Experience with The Brake Man Tornado Calipers?

[65-fastback]

Now have Wilwood all around, 4 piston, but considering an upgrade.

Can I swap the calipers, I have the 5.25 mount type, and fort those who are running them; How do they perform compared to other brands??

I also would like to know where to buy the calipers.

Thanks!!

[SLO_Z28]

If you want to know why you should switch to them, and why they are far and away the best calipers out there talk to Warren the owner/inventor. Just buy direct : http://www.thebrakeman.com/ . These are THE best calipers out there, they are leaps and bounds better than other calipers out there for a variety of reasons, and unlike most aftermarket kits they arent designed for looks, they are designed to perform.

My experience with them comes from the drag world, where TBM could accomplish with 2 calipers and 2 rotors what took every other company 4 rotors and 8 calipers.

[Skip Fix]

He's in the same town as Wilwood, wonder if he was an ex Wilwood guy.

[David Pozzi]

He predates Willwood, used to work at Airheart Brakes way back when!

[DarkoNova]

In a nutshell, what's so OMG AMAZING about his stuff that blows the competition away?

...and what kind of crazy rotors does he have? o_O

[jpgolf14]

If you want to know why you should switch to them, and why they are far and away the best calipers out there talk to Warren the owner/inventor. Just buy direct : http://www.thebrakeman.com/ . These are THE best calipers out there, they are leaps and bounds better than other calipers out there for a variety of reasons, and unlike most aftermarket kits they arent designed for looks, they are designed to perform.

My experience with them comes from the drag world, where TBM could accomplish with 2 calipers and 2 rotors what took every other company 4 rotors and 8 calipers.

Care to elaborate??? That is an incredibly generic statement you have made.

Braking torque is a factor of fluid pressure, piston area, rotor diameter, and tire grip. There is not much black magic to be found in brakes. The only real "secrets" are how to minimize caliper flex which really is not the biggest issue with today's brakes.

[SLO_Z28]

Care to elaborate??? That is an incredibly generic statement you have made.

Braking torque is a factor of fluid pressure, piston area, rotor diameter, and tire grip. There is not much black magic to be found in brakes. The only real "secrets" are how to minimize caliper flex which really is not the biggest issue with today's brakes.

Caliper strength is vastly improved with the design they use. The piston drag which is HUGE to the overall performance of the brakes, their responsiveness is a direct result of the seal drag, and you can generate far more precise brake applications because the pads don't drag upon release. The hydrodynamics of fluid return are vastly superior to anyone else on the market, and again this leads to a more responsive caliper that is easier for the driver to predict and will generate a better feel and lower temperatures and wear characteristics. Lower seal drag can lower temps 2-300 degrees on a race car, meaning you can run a smaller rotor, and less brake ducting which will improve your aero. I could get into specifics, but not without stepping on the toes of some of the vendors here, which I wont do again.

[SLO_Z28]

He predates Willwood, used to work at Airheart Brakes way back when!

^This. He used to work for William Wood (Wilwood). He is literally right across the street.

[dontlifttoshift]

James, how do you like them on your car?

[Skip Fix]

He predates Willwood, used to work at Airheart Brakes way back when!

I remember them! But that might be dating myself.

My son's factory for Cooper Industries is also in Camarillo, so must be alot of manufacturing there.

[65-fastback]

Just emailed them, keep you posted!!

All I hear is that they are the best of the best, also curious about $$ to performance
Just need the calipers in my opinion

[jpgolf14]

Caliper strength is vastly improved with the design they use. The piston drag which is HUGE to the overall performance of the brakes, their responsiveness is a direct result of the seal drag, and you can generate far more precise brake applications because the pads don't drag upon release. The hydrodynamics of fluid return are vastly superior to anyone else on the market, and again this leads to a more responsive caliper that is easier for the driver to predict and will generate a better feel and lower temperatures and wear characteristics. Lower seal drag can lower temps 2-300 degrees on a race car, meaning you can run a smaller rotor, and less brake ducting which will improve your aero. I could get into specifics, but not without stepping on the toes of some of the vendors here, which I wont do again.

This reads like an advertisement. But since you aren't willing to get into specifics, I guess that is all we are going to get.

Regarding the seals. Every caliper I can think of uses a rectangular section piston seal. As the piston is extended the seal deforms into a trapezoid. When fluid pressure is released, the deformed seal pulls the piston back into the bore. Slightly retracting the piston. This seems to work pretty well. Are you suggesting TBM seal pulls the piston in further or faster? Even TBM website says they use square seals.

One of these days I will get around to reading his patent.

John

[DarkoNova]

I want to know what the deal is with those weird flower shaped rotors...

[SLO_Z28]

One of these days I will get around to reading his patent.

