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Brake
Fade And Ti Brake Shields Using
Ti Brake Shields to Reduce Brake Fluid
Fade During
braking, brake fluid is heated by the transfer of
heat from the brake pad backing plate directly to
the caliper piston(s). The opposite end of the
caliper piston is in direct contact with the brake
fluid inside the brake caliper. Thus, heat
generated by the frictional material of the pad
transfers directly to the caliper piston which
heats the brake fluid. Excessive heat can also
destroy the piston seals. Download
Heavy Duty Brake Fluid
Chart
(PDF) Download
Brake Fade Fact
Sheet Notice
the relatively small fluid chamber in a caliper
(Figure 1, Item 4. yellow area below). This small
volume of fluid must absorb and withstand
tremendous temperatures and still remain
stable. Figure 1. Typical
brake caliper parts o1.kkSealing
ring Do
you find it necessary to bleed your brakes after a
day at the track? Your brake fluid has boiled. One
solution to prevent fluid fade is to use larger
brake components (caliper, rotor and pad) so the
increased mass can absorb more heat. However, this
option is expensive and may be limited by race
rules. Wheel dimensions may limit the caliper size,
and the additional weight also adds unsprung weight
which can affect vehicle handling. Another
solution is to use brake materials that inhibit
heat transfer to the fluid. Most OEM caliper
pistons are made of steel. However, stainless steel
is better than steel in this regard and pistons
made from this material can sometimes be added to
certain brake calipers. Some aftermarket brake
calipers are equipped with stainless steel pistons.
Some install a stainless steel shield on the
caliper surfaces facing the very hot rotor surfaces
(Fig. 2). The
thermal conductivity of titanium (Ti) is much lower
than steel or stainless steel (see chart below).
Taking advantage of this semi-exotic material (high
strength-to-weight ratio and expensive), some brake
manufacturers go to great lengths to shield the
brake fluid from high brake temperatures; using
elaborate piston configurations as well as pistons
made from titanium or coating the caliper pistons
with titanium oxide. Ti
Brake Shields are cut to the same shape as the
brake pad (fig. 3) and are installed between each
brake pad and the caliper piston Figure 4 shows a
Ti Brake Shield being installed. With
the Ti Brake Shields installed, heat transfer to
the brake fluid is reduced by as much as 50ºF.
This can often provide the margin needed to prevent
fluid boiling and a loss of brakes. In
addition to its low thermal conductivity, titanium
is also lightweight and possesses high tensile
strength. Total added weight is only 4-6 oz./wheel
(depending on application). Titanium also has
excellent corrosion resistance to salt water and is
resistant to a broad range of acids, alkalis and
chemicals for long life. The
following chart compares the thermal conductivity
of various materials. Note: ww Material Grade w Aluminum 7075-T6
alloy w Steel 1330 w Steel
Alloy 4118 w Stainless
steel 304 w 310 Titanium CP,
commercially pure, Grade 2 3.2Al-4V
alloy
Titanium 6Al-4V
alloy, Grade 5* *Seine
Systems Ti Brake Shields are made from Grade 5,
aircraft grade titanium alloy Summary While
installing larger brake calipers and rotors is
always an option, this upgrade can be costly and
require other modifications. In addition, many race
organizations may limit the type of brake
modification in order to participate or to remain
in class. For
these reasons, Ti Brake
Shields
provide
the next logical step to increase braking
efficiency. What
the engineers
say: Ti
Brake Shields, $89.95/set |
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