Find an open stretch of road and we all want to drive fast cars and ride fast motorcycles and scooters. However, as we all know that with great power comes great responsibility. The city roads or even the national highways and the express highways in India are very uncertain. You do not know when an obstacle will come in your way and thus we should always drive or ride in limits and the most important thing is that the braking system of our vehicle should be absolutely perfect. Now, talking about brakes, there are mainly two types of brakes - Disc Brake and Drum Brake. In case you wanna know what are the components of a Disc Brake System, today we have for you all the details about it.
Disc Brakes are relatively newer innovation in comparison to drum brakes and they are even superior to the drum units. The new Disc Brakes of a car, scooter or a motorcycle provide better braking performance when needed. Nowadays, most of the two-wheelers get disc brake on the front wheel as standard while some even have disc brakes at either end. Talking about the cars, so while the mass-market cars get disc brakes at the front and drum units at the rear, some mass-market vehicles and all premium cars get disc brakes on all four wheels. The new disc brake mechanism of an automobile involves more components as compared to that of a drum brake. To know the differences between a Disc Brake and a Drum Unit, you can click HERE.
The disc brake system consists of more components and a more complex mechanism over the drum brake system. The brake pads perform the same function in the disc brake system, as what the brake shoes do in a drum brake system. Widely accepted as the default braking system for the front wheels, in addition to the rear wheels too in premium vehicles, the new-age disc brake mechanism is a bit more complex but more efficient system over that of the drum brakes. Now, coming to the point what are the components of a disc brake system? So, there are multiple components in the disc brake system, which are inter-related to each other for the efficient process of brake functioning. These braking components are as follows:
Brake rotors - Shaped in the form of a disc, the brake rotors, commonly known as brake disc, are placed along with the wheel, just adjacent to it. These brake rotors tend to move in the same direction as that of the wheel attached to it. There are two types of brake rotor - solid and ventilated, the latter of which comes with drilled holes in it for even better air dissipation.
Brake callipers - Placed just above the brake rotor, the brake calliper is made up of metal and houses the brake pads. The brake callipers press the brake pads on the moving rotor whenever the brake pedal is pushed, which causes friction against the moving rotor, causing the wheel to slow down.
Brake pads - The most talked about component of a disc brake mechanism, the brake pads are placed inside the brake callipers, and are pushed against the moving brake rotor by the calliper on the application of brake pedal. There are two types of brake pads - semi-metallic (containing metal fibres) and ceramic (containing chemical adhesive).
Master cylinder and piston - The backbone of the entire hydraulic mechanism acting in the disc brake system, the master cylinder houses the brake fluid and brake piston. On the application of brakes, the pressure is created in the brake fluid, causing the piston to perform its functioning of pushing of the calliper.
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Brake hose - The brake hoses simply are thin pipes which transfer the brake oil from the master cylinder to the brakes. The brake hoses are generally made up either of rubber or steel, with the latter being the better option in case of high-pressure operations, thus avoiding contraction.
Brake sensors - These sensors are usually placed within the brake pads, which intimate to the driver whenever the brake pads are worn out over the permissible limit, through indication in the instrument console.
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So, now you know what are the components of a disc brake system! It is obvious most people will choose new-age Disc Brakes over the traditional Drum units but which one is your personal pick? Feel free to share your thoughts and opinions with us in the comments section below. You can also join our 91Wheels Auto Enthusiast Telegram group (click via mobile to join) curated exclusively for the fans, enthusiasts and the owners. Further, subscribe to our YouTube channel for more such amazing motoring updates.
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