Larger Baer brake pads to fill rotor surface?

[AwD4g63TsI]

I've got some Baer brakes that came with an eclipse I bought and I'd like to get some larger pads if they make them. They stop wonderfully and are by far better than the stockers on my other eclipse, but I hate how there's about 5/8" of unused surface. It looks bad and there's more potential left with this size rotor. The last row of cross drilling is barely being contacted. There is a mile of clearance on the "bar" section of the caliper bracket to fit bigger pads underneath it to fill the rotor. Been searching for a while now...anyone have an answer?-Thanks

 

[jtmcinder]

Brakepads should be centered, up and down, on the pistons. Maybe you can get a slightly larger pad, especially if the current pads don't extend down (towards the center) as much as up (towards the outside), but you shouldn't go too far off-center in either direction.

 

[AwD4g63TsI]

I'm not trying to re-engineer what Baer has done(or rather packaged as their own), but simply get about 1/2" taller pads to use more of the surface. It will look better and it will improve the performance some. I realize that the extra pad area won't have the EXACT same force generated on it-but the difference being so small, it's not going to bother me nor will I ever notice it with this kit. Mainly trying to get a cleaner look really. Whenever I get in this car I can't help but be distracted by those rotors and how much wasted space there is on them. Being obsessive compulsive about my cars, it bothers me more than it probably should. If you look at the pic you can see it's nearly 1/4 of the rotor that could be used, but isn't....I digress

 

[jtmcinder]

It will look better and it will improve the performance some.

I think you missed my point.

You say that larger pads (that are no longer centered on the pistons) will improve performance. On what basis do you say this?

 

[AwD4g63TsI]

I think you missed my point.

You say that larger pads (that are no longer centered on the pistons) will improve performance. On what basis do you say this?

I think you missed my point. Pads I am looking for will not be moved away from the pistons in any way. The same surface and shape as the current pads will be touching...+ a little more to hit some of that extra rotor surface. With the little extra I am looking for on the bigger pads, I really don't think the backing plate and pad surface are going to flex so much that they will degrade my braking performance. You are saying that doing this will hurt the performance I take it?

 

[daren_p]

You are saying that doing this will hurt the performance I take it?

How many more times does he have to say it, as far as I can tell, he's already told you this twice

When it comes to brakes, jtmcinder knows what he's talking about. I would recommend taking his advise. If you can run a slightly larger pad, it depends on what you find when you follow his advise from his first post.

 

[LandSpeed-DSM]

Pressure=Force/Area

So if you are exerting the same force at the piston, distributed over a greater area (due to the larger pad surface) you have put less pressure on the rotor.

This and the radius from the hub determines how much brake torque you will be able to generate.

That is not even touching on what jtmcinder is trying to get you to understand in terms of what having an offset pad implies.

 

[AwD4g63TsI]

I am just curious as to how having additional friction surface, and using it, degrades my performance? I have no proof that it helps. But I just don't see how it hurts. By all means if you've run tests and what not then feel free to show the results. I would love to see them if there is a detrimental effect. It would sway me against searching for these pads. I am using the fuzzy logic of very little extra pad surface + thick pad backing surface(metal that has a tendency to keep it's temper and shape during high braking temps), will not cause a adverse effects of my braking system-but the extra friction will add some performance. How much? I have no idea. Don't really care either. As I stated earlier, I am happy with the braking performance. Mainly looking for better aesthetics of an already great braking system.

 

[LandSpeed-DSM]

Re-read what we've posted for you, please.

Remember Pressure = Force / Area

A pad that is 1/2" greater in one dimension is by no means a "small" change in surface area.

Not sure why this isn't clicking with you..

The co-efficient of friction may well be the same between the pads if they are the same material type, so going to a larger pad does not create more friction.

Especially if the pressure applied to the rotor is decreased with the same co-efficient of friction because of the larger pad extending farther towards the edge of the rotor..

I don't think you've got a grasp on what you are discussing, to put this politely.

If you generate the same pressure (force per unit area) as before but applied over a larger pad of the same friction coefficient would show you an increase in brake torque, especially if you have increased the lever arm with the bigger pad.

A larger pad with a greater co-efficient of friction would possibly help offset some of the torque lost due to the drop in pressure.

But we would have to actually do the math on that with some real world numbers to determine whether or not it would make for a net benefit for you.

 

[jtmcinder]

Actually, changing pad size has just about zero effect on braking force, assuming that the new pads have the same average distance from center as the old. Why? Because the spreading out of the force is almost exactly canceled by the increase in contact area. What changing the pad size really does is spread the heat out over a wider area, so the pads are less likely to cook and lose grip.

But thanks for trying to help.

Back at the OP: please note that, besides making the pad no longer centered on the pistons, adding pad only to the inside reduces the average distance from pad to center, which will decrease braking force. Now, this might actually be a good thing, since I find that Mitsus, in general, have too much front bias and that big brake kits on the front only make this worse, but it's another reason why what you're thinking of doing will make the brakes work less well.

But, if you read the first paragraph of this post carefully, you'll note that I gave you a reason to justify larger pads.

 

[cartz-snopro]

I'd leave well enuff alone. I'm sure they outperform stock brakes as they are and the look better

 

[bjmauck]

The mustang cobra/mach 1 breaks are the same way. Looks ok till drilled and slotted rotors are installed. Not sure of a fix tho.