Picking the Right Brake Pads

The intricate parts of a car work together in harmony to create the driving experiences that you and I live for. Whether around a track or through a winding canyon, spirited driving represents the zenith of automotive bliss. Drivers are constantly looking for ways to enhance this experience via part upgrades. Obvious upgrades like performance brake rotors or calipers help the stopping side of the equation, but what about the often overlooked brake pad? Aren’t those important too?

Yes, is the short answer. And luckily Engineering Explained is here to explain just why that is the case. Here are the CliffsNotes: performance brake pads come in different flavors for different reasons. Some are made for racing scenarios, in which case they take a considerable amount of time to heat up, but are highly functional at operating temperature. Opposite this, brake pads on a family wagon, for example, are designed for use without a warm up period.

This is all pointed out on a nice chart that is labeled “coefficient of drag vs. temp.” Give it a chance — in just about four minutes the video gives a better all-around definition of performance brake pads then most day-long racing schools.

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Via [Engineering Explained]