• Do you have that horrible high piutch noise when you brake?
• Does your car make a terrible noise when you come to a stop?
• Do you suffer brake fade?
• Do you know if you have PAD fade or FLUID fade? 
• Do you want better braking with a less spongy pedal?
• Do you want more confidence when you brake hard?
• Do you want firmer brakes with a less spongy pedal?

read on, here MRT can help 

Here is a quick list to solve brake noises:

Its important to first understand what brake squeal is...
In 90% of cases its caused by high frequency vibrations, this is a result of;

• The wear indicators rubbing the disc. OR
• The pads vibrating on the disc.

The first one is easy to diagnose....
If the brake pads have worn past their safety indicators the (not all pads have these devices) then simply fit new brake pads. (see NOTE 1,2, 3,4 below)

The second is a bit harder...
Glazed discs and or pads will often cause this.. and is the most common cause.
Problem is working out why....
Here are a few helpful diagnostic tips

Poor pad choice / condition

If you have cheap fitted

• Cheap poor quality pads OR
• Not correctly bedded the pad in OR
• Fitted "race" type pads that are designed for high temps and you often drive the car in peak hour traffic. OR
• Fitted carbon pads when you had non carbon pads earlier.....OR
• Your have pads fitted and omitted the anti rattle shims.

POOR PADS
Low cost pads have inferior content and are designed to a price not to a job...

Solution
Fit new pads and
Follow notes below

POOR BEDDING IN
Very few people actually "bed in pads" when they fit new discs or pads, this can cause poor performance, excessive wear as well as glazing of the frcition surface.

Solution
Deglaze pads and
possibly may need a disc machine and
then re bed in brakes

POOR BRAKE COMPOUND CHOICE
Contrary to popular beleive, you cant have your cake and eat it!
All pads are made to perform in a specific temperature window 
If you want race brakes and then want to drive to work in peak hour traffic, chances are you are wearing out your discs AND pad faster than normal. City driving will never see the pads get to their correct operating tremperature and then eventually they will glaze over and probably squeal, really bad!
Chances are if they are REAL race brake pads then when cold IE your first stop after leaving home, will be a little scary as they are cold and wont work. (IE wont have the friction to stop the car as would a "road pad" 
The opposite also applies if you want road pads and them to work well on the way to work, then you cant expect race pad type performance at the track!

Solution
Compromise, fit a road / track pad that can cope with both OR
Fit road pads for road and swap race pads for track OR
Dont drive your car to work or to the track 

Here is a list of MRT Sports brake pads or simply choose your model car and see the brake section 

Poor Disc choice /condition

Not all discs are the same...

Here at MRT we have been using and recommending DBA Rotors for over 15 years.
All DBA rotors (when purchased from MRT) come with

• A lifetime warranty.
• Factory warranty guarantee
• Performance guarantee
• Look great. 

Brake Fade

Do you know if you have brake PAD fade OR brake FLUID fade?

PAD FADE
If you have a solid / firm pedal and the car wont stop or bring on the ABS or lock up hte brakes then the pads have FADED.
Often due to being over heated, this is typical of poor quality brake pads

FLUID FADE
If you have a brake pedal that goes "long" IE goes to the floor, or you have to pump the pedal and still the brake pedal goes to the floor.
Then you have fluid fade. As the fluid has boiled and cant press the brake pads onto the discs hard enough to generate enough friction to slow or stop the car.

Brake fade is often mis diagnosed, its caused by several conditions together or separately:

• Old brake fluid
• Low performance pads
• Poor discs
• Bad cooling of the brakes
• Poor condition of brake componants (IE calipers)
• OR simply abuse!

OLD BRAKE FLUID
This is the most common cause. If your brake fluid has not been 100% replaced in the last 50,000 km or 2 years then get it done now.
Brake fluid is hydroscopic and soaks up water from the atmosphere and from day one when its new it deteriorates.
The water when your brakes are pushed hard will boil and cause brake fade 

Solution
New brake fluid,  See note 5

LOW PERFORMANCE PADS
You get what you pay for, a $80 set of front brakes will never perform like a $240 set!
Choose wisely and stick to proven well known brands.

Solution
New pads to suit your needs 

POOR DISCS
If your discs are chinese brand, badly worn, heavily grooved, shudder or are basically past their use by date then its time for new ones.
Disc machining can sometimes help, but the trend these days is to fit new discs as manufacturers are no longer fiting discs that can be machined (in a bid to reduce weight) 

Solution
Machine your discs OR
fit new discs

BAD COOLING
The barkes on your car are designed to convert kinetic enegy into heat, pretty obvious actually, but often overlooked is the temperature your brakes run at.
IF you are at the track or twoing a looad down a mountain, the heat generated may be excessive for the very best you can fit and in this case, a simple modification may help, but improving the cooling of your brakes, (thereby avoiding brake fade that is a result of the heat) 

Solution
Modifiy disc backing plates OR
Add cooling ducts OR
In extreme cases fit a water vapor system to reduce heat 

BAD CONDITION BRAKES
No matter how good your, fluid, pads and hoses are, over worked and abused brake calipers, slides, mounts and trhe hub assembly will always result in poor braking efficiency. 

