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When you go out to your garage and look at your ride, do you see a street-driven cruiser, street-and-strip terror, or a dedicated race car? While the lines between street cars and race cars are dramatically blurred, when it comes to talking about the braking system, there is no gray area.
When you’re dealing with a brake system on a street car — even one with some serious horsepower — that’s being asked to reliably work in stop-and-go traffic, a disc-brake system design specifically for use on the street is more than adequate. In fact, if it is not designed for street use, you could be asking for trouble. If you’re relying on your hot rod to get you to the end of the quarter-mile, and also bring you to a safe whoa from 100-plus mph when you get to the end, any old brake system might not be a safe bet. In order to clarify, we sought some sound advice from JC Cascio of Strange Engineering.
Many enthusiasts only focus on making power to win the race. What also needs to be considered is stopping when the race is over. Brakes should not be an afterthought, but rather, a well-thought-out part of the program.
Stock disc brakes are designed by the OEM to safely perform under normal, somewhat-predictable driving conditions. These heavy brake systems are typically made of cast iron, which is relatively inexpensive and makes for a good brake system in a stock atmosphere. If you plan to modify your ride and deviate outside the manufacturer’s recommendations, upgrading the brakes should be at the forefront of your concerns.
While there are a plethora of brake systems available to the average enthusiast who just wants a good braking system for his hot-rodded, street-driven classic, if you plan to build a car for any serious racing, you really need to consider a system designed for that purpose. That said, most street car brake systems are adequate for the occasional trip to the strip.
When distinguishing between a brake system for use on the street and one dedicated for racing, the most noteworthy and visible difference is the rotor design. While a street-oriented system uses a heavy cast-iron rotor with cooling fins sandwiched in the middle, a rotor designed for racing only, typically uses a single, solid plate-style rotor. Sometimes, the rotor is vented, but not always. What’s more, the brackets and calipers are also significantly lighter than those pieces designed for street use.
The main difference between a brake kit for racing (left) and one for street use (right) is the rotor. Rotors designed for the street utilize cooling fins (vents within the rotor) to aid in cooling.
“Strange brakes are designed for drag race use only,” JC unequivocally states. “Our rotors are made from steel. The steel rotor is lighter and a safer material for drag racing because it will expand with the heat cycles and limit the potential for cracking or failing. The main reason they are not recommended for the street is because the rotor is not vented. It is a solid disc that is lightened to reduce rotational weight. The constant stop and go without cooling could result in distortion in the rotor, causing excessive runout.”
He continues, “an OEM or aftermarket rotor for the street is typically made from cast iron and is usually vented. The cast iron rotor is heavier, but it can have better wear characteristics when compared to a steel rotor. The potential danger of a cast rotor is referred to as thermal shock. When a cast rotor dramatically changes temperature, the rotor can fracture and come apart. This risk is more prevalent in a drag application.”
What that means is problems occur as the rotor is rapidly heated to and often beyond its maximum operating temperature. Warping, cracking, and the worst-case scenario of the actual shattering of the rotor can all occur with a cast-iron rotor that is subjected to frequent thermal shock. Rotors designed for drag racing can withstand the thermal shock that comes from the rapid deceleration despite their lightweight design.
A great aspect of building your brake system with Strange is the system has the ability to upgrade as needed. For example, to get your racing disc-brake upgrade started, you could begin with the Pro Series brakes. The Pro Series uses a forged one-piece slotted-rotor design that allows for exceptional heat expansion to prevent the rotor from distorting. The rotors also feature lightening windows in the hats to reduce rotating mass. The Pro Series brakes also utilize directional calipers with staggered piston sizes to ensure even pad wear. Uneven pad wear can lead to excess drag on the rotor, which can slow down your vehicle.
The Strange Pro Series front brake kit is available for almost all GM models and includes:
The Pro series brakes also come with upgraded, directional, aluminum calipers that have four pistons sized in 1.625- and 1.750-inch. The larger pistons help keep the pad taper to a minimum.
If you’re looking for a great platform from which to build a great system, you can start with the Pro Series system and upgrade in the future. There is no need to buy an entirely new system.
If you are looking to step up your braking game even more, the Pro Series II is next on the list. This is Strange’s premium line of brake components that incorporates a floating two-piece rotor. According to Strange Engineering, other manufacturers’ two-piece rotors use fasteners to bolt the pieces together. This can result in rotor distortion and cracking of the rotor hat. The floating design use by Strange eliminates those fasteners while also allowing for axial and radial growth of the rotor as temperature increases during braking. This greatly reduces the chance of warping.
The two-piece rotor design utilizes a unique floating rotor that is not formed as part of the rotor hat or secured via bolts that can loosen. Instead, the hat and the rotor have interlocking hubs and the two pieces are “engaged” and secured together via a spiral lock ring. This design allows for axial and radial growth as temperatures increase. In addition, the spiral lock retention eliminates the possibility of bolts loosening and the need for safety wire as well as reducing rotating weight.
The Pro Series II is an upgraded Pro Series kit and offers
Strange Engineering’s two-piece rotor design does not use bolts to attach the two pieces. Rather, a hub interlocking system and spiral lock ring hold it together. This means no loosening of bolts or need for safety wire.
If you’re planning to add a set of disc brakes to the rear of your racer then the Pro Race brake kit is a great option. These kits are a great choice for those looking to add rear disc brakes with a focus on performance and efficiency. Strange Engineering’s kit includes steel, slotted, one-piece forged rotors, four-piston aluminum calipers, billet-aluminum mounting brackets, performance brake pads, and all necessary mounting hardware. The Pro Race brake kits are available for most of the popular rearend housings, which means most of the popular Ford, GM, and Mopar applications are covered. If your car sees high trap speeds, you could also add the Pro Race rear disc-brakes that are available with a dual caliper system to provide even more stopping power. Turbo cars can also use the dual-caliper system to assist their staging process as they bump in.
Specifically designed for drag racing, the Pro Race rear brake kits are available for most axle ends, covering GM, Ford, and Mopar. These kits include:
The Pro Race rear brake kits are focused on those who want a great rear disc brake setup.
If you want to take a look at a few upgrades, you can check out the two-piece steel rotors
In this article, I decided not to get into a discussion about brake pads. The reason why is that was recently covered in another article. If you are interested in reading that one, you can click here to get all the details.
As with all aftermarket modifications, it’s always good to talk with the company in question to discuss your needs, wants, and options. Having spent more than 30 years fitting its American-made brakes to a myriad of vehicles, Strange Engineering not only has numerous off-the-shelf kits, but it can also customize the list of components making sure you get the best product for your application.
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