In the world of tuning and performance cars, horsepower often steals the spotlight. We all obsess over power and achieving the highest power output we possibly can and understandably so. However, what stops this powerful machine is equally as important. High-quality brakes are paramount in ensuring not only the best performance, but also the safety and longevity of your car.
In this blog, we'll delve into why it's essential to invest in good quality brakes for your car, the benefits of upgrading certain components, and the potential risks posed by poor quality components.
A Matter of Physics
Before delving into the specifics, it's crucial to understand the basic physics involved in a cars braking system.
When you apply the brakes, your car uses the friction from pushing the brake pads onto the brake discs in order to convert kinetic energy into thermal energy – essentially, it uses heat to stop.
The faster the car is travelling, the more kinetic energy there is to convert, hence the more heat is generated. High-quality brakes are better equipped to handle this heat and dissipate it more effectively, reducing the risk of brake failure and ensuring optimal stopping power.
The Perils of Poor Quality Brakes
Heat failures
Poor quality brakes are not effective at dissipating heat.
Cheap brake discs are often produced with substandard materials and under strenuous driving conditions, the temperature of these discs can exceed their thermal limit, leading to warping. Warping refers to the deformation of the discs, which often results in a noticeable vibration during braking.
The brake pads can also experience thermal damage. Extreme heat can cause some brake pads to crack and eventually disintegrate, posing a significant safety risk.
Increased Wear and Tear
Low-quality brake pads will often wear much faster than a performance counterpart as they are made from inferior materials, especially if subjected to some spirited driving and harsh braking.
Inconsistent Performance
Poor quality brakes can exhibit inconsistent performance, especially under harsh driving conditions. This inconsistency can make it difficult to judge stopping distances and handle your vehicle effectively, impacting both performance and safety.
The Benefits of Upgrading Your Braking System
Increased Stopping Power
The most apparent benefit of a high-quality braking system is enhanced stopping power. Performance cars, with their increased horsepower and speed, require more stopping power than your average road car. High-performance brake pads, callipers, and rotors can provide this, ensuring that when you need to stop, you stop.
Greater Heat Dissipation
Upgraded brake components, such as ventilated or patterned rotors, can dissipate the heat generated during braking more efficiently. This results in improved performance and longevity.
Improved Consistency
High-performance brakes deliver consistent performance even under strenuous conditions, such as racing or high-speed driving. This is crucial for a performance car to ensure a smooth cornering manouver.
Aesthetic Appeal
Let's face it, we don't just care about performance – we care about looks too. Upgraded braking systems often feature larger, more aggressive-looking callipers and rotors, which look incredible behind your wheels.
Our Solutions
We take immense pride in offering an exceptional collection of braking components from a select group of manufacturers that we work with.
Racingline provides an exceptional array of premium brake upgrades specifically tailored for VWAG vehicles. Beyond their superb selection of replacement brake discs and pads, they also offer a series of impressive big brake kits and for those seeking the ultimate in braking performance, they offer a line of ceramic big brake kits as well.
Performance Braking Solutions (PBS) presents a vast selection of brake pads available in two compounds. The ProTrack is designed with the spirited road driver in mind, while the ProRace is optimised for a more track-centric setup. Both choices provide a significant enhancement in stopping power and pedal feel over OEM pads.
Although we do provide a selection of OEM discs and pads from Ford and VWAG, which naturally meet the high OEM standards you'd anticipate, this post is focused on performance upgrades.
Should you need any guidance or recommendations on the ideal braking set up for your vehicle, please feel free to reach out to our team at Support@Wayside-Performance.co.uk.
