Do You Know Just How Hot Your Brakes Get?



Brakes are essential, probably one of THE most essential parts of your car. But have you ever really thought about just how much you use them and the beating they take? A quick breakdown of how it works: they use pressure to push the pads against the rotor which slows the rotation and then finally brings your car to a stop. But all that friction? It generates an enormous amount of heat.

The video originally uploaded from Engineering Explained used an FLIR T1K thermal imaging camera to highlight the heat source. It can also measure temperatures depending on the color. This Honda S2000’s rear brake setup is used as the example to see just how much heat the brakes actually generate when they’re applied.

There are 5 points of reference that are used to capture the data: the pad, the caliper, the back of the pad, the hub, the rotor before the pad contact point, and the rotor after the pad contact point. By simply spinning the rear wheels while pulling the handbrake, the camera is bale to capture temperatures that reach almost 300º Fahrenheit.

Check out all those thermal colors on the brakes….have you done anything like this? Speaking of brakes, many people probably don’t understand how to choose the proper brake pads for their vehicle. But you can find out which will work best for your vehicle pretty easily. EBC Brakes color codes their pads for easy selection. No one pad is right for every application, so different colors are used to show which would be right for the performance you’re looking at. From daily driving to towing to racing there’s something for everyone. So in the 2 Minute Tech video below find out which pads you’ll need for your ride.

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