Auto Parts Knowledge | Car Disc Brake Components Ⅱ
Car Disc Brake Components
Disc brakes or disc brakes are a car braking system that utilizes additional components in the form of a disc rotor or disc clamped by two brake pads to slow down the tire rotation.
Car disc brakes have better heat radiation and when the disc is exposed to water, it dries pretty quickly. The disc brake design is also excellent. At least there are some components of disc brakes and how they work that need to be known.
Disc Brake Components
1. Brake Calipers
Brake calipers or calipers are an essential component in disc brakes in cars. Calipers will perform a mechanical movement to clamp the brake lining on the disc. Calipers are also often referred to as brake pads and piston brakes.
The brake calipers will work using hydraulic pressure generated from the change in brake fluid pressure that enters through the brake hose or cable. You need to know at least two types of brake calipers, namely floating and fixed calipers.
Floating Caliper is one of the brake calipers whose position is in the brake support caliper section. This type of caliper will later shift and move to the left or right. In floating calipers, the brake piston is only available for one side. When the piston moves, the car pushes the disc brake pads. The other side will clamp the brake lining next to it.
A fixed caliper is a caliper whose position is integrated with the brake support caliper and this keeps the caliper still and will work to suppress the brake pads, namely the brake piston only.
2. Brake Shoes
Brake pads or brake pads are one of the components in disc brakes that emphasize the disc portion to provide friction to stop the rotation of the disc brake.
Make sure you choose brake pads made by well-known companies so that you can get quality brake pads with good materials. The materials for brake pads come from ceramics, asbestos, zither and semi-metal.
The choice of brake lining material can be a consideration for you in buying brake pads. The brake pads' work is hefty because they have to do a large friction force, and the brake pads must be able to stop the rotation of the disc optimally.
The better quality of the brake pads material, the higher the price will be, so brake pads for sports cars have a very high price.
3.Disc plate
Disc or disc brakes are disc brake components that will connect directly to the axle axles, which will rotate by following the wheels' rotation. This disc brake component becomes a core part of car disc brakes.
The disc will function as a medium that will be clamped or pressed by the brake pads so that the braking process appears on the car. The material usually used in disc discs is cast iron.
Several dishes are made of ceramic matrix composite or carbon composite, and this material is usually used to produce high-speed luxury car dishes. Carbon and ceramic composite materials can release heat faster than cast iron.
There are two types of popular car discs in Indonesia: solid discs with ventilated discs. The solid disc is a type that has a very solid shape with a high level of thickness, and there are holes around the disc. However, the braking power is excellent because the grip is firm.
A ventilated disc is a disc type with a unique design because holes in the disc and holes are made to accelerate the cooling process to release heat more quickly.
4.Caliper Bracket
The caliper bracket cannot be removed from the car disc brake unit because the caliper bracket is used to attach the caliper, which will keep the caliper in place will not move.
5.Piston Brake
The piston brake is positioned inside the caliper, shaped like a tube with a groove end. The piston brake functions to press or push the brake lining to the disc so that the wheel rotation can be lowered or stopped.
6. Piston Seal
The piston seal is one part of the piston made of brake fluid, so it has heat resistance properties. The piston seal functions to prevent brake fluid leakage that can flow when the brake lever is pressed. The piston seal can help pull the piston back and forth during the braking process.
7. Master Cylinder
The master cylinder will work by converting the mechanical movement of the brake pedal into hydraulic pressure. The master cylinder has a system component directly connected to the brake pedal. From the piston, the pressure on the fluid or brake fluid is applied. 2 types of master cylinders are popular in Indonesia, namely the tandem type master cylinder with the single type.
The tandem type is a master cylinder with two outlet hoses and two pistons that can separate the control of the rear wheels from the front wheels. If one piston is not working correctly, the other piston will continue to brake, so it will be safe to use.
The single type is the master cylinder which carries only one outlet hose and one piston. This one part has the same function, namely controlling all four wheels properly. In terms of safety, the single type is lacking because when a breakdown occurs, and the condition worsens, the braking system will be very disturbed.
8. Reservoir Tank
The reservoir tank is a disc brake component that functions to accommodate extra brake fluid, usually attached to the master cylinder. In the tube, a sensor has been installed to detect the level of brake fluid volume level.
9. Brake Fluid
Under normal conditions, the brake fluid volume should not decrease, and when it is reduced, there is a leak. The brake fluid will also not perform optimally if the condition is dirty.
Brake fluid or brake fluid functions as a medium that can generate thrust from the brake pedal to the caliper. This will make the brake pads clamp down on the disc.
Brake fluid is divided into several specifications based on each type's boiling point, which is made clear by the standardization on the part of the package marked or marked with dot 3 and dot 4.
Car owners must pay attention to the brake fluid's specifications to be used in the car so that the braking process will work properly and precisely.
10. Brake Booster
The brake booster is a disc brake component made of a membrane connected to the intake manifold. The brake booster serves as an assist that can help reduce the force of pressing the brake pedal without reducing braking power.
The brake booster can also double the braking energy when the driver is doing the braking process. This makes the rider not require a lot of power in the braking process. The driver will feel light when stepping on the brake pedal with the brake booster component's help.
11. Hydraulic Hose
The hydraulic hose is one of the core components in disc brakes because it distributes brake fluid to various brake calipers with ongoing hydraulic pressure.
12. Brake Pedals
The brake pedal is a disc brake component that functions to help activate a vehicle's braking system. In general, brake pedals are made with extended arms or levers and match the driver's braking needs.
