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\nWhen traveling through hilly areas, it is normal to use the brake constantly, for example, on routes where you have to travel through several mountain passes. This continuous use of the brake can cause the pedal to soften and thus lose efficiency. Why does this happen? Probably due to the phenomenon of brake pad overheating.<\/p>\n
We will now see how this overheating occurs and what the solution is. Driver safety is at stake.<\/p>\n
Optimal brake performance occurs when the braking system is in operation and the brake pads are at a certain temperature. However, braking will worsen if this temperature is exceeded. This phenomenon is called fading.<\/p>\n
Such fading occurs when the brake system is kept in operation with a heavy load and for a long period of time. A good example is a truck driving long distances on a bumpy road.<\/p>\n
On the other hand, overheating during braking may occur in vehicles that frequently drive on mountain roads or under extreme circumstances. These circumstances could lead to a loss of braking efficiency. If this brake failure occurs on motorways or highways, vehicles can perform emergency braking on the escape ramps provided for this purpose.<\/p>\n
Fading occurs mainly because brake pads contain organic substances that solidify during the manufacturing process. If the pad temperature exceeds a critical point during braking, these substances present in the pad decompose and generate gases that cause this fading and in turn reduce the friction coefficient.<\/p>\n\n
The braking process, in physical terms, consists of converting kinetic energy into thermal energy through the force of friction. The faster the thermal energy is released, the more the risk of fading in the braking system is reduced.<\/p>\n
Therefore, the holes in the brake discs serve the function of speeding up the dissipation of heat from the brakes. When the vehicle is travelling at high speeds, the air passes through the holes to transfer the heat generated by braking.<\/p>\n
The material of the brake pads also affects fading, so ceramics significantly improve the braking system\u2019s resistance to high temperatures. Therefore, high quality brake pads such as those from REMSA are a guarantee for the elimination of fading.
\n[box_twitter]Fading occurs when the brake system is kept in operation with a heavy load and for a long period of time.[\/box_twitter]\n
Do not drive in neutral<\/strong>: When driving downhill in neutral, the vehicle will go faster and faster due to inertia, which will increase the braking load when the brake pedal has to be pressed and will probably cause the brakes to overheat. For this reason, it is preferable to drive downhill with the gear engaged and thus reduce the braking load by using the engine brake.<\/p>\n Control the speed of the vehicle<\/strong>: When driving long distances on steep descents, intermittent braking is necessary to control the vehicle speed and reduce the load on the brakes. This allows the pads to breathe so that they do not overheat.<\/p>\n If the vehicle overheats<\/strong>: Stop to allow the braking system to rest and return to normal temperature. Do not use water directly to cool the brake discs, and check frequently that the brake system components (brake fluid, brake discs, brake pads and brake hoses) are working properly.<\/p>\n REMSA<\/strong>, as a leading manufacturer of automotive braking systems, has an R&D department that continuously performs tests to ensure the quality of its new friction materials and avoid the fading that we have explained in the article.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Overheating of the brake pads leads to loss of braking efficiency. Let\u2019s find out how it happens.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5,"featured_media":7339,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"inline_featured_image":false},"tags":[],"yoast_head":"