On our last episode of Brake Basics, we went over the fundamentals of off-road

powersports brakes, their purpose, and essential care and feeding tips for the purpose of
getting the most performance and longevity out of your ATV or UTV’s brake system.

In this segment, we’re going to go in-depth about the specific parts of an ATV’s disc brake
system--the calipers, the brake pads, and the brake rotors--and which types you should
consider when fortifying the stock OEM setup.
WHY DISC BRAKES?

Before the days of motor vehicles--when horsepower really meant horse power, as in
horse-drawn carriages and buggies--the earliest braking mechanisms were lever-actuated
manual brakes akin to those found on a bicycle. Unsurprisingly, these were born of the
same concept as railway brakes for trains. Since bicycles, push carts, and horse and
buggies did not regularly travel at speeds in excess of 20 MPH, these primitive brake
designs were effective enough in their purpose. The first motorcycles, which were
introduced around the same time as the first motorcars during the late 19th century, also
used brakes that were derived from bicycles. The first major step in modern vehicle brakes
came in 1902 when French entrepreneur Louis Renault (founder of the Renault automobile
brand) introduced the mechanical drum brake; an improved redesign based off of Wilhelm
Maybach’s hand-operated drum brakes that were used in the first Mercedes car.

Drum brakes soon became the standard for cars but in the following years, as technology
advanced and ground speeds increased, car performance exceeded the capabilities of
drum brakes. After World War II, disc brakes came into prominence after having proved
their effectiveness and efficiency in stopping fighter planes and German Tiger tanks.
Jaguar’s winning entry in the 1953 24 Hours of Le Mans race featured disc brakes and in
1955, the Citroën DS became the first production passenger car to use disc brakes.

Disc brakes offer superior braking performance through thermal management. Because
disc brakes are exposed to the open air, they bite harder and cool faster than enclosed
drum brakes. Disc brakes are also more resilient in wet environments as water can sling off
of the rotor surface almost immediately. Disc brakes are also self-adjusting and are far less
complicated to maintain and service than a drum brake and its multitude of springs, clips,
and components.

Most passenger cars and trucks use disc brakes in the front and rears but there are still
some that use drums in the rear but in high-performance street and track vehicles, you
won’t find anything other than disc brakes behind the wheels. The same goes for
motorcycles, ATVs, and UTVs. High-performance off-road racing ATVs tend to use discs on
all four wheels to compliment the enhanced power output and handling capabilities.
Because, after all, power is nothing without control.

#1: BRAKE CALIPERS

The brake caliper is what distributes the clamping force onto the friction surface. There are
two major types of brake calipers: floating (sliding) and fixed (solid).

Floating calipers are the most common type of brake caliper on cars, trucks, touring
motorcycles, ATVs, and UTVs. The caliper bracket is fixed to the steering knuckle while the
caliper itself is held in by pins. This allows the caliper to slide in and out. A piston (or
pistons) on the inner side of the caliper pushes the brake pad onto the rotor, as if to push
the rotor itself. Since the rotor cannot slide, the outer side of the caliper takes the pushing
force and slides outward. The outer pads also press against the rotor face in order to slow
or stop the vehicle. Floating calipers are cheaper to produce, tend to be lighter, and allow
for compact packaging but these reasons are also why it is so much easier to overwhelm a
set of floating calipers in a high-speed, high-braking situation.

Fixed calipers (solid, or monoblock/MONOBLOC) are attached to the steering knuckle, like
a floating caliper, but uses pistons on both the inner and outer sides of the caliper to push
the pad down onto the brake rotor. Fixed calipers use solid housing and can employ the use
of 2, 4, 6, and even 10 pistons (pots) in their design. Most ultra high-performance and race
applications use fixed calipers and they often come equipped on many high-horsepower,
high-speed performance cars, trucks, and powersports vehicles for the street and track. The
advantages of fixed calipers include strengthened housing (versus floating caliper type),
even distribution of piston pressure, and elevated thermal management capabilities. On the
other hand, fixed calipers are costlier to produce and service, they are notably more
mechanically-complex in design and operation, and they are also larger and heavier than
the ordinary sliding caliper. Keep in mind that while there will be an increase in unsprung
mass with a large fixed caliper brake setup, it is also far more robust and can endure a
greater amount of use and abuse.

