliper upgrade was deemed necessary
to reduce taper wear and consequently improve brake pedal feel. However, between a typical club
racer’s budget and a vintage racing requirement to maintain a 15-inch wheel diameter, a typical big
brake upgrade was not on the agenda.
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Although it was world-class at the time, the
stock 911 brake system from 1972 is only
considered average by modern standards.
Between the additional horsepower and
modern race tires installed for competition, it
didn’t take many laps to realize the need for
increased thermal capacity. The vintage
brake systems found on Camaros,
Corvettes, and Mustangs from the same era
typically don’t fare too well, either. (Randall
Shafer)
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Front Brake Upgrade
The first step in the upgrade was to do some research to find out if any other models were offered
by the same manufacturer that came with more robust brake-system hardware. Fortunately,
Porsche offered an upgraded brake system on the 911 Turbo models, which fits under 15-inch
wheels while still being reasonably affordable (in relative terms) when purchased used.
As a result, this was the chosen upgrade path: bolt on the Turbo parts. The only problem was that
they didn’t just bolt on.
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Rotor Selection and Modification
To address brake system temperatures, the first order of business was to select new front rotors.
The stock 911 front rotors measured 11.1 inches in diameter and 0.8 inches in thickness—not too
bad for 1972, but relatively small by contemporary standards. The Turbo rotors were a more
significant 12.0 inches in diameter and 1.3 inches in thickness, but the hat geometry would not
allow for a bolt-on installation. Consequently, aftermarket two-piece friction discs (using Turbo rotor
dimensions) with custom hats were the first modification.
While custom hats are readily available in the aftermarket, the owner fabricated a pair in the shop
from a piece of 6061 aluminum. The only downside to the home-built hats was that it was not
possible to implement a floating interface between the friction disc and the hat. Instead, the two
were bolted rigidly together using aircraft-grade hardware. Although the weight savings of a two-
piece rotor would be realized, the larger rotor would be no more robust to coning than the stock
911 rotor.
In a cost-savings move the front rotors were not slotted, nor were they cross-drilled for fear of
reduced durability. However, the curved-vane design of the larger rotors was expected to move
more cool air through the friction disc than the straight-vaned stock rotors, so the benefit was more
than size alone.
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The custom, two-piece front rotor
shown on the left is 0.9 inches larger in
diameter than the stock 911 rotor
shown on the right, but even more
impressive was the 0.5-inch growth in
thickness. While thermal mass
increased significantly (approximately
five pounds per rotor), fabricating the
hats from aluminum offset some of the
rotational inertia impacts of the new
rotors. (Randall Shafer)
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After a significant amount of trial and
error, the owner bolted the custom
front rotors and hats onto the front
suspension. The friction discs selected
are neither slotted nor cross-drilled to
reduce cost, but their curved vane
geometry is clearly visible. (Randall
Shafer)
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To accompany the front rotor upgrade, the owner purchased a pair of Turbo calipers at a local
swap meet. Compared to the stock 911 two-piston calipers, the Turbo four-piston calipers certainly
looked much more like racecar parts. The fact that they fit under the stock 911 15-inch wheels
using only a pair of custom bracket spacers sealed the deal.
Functionally, the Turbo calipers used a larger brake pad than the stock 911 calipers, providing
increased friction material volume for better brake pad life and lower brake pad temperatures. The
four-piece construction of the Turbo calipers also provided increased stiffness compared to the
stock 911 monoblock calipers, but with the penalty of a slight weight increase.
Although the Turbo calipers used four pistons, they did not contain differential bores. Instead, all
four bores measured 1.5 inches in diameter. However, compared to the stock two-piston 911
caliper, the pressure distribution across the brake pad backing plate was improved and
consequently was expected to decrease the occurrence of longitudinal brake pad taper by some
amount.
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The front Turbo calipers were a
four-piece design (one inboard piston
housing, one outboard piston housing,
and two bridge pieces) in contrast to
the stock 911 aluminum monoblock
calipers. The cross-shaped piece of
wire on the top of the caliper acts as
the brake pad retaining device.
(Randall Shafer)
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The front Turbo calipers bolted on to the
stock 911 front suspension with little
modification at all. The 3.5-inch
center-to-center caliper fastener placement
was common to both caliper bodies,
requiring only a few small spacers to align
the caliper body with the rotor friction disc.
Owners of many American vehicles of this
vintage will have similar luck finding parts
that practically bolt on without significant
modification. (Randall Shafer)
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Previous | Next
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This has been a sample page from
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High-Performance Brake Systems
Design, Selection, and Installation
by James Walker, Jr.
