【正文】
y from the pads. An important note about drilled rotors: Drilled rotors are typically only found (and to be used on) race cars. The drilling weakens the rotors and typically results in microfractures to the rotor. On race cars this isn39。t a problem the brakes are changed after each race or weekend. But on a road car, this can eventually lead to brake rotor failure not what you want. I only mention this because of a lot of performance suppliers will supply you with drilled rotors for street cars without mentioning this little fact. Big rotors. How does all this apply to bigger brake rotors a mon sports car upgrade? Sports cars and race bikes typically have much bigger discs or rotors than your average family car. A bigger rotor has more material in it so it can absorb more heat. More material also means a larger surface area for the pads to generate friction with, and better heat dissipation. Larger rotors also put the point of contact with the pads further away from the axle of rotation. This provides a larger mechanical advantage to resist the turning of the rotor itself. To be st illustrate how this works, imagine a spinning steel disc on an axle in front of you. If you clamped your thumbs either side of the disc close to the middle, your thumbs would heat up very quickly and you39。d need to push pretty hard to generate the fricti on required to slow the disc down. Now imagine doing the same thing but clamping your thumbs together close to the outer rim of the disc. The disc will stop spinning much more quickly and your thumbs won39。t get as hot. That, in a nutshell explains the whole principle behind why bigger rotors = better stopping power. The different types of brake. All brakes work by friction. Friction causes heat which is part of the kiic energy conversion process. How they create friction is down to the various designs. Bicycle wheel brakes I thought I39。d cover these because they39。re about the most basic type of functioning brake that you can see, watch working, and understand. The construction is very simple and out intheopen. A pair of rubber blocks are attached to a pair of calipers which are pivoted on the frame. When you pull the brake cable, the pads are pressed against the side or inner edge of the bicycle wheel rim. The rubber creates friction, which creates heat, which is the transfer of kine tic energy that slows you down. There39。s only really two types of bicycle brake those on which each brake shoe shares the same pivot point, and those with two pivot points. If you can look at a bicycle brake and no t understand what39。s going on, the rest of this page is going to cause you a bit of a headache. Drum brakes single leading edge The next, more plicated type of brake is a drum brake. The concept here is simple. Two semicircular brake shoes sit insid e a spinning drum which is attached to the wheel. When you apply the brakes, the shoes are expanded outwards to press against the inside of the drum. This creates friction, which creates heat, which transfers kiic energy, which slows you down. The example below shows a simpl