All brake calipers have common core parts that need to be observed and maintained over
time. Rubber dust boots and piston seals can crack and deteriorate. Pins and pistons can
seize and lock up, rendering useless their ability to clamp down onto a rotor. Be sure to
periodically inspect the physical and mechanical condition of your brake calipers. If you are
in need of a full replacement brake caliper for your ATV, we have OEM brake calipers for
sale that include all the necessary bolts, washers, and mounting brackets.
#2: BRAKE PADS

The pistons inside the brake caliper apply pushing force onto the brake pads. The brake
pads, in turn, make contact with the brake rotor and create friction.Not all brake pads are
created equal--and that’s done intentionally. Not all of us ride the same machine and not all
of us share the same riding style. That’s why there are a multitude of different brake pads;
each one created to best suit the type of environment in which they will be subjected. The
three main pad compound types were already covered in our earlier post but in case you
need a refresher, they are as follows:

● ORGANIC
● METALLIC
● CERAMIC

ORGANIC brake pads were developed as replacements to the original asbestos-type brake
pad when it was discovered that asbestos was a carcinogenic. Organic pads are the most
common, run-of-the-mill type of brake pad that’s designed to handle regular,
non-performance riding.

METALLIC pads improve upon the organic compound with higher amounts of metallic
abrasive materials for greater friction. These are available as SEMI-METALLIC or
FULL-METALLIC with the higher amount of metal content intended for more severe braking
use.
CERAMIC brakes blend the best of both organic and metallic with riding versatility, ease of
use, and increased durability but these should be considered as street-only upgrades; not
suitable for any kind of performance, competition, or racetrack environment.

There is a fourth type of brake system that was recently introduced into the consumer
motorsport enthusiast market, CARBON CERAMIC. This is actually a combination of a
specialized parts that use a baked ceramic and carbon fiber rotor a specialized pad (neither
full organic, full metallic, or full ceramic) that is purposely-built to only be used on carbon
ceramic rotors. These are the ultimate in extreme braking performance and come stock on
a number of supercars including the McLaren 570, Ferrari 458, Porsche 911 GT3, Aston
Martin DBS Superleggera, and the Chevrolet Corvette ZR1. In the motorcycle aftermarket,
suppliers are developing MotoGP-inspired carbon ceramic brakes for super sport bikes like
the Yamaha R1 and Triumph Daytona 675. Hyper-performance cars and motorcycles
benefit from carbon ceramic brakes due to their extreme heat tolerances and
super-lightweight construction, both of which make them virtually impervious to brake fade;
the gradual-to-sudden loss of braking power under load or high speed.

Speaking of brake fade, it is one of the factors that determine the official Department of
Transport (DOT) classification for brake pads. The DOT mandates that all street legal brake
pads fall under a specific grading system between the letters E through H; E being the
minimum requirement and H being the maximum. This two-letter edge code can be found
printed on the brake pads and are used to identify the pad’s fade resistance.

Official DOT Edge Code Coefficient of Friction (CF) Comments

@ 250°F and @ 600°F
EE 0.25 to 0.35 (both
temperatures)
FE 0.25 to 0.35 @ 250°F
0.35 to 0.45 @ 600°F
0 to 25% fade possible at
600°F
2 to 44% fade possible at
600°F

FF 0.35 to 0.45 (both 0% to 22% fade possible at

temperatures) 600°F
GG 0.45 to 0.55 VERY RARE
HH 0.55 to 0.65 Carbon/Carbon only.
OK up to 3000°F where it
glows.

The coefficient of friction (CF) is rated between 250°F (cold) and 600°F (hot). The first letter
of the two-letter code represents the CF grading at 250°F and the second letter at 600°F.
Each letter grade can have a significant range in CF, but a difference in letter grade can
denote brake fade. While the letters can be in any order, they do not mean the same thing.
For example, FE pads fade when hot but EF-grade pads won’t grab when cold. Brake pads
that are rated FF are considered to be entry level within the high-performance category.
Most high-performance street pads are rated FF at a minimum.

#3: BRAKE ROTORS

The ‘disc’ in disc brakes, brake rotors are where the friction materials (the brake pad) mate
in order to produce friction for stopping power.

