Do brakes fail when too hot?

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[ARCHIVED THREAD] - Do brakes fail when too hot?

Posted: 7/25/2015 7:24:39 PM EDT

Yesterday I was in a rush to get to work so for about 15 min or so I was making strong stops in the city. Toward the end of the ride I noticed I would slide forward noticeably more when I would come to a stop. Was that just in my head or do brakes fail when the rotors get too hot?

Brakes worked fine later on and today.

Thanks

-Emt1581

Posted: 7/25/2015 7:28:04 PM EDT

[#1]

Quoted:
Yesterday I was in a rush to get to work so for about 15 min or so I was making strong stops in the city. Toward the end of the ride I noticed I would slide forward noticeably more when I would come to a stop. Was that just in my head or do brakes fail when the rotors get too hot?

Brakes worked fine later on and today.

Thanks

-Emt1581

View Quote

Yep, brakes fade.

If the rotors and pads are getting hot enough to fade, you're gonna start warping the rotors.

Posted: 7/25/2015 7:31:52 PM EDT

[#2]

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Quoted:

Yep, brakes fade.

If the rotors and pads are getting hot enough to fade, you're gonna start warping the rotors.

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Quoted:

Quoted:
Yesterday I was in a rush to get to work so for about 15 min or so I was making strong stops in the city. Toward the end of the ride I noticed I would slide forward noticeably more when I would come to a stop. Was that just in my head or do brakes fail when the rotors get too hot?

Brakes worked fine later on and today.

Thanks

-Emt1581

Yep, brakes fade.

If the rotors and pads are getting hot enough to fade, you're gonna start warping the rotors.

THis ^

Posted: 7/25/2015 7:33:07 PM EDT

[#3]

They can. Under heavy braking and while hauling heavy loads.

brakes

Posted: 7/25/2015 7:35:43 PM EDT

[#4]

also, depending on the age and how long ago the brake fluid was changed, you can lose all braking if there is enough "water" to brake fluid in the system.

I have seen it when someone who had never changed the fluid over 10 years came complaining about how the pedal went to the floor and they had to pump them up to get them to stop after heavy braking for an extended period.

Posted: 7/25/2015 7:41:23 PM EDT

[#5]

FPNI

brake fade

Posted: 7/25/2015 7:44:24 PM EDT

[#6]

Quote History

Quoted:
also, depending on the age and how long ago the brake fluid was changed, you can lose all braking if there is enough "water" to brake fluid in the system.

I have seen it when someone who had never changed the fluid over 10 years came complaining about how the pedal went to the floor and they had to pump them up to get them to stop after heavy braking for an extended period.

View Quote

Rotors and Ultimax pads are about a month old.

Thanks

-Emt1581

Posted: 7/25/2015 10:14:35 PM EDT

[#7]

If they get too hot the brake fluid will boil and you lose hydrologic pressure for the brakes. Usually our breaks will be burning before you get there.

Posted: 7/26/2015 8:22:43 AM EDT

[#8]

Brakes overheat from long braking like going down a hill from heavy loads, not a few hard stops in town. Could be the new pads are harder than the old pads making it take a bit more pressure to apply.

Posted: 7/26/2015 1:30:46 PM EDT

[#9]

Quote History

Quoted:

Rotors and Ultimax pads are about a month old.

Thanks

-Emt1581

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Quoted:

Quoted:
also, depending on the age and how long ago the brake fluid was changed, you can lose all braking if there is enough "water" to brake fluid in the system.

I have seen it when someone who had never changed the fluid over 10 years came complaining about how the pedal went to the floor and they had to pump them up to get them to stop after heavy braking for an extended period.

Rotors and Ultimax pads are about a month old.

Thanks

-Emt1581

new pads and rotors don't mean new fluid.

Posted: 7/26/2015 1:40:01 PM EDT

[#10]

It also depends on the pads installed. Some are designed to offer better stopping at higher temperatures, others the opposite. If they are made for stop and go driving in passenger cars and they exceed their operating temperature, they will lose effectiveness.

Posted: 7/26/2015 3:43:12 PM EDT

[#11]

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Quoted:
If they get too hot the brake fluid will boil and you lose hydrologic pressure for the brakes. Usually our breaks will be burning before you get there.

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And this kids, is the number one reason not to post while on acid...

Posted: 7/26/2015 9:33:59 PM EDT

[#12]

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Quoted:
And this kids, is the number one reason not to post while on acid...

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Quoted:

Quoted:

If they get too hot the brake fluid will boil and you lose hydraulic pressure for the brakes. Usually our breaks will be burning before you get there.

And this kids, is the number one reason not to post while on acid...

are you telling me, break fluid can't boil? Gas can be compressed while fluid doesn't. your fluid becomes gas and your brake pedal now becomes very mushy.

Posted: 7/26/2015 9:35:25 PM EDT

[#13]

Quote History

Quoted:

new pads and rotors don't mean new fluid.

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Quoted:

Quoted:
also, depending on the age and how long ago the brake fluid was changed, you can lose all braking if there is enough "water" to brake fluid in the system.

I have seen it when someone who had never changed the fluid over 10 years came complaining about how the pedal went to the floor and they had to pump them up to get them to stop after heavy braking for an extended period.

