Can someone clue me in on exactly how a brake upgrade will stop a car quicker, if at all? Here is where my technical knowledge of braking shows its limitations.

Let's say that stock C5 brakes can slow the car from 60mph to 0 in 150 feet. I don't know the real numbers, it's just an example. So in this scenario, I'm going 60mph and stand on the brakes. ABS kicks in, the pads, rotors, and tires do their job and 150 feet later, I am at a standstill. Since I have basically "locked up" the brakes, I am not sure how upgrading any of the braking components can stop me quicker. Am I looking at this in the wrong way? I guess that better brakes will be more effective in a racing situation where I am constantly on and off the brakes, and getting the pads and rotors to high temps. Is this where supposedly upgraded brakes outshine the stock ones?

What if any gain in a 60 to 0 situation will I see with upgraded brakes, and most importantly, why??? BTW - I understand most people on this forum are more concerned with lowering the 0 to 60 times rather than lowering the 60 to 0 times, but the question came up at work today with a friend of mine so I thought I would ask...

Any help would be appreciated.

 

You are right on target. For track use heat dissipation is very important so a brake upgrade should be considered. Some just like the look.

 

Big flick, I agree with you as well. If you don't change the tires (e.g. get more grip) and the stock brakes are good enough to activate ABS (hence get max braking), then I don't see large gains in an upgrade.

That said, there may be small gains as a higher friction pad, or a rotor with more rotor to pad surface area, might get into ABS faster and shave a few feet off the 60-0 distance. And I have seen some magazine tests where aftermarket brake systems such as Stoptech have been tested back to back against stock with the same tires in the same conditions and they have shown some minor improvement in the initial 60-0 distance, which I found surprising.

The big gains come on the track where heat dissipation, ability of the pad to retain its friction at very high temps (like over 1300 degrees), and ability of the fluid to resist boiling all play a big roll in being able to brake as well on the last lap as the first.

 

Thanks for helping to clear that up for me.