Unlike an automotive brake rotor found on a car or truck which can be internally vented
(venting channels that are sandwiched between two solid slabs of rotor material which is
cast into place), motorcycle and ATV/UTV brake rotors are typically solid pieces of steel or
iron. Powersports brake rotors are also much thinner than car or truck rotors, mainly
because vehicles like motorcycles and ATVs only weigh a fraction of what the average
passenger car weighs. Far less force is required to stop a motorcycle, ATV, or UTV versus a
car that can weigh up to and over 2 tons.

However, like automotive brake rotors, brake rotors for powersports machines can be made
as single-piece or two-piece designs. A single-piece brake rotor is cheaper to manufacture
and is generally suitable for most regular, non-performance applications. Two-piece rotors
separate the rotor face (surface) from the mounting point (hat) in an effort to reduce
unsprung mass. While these types of rotors are more expensive to produce, they can be
cheaper for the consumer to replace as only the rotor face can be discarded and swapped
with a new piece while retaining the mounting point.

As for the rotor face itself, they can be completely solid (blank), drilled, slotted, or wave cut.
Solid rotor faces provide even wear and grip and make up the majority of standard rotors.
Drilled rotors feature small holes placed throughout the surface in a specific pattern. The
reason for this is heat dissipation and weight reduction but with the loss of valuable real
estate for friction, this makes warping, cracking, and heat damage much easier to occur.
Slotted rotors take the drilled concept further and instead of holes, larger and wider grooves
are cut into the rotor surface. Unlike a slotted brake rotor for a car, the slots on a motorcycle
or ATV rotor cut straight through the surface as it would be on a drilled rotor. Wave cut
rotors transform the round, circular shape of the brake rotor and through cutting and
carving, create a serrated blade-like design. Wave cut rotors allow for maximum heat
dissipation and cooling, the most effective way of weight reduction in the brakes, but all at
the cost of structural integrity. The potential for heat stress damage is increased with wave
cut rotors, but is not guaranteed. Plus, some riders appreciate the aesthetic quality of
exotic-looking wave cut brake rotors as opposed to traditional round rotors.

Race Driven has engineered three separate kinds of ATV brake rotors: Standard, MudRat,
and RipTide.

The Race Driven STANDARD rotor is the basic OEM-spec replacement rotor. These are
available in either drilled or solid face (depending on your vehicle’s original stock rotor) and
offer performance that either meets or exceeds the stock performance of your motorcycle,
ATV, or UTV brakes. Standard rotors are recommended for normal riding situations, not
intended for competition or extreme use.

The Race Driven MUDRAT rotor is a solid face rotor designed to withstand the abusive
conditions of mudding and off-road travel. Mud is full of debris and contaminants that can
heavily score the surface of a brake rotor, which is why MudRat rotors do not feature drilled
holes, slots, or grooves that can trap and collect abrasive dirt and mud. Keep in mind that
mud is bad for ALL kinds of brakes. Just because the MudRat rotor can endure more
abuse, they are not invulnerable to the damage caused by mudding. MudRat rotors are
recommended for light mudding, shallow creek and low water traversing, but not for
competition or extreme mudding.

Lastly, the Race Driven RIPTIDE rotor is for high-performance riding. Inspired by the
racetrack, RipTide rotors feature a wave cut design with extra cooling slots. These brake
rotors work best when combined with Race Driven sintered metal brake pads for a
cost-effective upgrade to the stock system that matches or outperforms the leading
aftermarket brands. Race Driven RipTide brake rotors are made from tempered stainless
steel for not only a great look but also optimal performance. Also, the extra venting that is
cast into the rotor surface helps to cool down your brakes in dry and heated riding
conditions. For high-performance motorcycles, ATVs, and/or UTVs that experience high
speeds and plenty of hard braking and cornering, the RipTide rotor is best for the street and
on the track. Not recommended for mudding or in wet, moisture-rich conditions.

As one of the leading manufacturers of high-performance brakes in the aftermarket

powersports industry, we hope we’ve made understanding your motorcycle, ATV, or UTV’s
brakes a little easier to digest. Race Driven brake pads and brake rotors are value-oriented,
top-quality performance parts that rival products from the biggest and most famous brand
names, thanks to lessons learned throughout our collective lifetime of on-track racing
experience.