Disc brakes, also known as disc brakes, are named after their shape as the name suggests. The brake disc is made of alloy steel and fixed to the wheels, rotating with the wheels. Do you know the advantages and disadvantages of disc brakes, which are commonly used in most household cars nowadays?

Advantages of disc brakes

1. The braking torque is independent of the forward and backward movement of the car.

2. Good thermal stability. Because the size of the brake friction pad is not long, its working surface area is only 12% to 6% of the brake disc area, so its heat dissipation is good.

3. The thermal expansion of the brake disc will not cause a loss of brake pedal travel like the thermal expansion of the brake drum, which also simplifies the design of the automatic gap adjustment device.

4. Water stability is good. Due to the high unit pressure of the brake pad on the disc, it is easy to squeeze out water, and at the same time, it is easy to shake off water under the action of centrifugal force. In addition, the pad has a wiping effect on the disc. Therefore, after water is released, it only needs to undergo one or two brake applications to restore normal braking efficiency, while drum brakes require more than ten brake applications to restore normal braking efficiency.

5. Disc type friction pads are easier to replace after wear than drum type friction pads, with a simpler structure and easier maintenance.

6. The gap between the brake disc and the friction pad is small (0.05-0.15mm), which shortens the operating time of the oil cylinder piston and makes it possible to increase the force transmission ratio of the brake drive mechanism.

Disadvantages of disc brakes

1. The manufacturing requirements for brakes and brake pipelines are high, and the wear and tear of friction pads are high, resulting in high costs.

2. Due to the small area of the friction plate and the relatively small working surface of the friction, high braking hydraulic pressure is required, and vehicles with a power assist device are required to use it, usually using a servo device.

3. The braking is quite rough. Two friction discs with friction lining surfaces can slide back and forth on the spline shaft, which is the rotating part of the brake. When braking, it can stop the vehicle in a very short time. In addition, the inclination angle of the ball groove on the pressure plate cannot be infinitely large, so the braking is not smooth.

Nowadays, disc brakes have been widely used in household cars, mostly for all wheels; A few are only used for front wheel braking, in conjunction with drum brakes on the rear wheels. Moreover, disc brakes are gradually being adopted in new and high-end models.