Rotors and Ultimax pads are about a month old.

Thanks

-Emt1581

new pads and rotors don't mean new fluid.

This. You have to bleed the brake system to get new fluid. Changing brakes does not require bleeding the brake system.

Posted: 7/26/2015 9:36:10 PM EDT

[#14]

Quote History

Quoted:
are you telling me, break fluid can't boil? Gas can be compressed while fluid doesn't. your fluid becomes gas and your brake pedal now becomes very mushy.

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Quote History

Quoted:

Quoted:
If they get too hot the brake fluid will boil and you lose hydraulic pressure for the brakes. Usually our breaks will be burning before you get there.

And this kids, is the number one reason not to post while on acid...

are you telling me, break fluid can't boil? Gas can be compressed while fluid doesn't. your fluid becomes gas and your brake pedal now becomes very mushy.

Where do you buy break fluid? I need more at work.

Posted: 7/26/2015 9:44:08 PM EDT

[#15]

Any auto parts store will have it. Dot 3 and 4 are interchangeable, only their boiling points are different, but for a daily driver it won't matter much.

Posted: 7/26/2015 10:00:52 PM EDT

[#16]

Quote History

Quoted:
Any auto parts store will have it. Dot 3 and 4 are interchangeable, only their boiling points are different, but for a daily driver it won't matter much.

View Quote

Posted: 7/26/2015 11:09:50 PM EDT

[#17]

Brake fluid, when it hasn't been changed for a long time can boil.
it will have too much water contaminating it and lowers the boiling point.

many people never bother to change fluids in their cars.

if you can't see through it, you have a problem.

Posted: 7/26/2015 11:28:44 PM EDT

[#18]

http://ebcbrakes.com/articles/what-is-brake-fade/

As far as brake fluid contamination with water goes , and as a former professional mechanic, I can't begin to count the number of disc brake calipers I have had to replace because of internal rusting due to water-contaminated brake fluid. Your owner's manual, in the recommended maintenance section, tells you to replace the brake fluid every 2 years or so. There's a reason for this recommendation.

I won't bother to mention the internally-rusted brake lines, old-style brake cylinders, and even master cylinders encountered along the way.

Changing all of the brake fluid every 2 years is good preventative maintenance, and a dirt cheap alternative to replacing major components of your braking system. This is all aside from the obvious point that your brakes working properly is quite the safety requirement.

Posted: 7/27/2015 6:09:12 PM EDT

[#19]

Quote History

Quoted:
Any auto parts store will have it. Dot 3 and 4 are interchangeable, only their boiling points are different, but for a daily driver it won't matter much.

View Quote

You are so wrong, DOT 4 is for brake systems with natural rubber pasts, most European cars use natural rubber. Japanese and most Domestic vehicles use synthetic rubber and use DOT 3. Boiling points are very close together.

Posted: 7/27/2015 6:12:44 PM EDT

[#20]

they are backwards compatible. perhaps is the better term than interchangable.

you can use dot 4 on a dot 3 system.

just like you can use dot 5 on either. but it is not recommended for heavy driving since it can hold air bubbles longer and cause problems. but it is meant for collector type cars as it isn't as bad on paint if you spill it or spray it due to a leak.

5.1 is totally different again, but all of them are backwards compatible.

Posted: 7/28/2015 5:29:36 PM EDT

[#21]

Dot 5 can't be mxed with 3 or 4 . It will gel up. Dot 5 is silicone based and dot3&4 are ethylene glycol based.

Posted: 7/29/2015 10:23:26 AM EDT

[#22]

Quote History

Quoted:
Dot 5 can't be mxed with 3 or 4 . It will gel up. Dot 5 is silicone based and dot3&4 are ethylene glycol based.

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Truth

Posted: 7/29/2015 10:52:18 AM EDT

[#23]

Quoted:
Yesterday I was in a rush to get to work so for about 15 min or so I was making strong stops in the city. Toward the end of the ride I noticed I would slide forward noticeably more when I would come to a stop. Was that just in my head or do brakes fail when the rotors get too hot?

Brakes worked fine later on and today.

Thanks

-Emt1581

View Quote

I had the brakes on my mustang complely gone at one point many years ago. Too many times to 100 mph and back down in a short time. It's a scary experience.

Posted: 7/29/2015 11:08:41 AM EDT

[#24]

I almost shit my pants in Panama from overheated brakes. I can assure anyone in doubt from first hand experience that brakes will fail when overheated. Also Automatics are a death sentence in steep Central American mountains.

Posted: 7/30/2015 9:59:40 PM EDT

[#25]

Yes, factory brakes on my 1990 Talon Tsi were BAAD to fade when slowing from a high speed. 140mph to about 90mph they were good, but by 80mph you were standing on them to continue to slow down quickly.

Upgraded to later model dual piston and larger drilled & slotted rotors with better pads, now she's good to go! (On the street and drag strip anyway, circuit type racing they would still fade I'm sure. BTW don't use any cheap drilled rotors, they have been know to crack and brake causing the wheel to lock up, resulting in a crash.

[ARCHIVED THREAD] - Do brakes fail when too hot?

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