Posted on 4/14/2024
Race car drivers have demonstrated the advantages of disc brakes, so most modern vehicles use them. Sometimes just the front wheels have disc brakes, but many vehicles now have them all the way around. A major component of the disc brake is called a caliper. It works by squeezing brake pads against the disc or rotor, kind of like a bicycle hand brake. The brake pads themselves are what contact the rotor, causing friction to build and the wheel to slow down, but it's the calipers that apply the pressure to the pads. Caliper design has evolved over the years, and there are two common types. One is called a floating caliper. It has one or two pistons on one side of the disc. When you push down the brake pedal, the piston or pistons in your caliper put pressure on that one side. A mechanism connected on the other side of the disc applies pressure as well, squeezing your disc so the vehicle stops. Floating calipers are less expensive since the ... read more