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PAD WEAR
As long as your pads are wearing evenly across the pad surface,
the pads can be used almost down to the backing plate. Spacer plates
may be added behind the pad backing plate as it wears so the caliper
pistons will not have to be exposed to the abusive track dirt and
grit.
A regular check of the brake pads for excessive wear and taper is
necessary to ensure proper disc brake performance.
CALIPER BLEED SCREWS POINTING UP
When bleeding the brakes, make sure the bleed screws on the
calipers are pointing straight up so there is no possibility of air
bubbles getting trapped. If the calipers are mounted on an angle,
you will need to unbolt one ear from the bracket. Pivot the caliper
so it points straight up and place a spacer between the pads to
prevent the pistons from coming out of the housing.
WEIGHT REDUCTION
Finding areas to cut weight is becoming increasingly more
difficult, so if you are evaluating whether or not to take weight
out of your brake system, here is something to keep in mind: A
caliper’s size (and weight) is largely affected by the size of the
brake pad it needs to hold. If you can go to a smaller brake pad
(without running out of pad before you run out of event) then a
smaller lighter caliper may be for you. For example, if your pads
last about 10 races, consider going to a smaller pad that will
require changing a bit more frequently. Remember, if you go to a
smaller caliper, you won’t affect stopping performance provided
piston sizes stay the same. Also keep in mind that pad wear is
heavily dependent on operating temperature, so if you are going to
experiment with downsizing, make sure you have adequate cooling.
CALIPER MOUNTING
Brake calipers should be mounted square with rotor to prevent
excessive piston knock-back and uneven pad wear. While looking at
brake area, have someone apply brakes. Caliper should not move
(square itself to rotor): only the pistons and pad should move. If
caliper is not parallel with rotor, shims should be used between
mounting bracket and caliper ears for proper alignment. Caliper
brackets should be strong enough not to deflect under heavy braking.
All caliper mounting bolts should be of the highest quality and
lockwired for safety.
CALIPER SELECTION AND MOUNTING
Most Wilwood
extreme performance calipers are one directional because of the
differential piston bore design (one end of the caliper having
larger pistons than the other); the caliper must be mounted in a
specific position relative to the rotor rotation. All Wilwood calipers are marked with a rotor rotation arrow
on them. The caliper should be mounted so that the smaller piston
end is closest to the rotor entrance, and the larger piston end
toward the rotor exit. The larger piston end provides slightly
greater clamping force to compensate for pad taper that can occur
under extended severe use applications. An improperly mounted
caliper (reverse rotation) will cause increased pad taper and reduce
overall braking efficiency.
Note that differential piston bore calipers cannot be used
interchangeably from side to side - there is a left hand caliper and
a right hand caliper. Also, calipers differ depending on whether the
mounting is behind or in front of the spindle - this affects bleed
screw position. Make sure to properly analyze these criteria when
ordering.
PAD SELECTION
Proper selection of friction pads is a critical part of a high
performance disc brake system. It is important to analyze your
vehicle’s braking requirements based upon track demands and driver
braking tendencies, then select a pad compound which satisfies these
needs. The proper compound for you can be found through a trial and
error process, or contact our technical department for
recommendations.
CALIPER PISTON AREA
A calipers piston area is calculated by finding the total piston
area from one side of the caliper (this is true for a single piston
caliper also). The graph provides the piston area for individual
piston diameters. Note that differential piston bore calipers will
be the total piston area of the different size pistons.
Example: For the six piston GN III caliper (1.38, 1.38, 1.75”
pistons), the effective piston area would be: 1.50” + 1.50” +
2.40” = 5.40 square inches.
CALIPER REBUILDING
If you race on dirt or drag race on a weekly basis throughout the
year, you should disassemble your calipers mid-season and inspect
the caliper seals for excessive wear or hardness caused by heat.
Asphalt racers generally experience more heat and should do
inspections more frequently, especially after racing on a track
where high temperatures are reached. NASCAR Winston Cup, Busch
GN, Craftsman Truck and Road Race teams usually replace caliper
seals after each race to ensure proper disc brake performance.
Disassembly and replacement of the seals is a simple process and can
prevent catastrophic brake failure.
Click
Here For Pedal Assembly and Balance Bar Information
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