01 December 2018
HOW TO SURVIVE WINTER
5 reasons why Brembo's brakes do not suffer from the cold
From UV protection that prevents corrosion to drilled discs for a better grip, all Brembo's solutions to protect your braking system from the pitfalls of the winter season.
Like an invisible army, each year the cold season comes to test the braking system's resilience. Water, humidity, ice, snow, and the general harshness of low temperatures. Despite the many challenges set by the climatic agents that characterize winter, Brembo offers a series of technically advanced solutions that will preserve the braking system's efficiency and performance. Malfunctions as well as the risk of an excessive stopping distance can be prevented by paying attention to the condition of the discs, pads, calipers, and of brake fluid.
Let's see together five key points that will prepare your vehicle to the season's adverse weather conditions and to face the cold weather without suffering the pain of winter!
Let's see together five key points that will prepare your vehicle to the season's adverse weather conditions and to face the cold weather without suffering the pain of winter!
- UV protection against corrosion
A long and wet winter season exposes the brake discs to chemical agents which greatly accelerate the corrosive effects. Without precautions, the prolonged contact with the ice and salt that build up on these components can impair the braking performance.
In fact discs and pads are vulnerable to the same environmental conditions that can make any metal part of the car rust. Brembo's brake discs with UV coating are the ideal solution to offer a high resistance against the corrosive effects of the winter months' atmospheric agents, humidity and cold temperatures.
Compared to a standard coating, the protective coating on the braking surface, on the hat and on the outer diameter, ensures a perfect preservation of the disc, as shown by the tests in the salt fog chamber. The UV coating also reduces the environmental impact of the CO2 emissions thanks to the total abatement of the volatile organic compounds VOCs.
- Humidity problems? a good brake fluid can be of help!
The brake fluid is hygroscopic, i.e. it has the peculiar characteristic to absorb humidity, which in winter is surely not lacking! - this lowers the boiling point.
The dangerous Vapour Lock phenomenon is precisely this: as the braking system overheats, any water there is within the liquid increases the chance the brake fluid shall rapidly start boiling.
This as a consequence lengthens the vehicle's stopping distance. The performance is also threatened by the low temperature effects on the liquid's viscosity. This therefore affects the proper functioning of the electronic brake assist and stability control systems. Brembo offers a brake fluid with a boiling point that is higher than that of the required standards and that is, therefore, more resistant to Vapour Lock, this ensures a safe braking
Thanks to the reduced viscosity and the anti-corrosion properties of Brembo's Premium Brake Fluid range, the fluid's chemical characteristics and integrity are kept unaltered.
- Sheltered from rain (and from friction noise)
To avoid that winter shall bring along with itself not only cold and rain but also annoying noises, it will be better to use a brake lubricant when the brake pads are replaced.
Brembo B-QUIET, should be applied on the metal contact surfaces between the caliper and the pads. It allows to effectively reduce the braking system's noises while preserving the health of its components.
- Drilled discs against the rain
On the slippery asphalt the tyres' grip decreases, while the adherence on a road covered with snow may vary, even along the same stretch.
All the problems that winter can cause to road safety are obvious when we also think about the unpredictability of a road's icy surface. Caution while driving and winter tires can certainly help prevent the pitfalls of braking in poor grip conditions.
But rain does not only affect the road's surface. The thin film of water that forms on the brake discs can affect the initial braking grip. In these conditions the holes on Brembo Xtra discs' braking surface can be a valuable help.
They break the water film that forms on the braking surface and thus help to improve the entire system's performance.
- Remanufactured and well functioning calipers!
The winter climate's rain and snow together with the low temperatures produce different kinds of dirt and infiltrations that can find their way into the braking system.
The atmospheric agents are the main deterioration cause for the brake calipers. The use of salt on the roads to prevent ice from forming is a contributing factor. For this reason winter is our calipers' main enemy, the humidity as well as the salt and weathering aggression can cause corrosion of the caliper's body, brake master cylinder and sealing gaskets.
The consequences can be severe and even lead the calipers to jam.
Brembo offers a range remanufactured brake calipers in its Aftermarket catalogue: The worn parts are replaced with new components and the surface is protected with a special treatment, then the caliper's body is remanufactured, cleaned and tested. Brembo's remanufactured brake calipers aren't only affordable and reliable but they also represent an environmentally friendly solution.
* The remanufactured calipers are available only for some markets.