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High-Performance Brake Systems: Design, Selection, and
Installation gives you the knowledge to upgrade your brakes the
right way the first time. Author James Walker, Jr. doesn’t just tell
you what to do—he uses over 330 photos and plain English to
help you understand how and why your brake system works, what
each of the components does, and how to intelligently upgrade
your brakes for better performance. There are chapters showing
you how to choose and install the most effective rotors, calipers,
pads, and tires for your sports car, muscle car, race car, and
street rod. You will even find special sidebars detailing how each
upgrade will affect your ABS.
Brakes might be one of the most important, yet least understood,
vehicle systems. Brakes are relied upon day in and day out
without giving a second thought to their condition, let alone their
purpose, function, or design. Brake systems can be intimidating,
and they aren’t usually the first thing the average horsepower
junkie chooses to upgrade. But there’s no reason to wait until you
have a problem to learn how your brakes work. Whether you are
a casual enthusiast, a weekend warrior, or a professional racer,
this book will tell you everything you need to know about brakes.
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Click below to view a sample
page from each chapter
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Chap. 1 - Energy Conversion
Chap. 2 - Tires Stop the Car
Chap. 3 - System Design
Chap. 4 - Brake Balance
Chap. 5 - Pedal & Master Cyl
Chap. 6 - Brake Fluid
Chap. 7 - Lines and Hoses
Chap. 8 - Brake Calipers
Chap. 9 - Brake Pads
Chap. 10 - Brake Rotors
Chap. 11 - Sports Car Brakes
Chap. 12 - Race Car Brakes
Chap. 13 - Muscle Car Brakes
Chap. 14 - Street Rod Brakes
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8-1/2 x 11"
Softbound
144 pages
330+ color photos
Item: SA126
Price: $21.95
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Click here to buy now!
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This is a great book that any performance enthusiast will love!
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Chassis Engineering
Precise and predictable handling the key to high performance
driving. The art and science of engineering a chassis can be
difficult to comprehend, let alone apply. In this book, chassis
expert Herb Adams clearly explains the complex principles of
suspension geometry and chassis design in terms the novice
can easily understand and apply to any project. Hundreds of
photos and illustrations offer the information on what it takes to
design, build and tune the ultimate chassis for maximum
cornering power, both on and off the track.
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Price:
$18.95
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The Street Rodders Chassis & Suspension Handbook
The experts at Street Rodder have now compiled a
comprehensive handbook on one of the most critical areas of
street rodding – the chassis. Sections covered in this book
include frame design and construction, hanging suspension
components, independent verses sold front suspensions,
independent verses solid rear axles, steering system design
and modification, driveshafts, brakes, shocks, springs and
much more. The information is this book will give you the
knowledge to properly design and build your chassis and
suspension.
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Price:
$18.95
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How to Make Your Car Handle
Make your car handle, design a suspension system, or just
learn about the chassis; you’ll find what you’re looking for in this
book. Basic suspension theory is thoroughly covered including
roll center, roll axis, camber change, bump steer, anti-dive, ride
rate, ride balance and more. How to choose, install and modify
suspension hardware for best handling; springs, sway bars,
shock absorbers, bushings, tires and wheels. Regardless of the
basic layout of your car it’s covered in this book.
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Price:
$18.95
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The Metal Fabricators Handbook
How to build structurally sound, good looking metal parts for
custom street rods, race cars or restorations. Over 350 step-
by-step photos and instructions illustrate proper welding, metal
shaping and design techniques. Learn to fabricate metal like a
professional. This book is for the reader who already has more
than a passing interest in automotive fabrication. Master metal
craftsman Ron Fournier shares the tips, techniques and
secrets necessary for fabricating metal components for race,
custom or restoration use.
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Price:
$18.95
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Turbo High Performance Turbocharger Systems
This book is the most detailed and up-to-date resource on
turbocharging. You'll learn how turbochargers work, how to
choose the right turbo or turbos for your engine by reading
flow maps, and how to tune your engine to run perfectly with
your turbo system. Uses more than 300 photos and technical
information to help you make more horsepower. It also
discusses the various components of a turbocharger and
explains how to decode turbocharger model numbers,
compressor maps, other specifications and includes a
complete step-by-step turbocharger tear-down and rebuild.
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Price:
$22.95
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Payment, Shipping & Sales
Tax: Iowa
residents must pay 7% sales tax. Items usually ship
within one
business day of receipt of payment! Standard shipping is a flat rate of
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International for $11.95, and to most
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POLICY
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