Brake Kit Marketing 101

[BA.]

Oh well, at least we got 120+ reads on the thread in one night!
I don't think I got my point across very well though.

My thoughts about the 'variables' are that the point is to LIMIT the variables. I wasn't thinking of an ASA standard, just something within a company like Baer or Wilwood or Stoptech or SSBC. If they all use similar standards, great, if not, AT LEAST I can compare what I get for my money with differences from 12" to 14" rotors, etc.



We're NOT trying to compare driver 'A' to driver 'B', or car 'A' to car 'B'. That would be silly.
In the end, there are truly only a handful of variables that make a large difference in the braking and those could be mostly standardized within a company.

As Silver69 mentioned, even back to back tests can vary slightly, but THAT'S one of the reasons my example uses a range. No one should expect exact duplication of a test, and the range helps to bring that point home as well.

I DO like the mention of repeatability because that is really an important factor. In fact, it's a huge reason a friend didn't like the brakes on his C5 Vette.

One final thought. When we buy an aluminum head for a motor, what two things do we look for? Horsepower tests and Flow right?
batteries have cranking amps.
Cams are tested for HP gains, the variables there are MORE than for braking.

What do ya got for braking systems? Bupkus I tell ya. Bupkus.

[silver69camaro]

I agree, but cams are incorrectly marketed for thier power gains, when really it's all about torque curves and where the power is made...so like you said, same deal with brakes.

Now, the way I see it, you could measure a brakes true ability by using a "brake dyno", where the energy input is correlated against energy output in the form of heat (delta T). I guess this can provide a back-to-back comparison between brake designs, but still doesn't measure the caliper's ability to resist flexing. In the end, I'd say on-vehicle testing is a no-no.

Something to think about: What information are you really looking for? If you're trying to compare 12" against 14" rotors, well you don't need a brake dyno for that...just do the math. How about piston sizes? That can be figured mathematically also. IMO, the data that I'd want to know is caliper flex, pad taper, etc...again, all of which can't easily be measured or compared...and all of which are good benchmarks for brake system design.