What Can A Disc Brake Conversion Do For Your Performance Vehicle?
Balancing your upgrades as you tune up your vehicle is the key to building a high-performance monster out of a simple stock setup. If you are working with a vehicle that has drum brakes, an upgrade to disc brakes on all four wheels can help you make the most of your upgrades to power and acceleration in a few different ways.
Increased Stopping Power
The biggest gain you’ll see is improved stopping power, and you need to increase your stopping power in proportion to your engine power gains if you want to keep shorter stopping distances at high speed. Increased stopping power is also important when it comes to stopping when towing a vehicle, so if you bring your track car out on a trailer, you might also want to upgrade the brakes on your truck.
If you are looking at upgrades like racing wheels and you still run OEM brakes, it is time to analyze your priorities, because stopping distance is a major factor in your ability to handle a car safely at track speeds.
Brakes work by converting kinetic energy to friction and then dissipating the heat generated. Upgrading from drum to disc brakes and then using performance parts to make the most of your upgrade means faster heat dissipation and less chance of warping or other heat issues that can hurt brake performance.
Easier Maintenance
More efficient heat dissipation and higher heat tolerance also lead to easier and longer maintenance cycles in many cases. Advanced materials in upgraded brake pads last longer than OEM pads, so performance brakes need replacement pads less frequently. The rotors and calipers are also designed to take the higher heat caused by increased friction from stopping at high speeds.
Disc brakes are inherently easier to maintain than drum brakes because the parts are more easily accessible and faster to exchange when you do need replacements. That means just upgrading from drum brakes to a disc brake conversion will make maintenance easier. When you add in performance upgrades designed to make those disc brakes tougher and improve their stopping power, the difference between your old brakes and the new setup gets to be very stark.
Match Your Brake Upgrade To Your Goals
Almost every driver benefits from disc brakes on every wheel and a moderate upgrade to performance pads, but not every driver needs full racing-quality upgrades across the board. Figuring out the right level of investment means weighing your performance goals. If you just want to simplify maintenance and make DIY brake replacement easier, a simple conversion and a mid-priced set of pads will help a lot. If you’re maximizing power and shopping for drag slicks, then you owe it to yourself to maximize safety with a fully upgraded brake setup too.
Find What You Need for a Brake Upgrade
Most brake conversion kits come with everything you need to get back on the road with the new brake setup. That means it’s just a matter of finding the right kit to fit your vehicle. From there, you can use regular disc brake upgrades to get to the performance tier you need. Start shopping for the parts you need today.