Solution
Get your brake assembly serviced and checked 

Spongy brakes

Do you know what causes spongy brakes?

Here are some common faults

• Factory fitted (flexible) rubber brake lines 
• High brake booster asisstance
• Siezed caliper slides
• Badly worn discs
• Brake master cylinder flex. 

FLEXIBLE BRAKE LINES
The flexible lines that connect tghe body mounted steel lines to your suspension are a compromise of manufacture cost vs performance.
These swell under high brake loads and with old lines they get even worse.

Solution
Fit new stainless steel braided flexible lines that resist swelling 

BRAKE BOOSTER ASSISTANCE
The vacuum brake booster in 99% of cars, adds to a spongy pedal simply by its design. 
non assisted brakes are rock solid, but require huge pedal efforts to stop a car.

Solution
Delete the booster, not a wise choice and this is often just accepted as a by design feature of modern brakes!

SEIZED CALIPER SLIDES
The brake calipers on your car either have sliding mounts to allow for pad wear or in solid mounted calipers, the pistons do alll the moving.
in either case if the piston is seized, or the caliepr slide is worn badly, then the brakes wont perform at their best

Solution
get your brake calipers dismantled and serviced

BADLY WORN DISCS AND / OR PADS
In this case the gap that grows over time due to uneven wear can cause a spongy pedal.

Solution
fit new pads and new discs 

BRAKE MASTER CYLINDER FLEX
Often overlooked is the movement of the mastercylinder that is mounted to the cars body on the fire wall.
When you puch the brake poedal the fire wall has to resist this load and allow the laod to be within the master cylinder.
in modern cars where weight is constantly been reduced to improve fuel economy, firewall flex more.

Solution
Fit a brake master cylinder brace that reduces this flex.

NOTES

Here are some more tips and ideas and details to asisst you on specific topics above 

NOTE 1 

CHECK DISCS
When ever you fit new pads its always best to check the disc rotor for run out (see Note 2)
Plus its good to check for badly worn discs (see note 4)

NOTE 2

CHECK RUN OUT
Disc run out is when the disc causes brake shudder or pad knock off. (see note 3)

NOTE 3

CHECK PAD KNOCK OFF
Pad knock off is caused by disc run out puching the brake pad back into the brake caliper and creating a gap between the pad and the disc friction surface.
Then when you press the brake pedal the first application closes the gap, you then get a "long brake pedal", meaning you then need to pump the pedal again to make the car stop.

Causes of pad knock off

• Partially seized caliper slides and pistons
• Badly worn wheel bearings
• Loose of worn bearing hub assembly
• Disc run out
• Flexing of the bearing assembly. (often happens on rally cars)

NOTE 4

DISC WEAR
Poor disc wear due to excessive km, can cause new pads to take longer to bed in as the the worn disc has to wear the pad to an un even shae to contact the whole surface of the pad.

The Irony here is, new discs bed in better with old pads and, new pads bed in better with old discs. BUT and the BIG BUT is, only of the surface's of bioth are in reasonably good condtion.
"Green" pads or discs need careful bedding in. 

NOTE 5

BRAKE FLUID
Choose your fluid carefully.
Not all fluid is the same and you certainly get what you pay for!
Choose a dot 5 or 6 fluid if you want the best brakes, tow a load, or go to the track.
For more information on brake fluid follow this link 

NOTE 6

CALIPER SEALS
Often overlooked are brake caliper seals and dust boots.
These items get abused when you push your brakes to the limit and often the dust boots have failed and long gone!
This causes dirt and dust to migrate inside the caliper thereby damaging the sliding bore of the caliper where the piston slides. 

NOTE 7

MASTER CYLINDER BRACE
MRT manufacture these to improve braking efficency and make driving more fun.
the flex that is in the fire wall that adds to spongy pedal feel is eliminated by the added bracing of the master clylinder.
See below for a link to more info 

MORE INFORMATION

• MRT Sports brake pads list here
• Choose your model and see brake sections for all brake options here
• Complete list of DBA discs here
• MRT Brake support bracket listed here
• Contact MRT here or call us 02 97674545 now for a free brake checkover
• Watch a video on brakes here