Brake Caliper: Friction and Effective Brakes

Anthony Fontanelle
January 4, 2008

Found on both sides of the brake rotor, the brake caliper is one of the most important components of an automobile’s braking system. When there is a need to stop the wheels and, with it, the motion of a vehicle, the brake caliper stops the rotor. The brake rotor, which spins in synch with the wheels, is stopped by the caliper as it presses the brake pads onto it. The brake caliper's pressing onto the rotor produces friction that significantly slows down the movement of the vehicle or brings it to a halt, depending on the force exerted on brake pedal.

Shaped as a letter U, the brake caliper has pistons on both of its sides that carry the brake pads. When a driver hits on the brakes, the brake fluid from the master cylinder gets channeled down to the brake caliper and it directs its pistons to move inward. As the pistons move inward, the brake pads presses on the spinning rotors and affects its spinning through friction that, consequently, slows the vehicle down or brings it to a full stop.

As the braking system is among the automobile assemblies that ensures safety on the road, it is important that its components are in good working condition. Constantly subjected to pressure, the various components of the braking system will eventually wear out in the course of time. In the case of brake calipers that deal with the rotors spinning at over hundreds of revolutions per minute, one can just imagine the enormous amount of force it is exposed to. Even the hydraulic brake fluid wears it down. Although the break pads usually wear out sooner than the calipers, the latter still need replacing after some time. With properly fitted new brake calipers, however, a driver can be confident of his car’s ability to stop when he needs to.

Source:  Amazines.com