Better Braking

Why and when to upgrade your brakes

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Performance brakes might sound like an oxymoron—like jumbo shrimp, pretty ugly or happy Monday. "Performance" conjures up images of impressive forward motion, the ability to go from 0 -60 in jaw-dropping time. "Brakes," not so much. If brakes start to squeal, or we realize we're overshooting our target in the effort to stop, just slap in a new set of pads and off we go, right? So why explore the possibility of brake upgrades, whether that exploration takes the form of high-performance pads or the whole package—pads, rotor and calipers?

Safety and Handling

Maybe it would help if we thought of a vehicle's brake system as a handling component. Auto racers, from weekend club amateurs all the way up to professionals, appreciate the value of high-performance brakes for fine-tuned handling as well as a way to maintain speed longer into each turn.

As evidence, one of the more prominent aftermarket brake manufacturers, Stainless Steel Brake Corp. track tested its product and figured out the driver in a vehicle with factory brakes had to hit the pedal 500 feet before a turn in order to negotiate it safely. With the company's system installed, the same vehicle could stay at speed an additional 300 feet. In a sport where nanoseconds can separate the winner from the losers, those extra feet are critical.

Okay, maybe our trips to the dry cleaners or commutes to work aren't judged in nanoseconds, maybe holding maximum speed longer won't make or break our day. But the ability to stop straight and true to avoid an accident is critical, especially in larger vehicles.

Pick-ups and SUVs are good candidates for a brake upgrade, because manufacturers often find themselves between a rock and hard place trying to produce vehicles buyers want at a price they're willing or able to pay. The aftermarket is strong for this very reason. Plus, the addition of a full audio/video system with drop-down screens increases the distraction ante significantly. With all these elements in play, you've got an exceptional amount of weight to slow or bring to a full stop and less time to do it, which brings to mind the concept that there's no such thing as too much brake.

Ride Quality and Style

Now that we've covered handling and safety, the next consideration is ride quality matched with the latest styling trend to use large-diameter wheels, especially on pickups and SUVs. The issue is dealing with unsprung weight: In layman's terms, weight on a vehicle outside the scope of the suspension system, i.e. wheels, tires and brakes. The more unsprung weight, the more diminished the ride quality.

For example, if a vehicle comes stock with 16- to 17-inch wheels and you've added 20- or even 22-inch wheels, you're adding a lot of unsprung weight. The same can be said for the oversized off-road tires popular on 4x4s. The vehicle wasn't designed to handle that much weight at the corners and the ride suffers. Add to this weight factor the stock brake components. You sure don't want to switch out those cool new wheels for stock, so logic dictates you go in search of lighter weight brakes. Most aftermarket brake companies select lighter weight, higher quality materials such as aluminum to cut down on the total weight of their product, in some cases by as much as 30 pounds. The result, besides quicker, truer stops, is the kind of ride quality you bought the vehicle for in the first place.