Brakes

Why do we need brakes?
The brakes system allow the driver to safely and confidently command the vehicle over any terrain, knowing that he or she has complete safety and control. In order to meet these goals, the brakes system must be reliable.

Master Cylinder
A master cylinder (MC) is a component linked directly (via a push rod) to the brake pedal. It uses the force exerted by the driver to pressurize the fluid in the brake line and eventually provide braking force. We are required by rules to have independent front and rear braking systems, so we use a separate MC for each system.

Bias Bar/Balance Bar
The bias bar (also called a balance bar) is a mechanism that controls the relative engagement of the MC's. By adjusting the bias bar, you can change how quickly each system locks up. This allows you to tune the brakes and get both systems to lock up simultaneously. It is worth noting that for our purposes, bias adjustment is only really effective on pavement (i.e. parking lot testing). Bias testing has been done on dirt in the past, but the results were inconclusive.

Caliper
The caliper is the component that actually provides the braking force to the rotor. Brake fluid inside the caliper transmits pressure to a piston, which pushes on the pad, which pushes on the rotor and stops the car.

Rotor
A rotor is a flat disk that rotates at the same speed as the wheels. In the front brakes, one rotor is bolted to each of the front hubs. In the rear, a single inboard rotor is responsible for braking both wheels. Pressure is applied to the rotor by the caliper, which slows and eventually stops it from rotating.

Pad
The brake pad is the surface that actually comes into contact with the rotor. It is made of an expendable material that wears away over time, such as sintered metal. As a result, pads must be replaced periodically or else braking performance will suffer.

Brake Line
Brake line is the high pressure passageway through which brake fluid flows, connecting all components of the brakes system. There are two types of brake line: steel tubing (hard line) and braided steel hose (soft line). Each uses several types of fittings to link together the components of the brakes system.

Rear Brakes
SPOOL

2014-2016
In the front we used a Brembo PS13 (referring to the 13 millimeter piston diameter) and in the rear we used a Brembo PS11 (11 millimeter dia.).