Jekit Racing 355x32mm 6 Piston Big Brake Caliper For Mazda Atenza

Jekit Racing 355x32mm 6 Piston Big Brake Caliper For Mazda Atenza

Brake Caliper Function

In every motor vehicle, there’s the motion of the wheels that needs to be controlled. This is usually done by the use of brakes, which can be either drum or disc (rotor) brakes. Brake calipers form part of a disc brake system, which also happens to be the most common in today’s automotive.

Brake calipers have two functions in a motor vehicle:

One, they house and guide the brake pads. That ensures every time you apply the brakes, the brake pads are in the right position to move onto the rotor. Brake calipers usually feature a design that ensures compensation for the wear on the brake pads. As a result, the pads are always within the right distance from the rotor for efficient and reliable braking.

Two, brake calipers provide the hydraulic actuation that converts brake fluid pressure into mechanical movement. It’s this movement that enables the braking action in motor vehicles. We can, therefore, say that a brake caliper is a stoppage device that helps to ensure safe driving. Without it, your disc brake system would be of no use.

How do brake calipers work? Let’s see.

Brake Caliper Operation
Brake calipers play a significant role in slowing down or stopping a moving motor vehicle. But how does the assembly achieve that when what you apply on the foot pedal is only a slight force? The operating principle of this component is fairly simple and straightforward.

When you apply the brakes, a piston moves and produces pressure on the brake fluid in the master cylinder. This pressure transmits to the brake lines, through the hoses, and to the brake caliper piston or pistons
The fluid pressure causes the caliper pistons to move out of their bore. As a result, the brake pads push forward to make contact with the rotor or brake disc

The squeezing action of the brake pads on the brake rotor causes immense friction that opposes the motion of its spin
Depending on the amount and duration of pressure at the foot pedal, the brake rotor either slows down or stops altogether
The brake disc (rotor) attaches to the wheel, so the action of the calipers on either side of the axle causes the car to stop or decelerate
As soon as you release the brake pedal, the hydraulic fluid returns into the master cylinder and out of the brake caliper pistons.

The resulting drop in pressure causes the pistons to move back and the brake pads to release the rotor. The piston rubber seals pull the pistons back into their bores.

The caliper is then ready for another actuation to stop or slow down the spin of the brake rotor and, therefore, the moving vehicle.

When you step on the brake pedal, fluid pressure transmits equally in all the brake lines and hoses. That means the brake caliper pistons on every wheel experience the same amount force. The result is balanced braking that ensures safety.

Brake calipers will also have a varying number of pistons. It can be a single piston for the lighter automobile or several for the heavy trucks that require higher stoppage power. The number usually depends on caliper type, application, and to some extent, design.

Brake Caliper Location
Where Do You Find Brake Calipers? Well, brake Caliper Location usually depends on the make and application of a vehicle. Generally, you will find these assemblies at the wheels and on the front axle. The calipers typically attach to a car’s steering knuckles.

Brake calipers mount on the steering knuckle in two different ways. It can be directly, supported by bolts and pins. Or, it can be with the help of a mounting bracket that holds the assembly onto the knuckle.

Though not often, there are vehicles that have brake calipers on both the front and rear axles. These are the cars that utilize disc brakes on all the wheels. When brake calipers are installed on the rear wheels, they are usually mounted on the rear spindles by means of bolts.

Now, let’s have a look a how a brake caliper looks like.

Disc brake assembly
As you can see from the brake caliper diagram, the device looks like a C-clamp and strides the brake rotor. This allows it to squeeze the brake pads on the disc powerfully and with greater precision. Most calipers feature these major parts:

The piston(s)- these are what move when pushed by the brake fluid to close the gap between the brake pads and the brake disc. The pistons can be steel, plastic, or even aluminum. They can also be one or several of them
Brake pads- the pads press against the brake rotor to cause the frictional force that stops or slows down the spin. Brake pads feature different materials each with own advantages and disadvantages

A dust boot- prevents contaminants such as dust and debris from entering the piston cylinder. This is essential since the low position and open mounting of the caliper subjects it to all sorts of contaminants on the road
A Bleeder screw- lets you remove air from the brake lines ( bleed) when replacing the braking fluid or carrying out other caliper servicing tasks
Piston rubber seal- serves two purposes: one, it prevents the brake fluid from leaking and two, retracts the piston too its original position when you release the brake pedal

Brake Caliper Torque Specs
You may have heard about brake caliper torque specs and how knowledge about them is essential. Also, how even mechanics find it hard to determine the values when installing or servicing brake calipers.Why is that so?Brake calipers are typically identical in construction and working principle. However, there exist some few differences. One of them is in the bolt torque specifications. These are different from one manufacturer to another, and essential when dealing with brake calipers.

When installing a new caliper, it’s always advisable to obtain the exact torque specs to ensure correct tightening pressure. That’s because over-tightening or under-tightening can have bad results.

You can find brake caliper torque specs in the service manual of the specific vehicle. Alternatively, you can contact the manufacturer to obtain the information from them. It’s much better than having to guess the values.

Chapter 2

Brake Caliper Type
2-brake-caliper-types
Brake calipers come in two major types: fixed and floating.

How can you tell one from the other? The calipers mostly differ in terms of design, mounting, and operation.

Let’s look at each type in detail.

disc-brake-in-the-car
Fixed Calipers
These are often large, heavy, and powerful. As the name implies, a fixed caliper doesn’t move but bolts solidly to the caliper bracket. During the braking action, the piston or pistons on both sides move with equal force to clamp on the rotor.

Fixed calipers feature pistons on either side of the brake disc. Because they come in pairs, the number of pistons range from 2, 4, to 6. Some will even have a total of 8 pistons. However, that is when immense braking power is required such in high-speed or heavy vehicles.