His SAE publications are what you really need to read, and its what I read. Specifically he has a great paper on lowering the hysteresis of elastometric reciprocating seal applications. There is also a good general primer on the subject by Robert Flitney, like all good books its expensive though. I only have associates level of engineering training, so I dont think this stuff is too hard of a read if I can get it.

For the record I do not have, nor have I ever had BrakeMan stuff on my car. Im just a big fan of stuff that works, not stuff that looks good but doesn't work and is made by people that don't know what they're doing and have no business in parts manufacturing. I like 10/10ths stuff.

[Roadrage David]

we Have two sets of the Tornado F4 brake systems!.. you only need to go tru there website to see and READ there tech pages!! info you wil NOT find on any other brake brand website!!!.. They are one of if not the best brake company out there. ther paternd inventions are suspected to be sneeky used bij a Formule 1 team!!. yep thats right!!!!!.
One of the sets we bought was second hands , we had it completly revised it was the set of Pete Mohrhausers national champion ship winning Transam/GT1 http://www.thebrakeman.com/proad_race
. Also when they made the car of tomorrow there Tornado F5 brakes where used . A top nascar team tested there system direcly agains a bleu zillion piston fitted 30.000 usd alcon system and that system was spangt in every way!!.
This team now uses there brakes but wil not let it out here is a picture. Brake man name has been cuverd bij duct tape

Uploaded with ImageShack.us .

Uploaded with ImageShack.us when you do your resirts you wil find out that everyting you need is a 4 pistons caliper . they practicly dont advertize and they sell there products more bij word of mouth . 75% of there sales is racing bisenis. NASA champio Ernesto rocco http://youtu.be/OrTxTRr5Z2E http://youtu.be/zpBPopHUe68 grave digger http://youtu.be/z3GGHrAN2LA most of there stuf is custom made to specification, so there is no real one size fits all!!!. Every tegnicel detail about our project car was ask from weight tiLl performance rear ratio transmission to be used tires with hight ecetera the whole 9 yards.

here is my set

Uploaded with ImageShack.us if you are intrested ask for Corry he is your man!!

[dontlifttoshift]

My experience with them comes from the drag world, where TBM could accomplish with 2 calipers and 2 rotors what took every other company 4 rotors and 8 calipers.

I would like to know how this happened. Please tell me more about this. I don't think this guy is Harry Potter so he didn't cast a spell, seals aren't going to make you stop better, and in a drag situation heat isn't the issue (until you get close to the sandbox, then it can be an issue)

I could get into specifics, but not without stepping on the toes of some of the vendors here, which I wont do again.

Really, these calipers are so good but you can't tell us why without dragging another vendor through the mud? I don't want to be argumentative but I really want to know what makes them so far above and beyond anything that is out there.

What I am seeing is seals that retract the pistons faster, a steel bridge bolt together bridge, and an extra fluid transfer tube. I don't see any spaceship technology here but I guess I am missing it.

[65-fastback]

Just ordered the f3 calipers front and rear!!

Great service and advise from Cory.

Went by Roadrage and looks perfect!!

[dontlifttoshift]

Cool! Keep us posted.

[The GMR]

I want to know what the deal is with those weird flower shaped rotors...

designed for drag race applications. I will post more by the end of next week with some pictures. The rear rotor we selected is only about 4lbs, 11.75 diameter bu .500 thick.
jason

[The GMR]

Care to elaborate??? That is an incredibly generic statement you have made.

Braking torque is a factor of fluid pressure, piston area, rotor diameter, and tire grip. There is not much black magic to be found in brakes. The only real "secrets" are how to minimize caliper flex which really is not the biggest issue with today's brakes.

I respectfully Disagree.

Caliper flex IS the biggest issue with brakes, period. When it comes to the high end monoblocs literally teams of engineers spend countless hours working on how they can keep an all aluminum caliper from flexing at non-ambient temperatures.

Caliper flex is the direct culprit to higher brake temperatures as a whole. Flex at non-ambient temperature leads to piston drag which will increase friction between the pad/rotor when its lease needed. Flex will also lead to tapered pad wear as the caliper itself with fatigue do to increase temperatures, hence why you see so many calipers designed with staggered pistons, to combat the fatigue which creates flex. As the calipers flex the piston then becomes exponentially out of perpendicular to the rotor surface, causing piston drag and eventually locking up the caliper as temperatures increase.

If you do not factor in the flex of the caliper then your number for brake torque will be a false assumption. Not only do you need to factor in the flex of the caliper you also need to do so at operating temperature to get a real evaluation of the torque being applied.

I also do not see how the rotor diameter is a proper method of calculating realistic brake torque. I would rather focus on the operating temperature of the rotor, the co-efficient of the pads/rotor, and how well the rotor can cool down between heavy braking (basically how well does the rotor cool, or how many degrees on average before the pads are re-applied).

Just like everyone on here, I still consider myself in the learning stage, even though Myself and Jay have had extensive research in the brake department over the last 12 months.

Jason