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What is a Brake Caliper and What are its Types?
Brakes are extremely important to safeguard your vehicle from accidents. A brake consists of caliper which play a crucial role in the functioning of brakes. It is imperative to monitor the functioning of these caliper if you want the brakes to keep functioning smoothly.
If you are wondering what are caliper in a brake and how they function, keep reading to learn more.
Table of Contents
What Are Brake Calipers?
A brake caliper is an essential component of a car's braking system that squeezes the rotors of the wheel. As soon as a driver applies breaks, due to the generation of hydraulic pressure on the piston of calipers, they exert pressure on the wheels. This decelerates the car to finally stop it. There is a separate caliper for each wheel. Disc brakes, which are popularly used these days in vehicles, contain brake calipers.
How Do Brake Calipers Work?
When a driver needs to stop the car, they press the brake pedal. This causes a portion of brake calipers to press against brake pads. They have friction lining, which exerts pressure on the disc attached to the wheels. The remaining portion of the disc dissipates the heat generated due to friction. This results in deceleration of the wheels and finally stops the vehicle.
What are the Types of Brake Caliper?
Brake calipers are of four types:
- Floating Brake Caliper: In automobiles, floating caliper—sometimes called sliding caliper or single-piston caliper—are the norm. The inner brake pad is pushed against the rotor by hydraulic pressure, and they have a single piston on one side of the rotor. When the brakes are applied, the outer brake pad contacts the rotor, which is made possible by the calliper sliding on pins or bolts. Aesthetically, uncomplicated, and low-maintenance, floating caliper are a great choice.
- Fixed Brake Caliper: which might be called opposed-piston caliper or multi-piston caliper, are superior to floating caliper. By placing numerous pistons on either side of the rotor, they achieve a balanced and uniform force distribution. Better modulation, more consistent pad-to-rotor contact, and enhanced braking performance are all benefits of using fixed caliper. Sports cars and other types of high-performance vehicles often have these.
- Sliding Caliper: The disc brake with a sliding calliper, is attached to the vehicle using a calliper adapter. Like the floating calliper concept, this one uses a single piston to press down on one brake pad while the moving calliper presses down on the other.
- Single-Piston Caliper: True to the name, single-piston caliper only have room for one piston per side of the rotor. They don't need much stopping force, so they're perfect for smaller vehicles or other uses. Single-piston caliper are inexpensive, easy to transport, and have a straightforward design. Normal commute and ordinary driving circumstances are no match for them.
Now, you must clearly know about caliper and how to identify if they are losing their longevity. Additionally, you must monitor the other parts of your vehicle's brakes to ensure their smooth functioning.
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How are Brake Caliper Constructed?
The calliper body, a crucial component in the braking system, serves as a housing for the piston and a base for securing the brake pads. Typically crafted through casting or forging, the body is precision-machined to ensure perfect alignment. The pistons, often made of steel or aluminium, are seated within the calliper bore and exert force on the brake pads to engage the disc.Â
The engaged part of the calliper body contains passages that lead to the brake lines, through which brake fluid enters the piston chambers. When the brake pedal is pressed, hydraulic pressure forces the pistons in the opposite direction, outwards.Â
These pistons are equipped with boots, which not only prevent brake fluid leakage but also protect the pistons and seals from debris, ensuring the integrity of the braking system. This underscores the crucial role of brake fluid in the braking process.
When Do Calipers Malfunction?
There can be several reasons for your brakes to go bad. A few of them are:
- There can be times when your vehicle encounters a sudden shock on roads due to rock or potholes. This can severely affect the brakes of your vehicle.
- Calipers are made of metals. Hence, there lies a high chance that they will rust with time. This reduces their performance in the long run.
- Calipers are protected from overheating of brake pads by the friction materials. However, there are chances that this friction material will get destroyed over time. Then, there are chances of the calliper getting destroyed due to excess heat.
- There are times when the calipers do not function as they wear out. During those times, it would be best to lubricate the calipers to function smoothly.
What Are the Signs of Faulty Brake Calipers?
When a brake caliper starts to worsen, your car can give out several indications. These include:
- When you press the brakes, you might feel prominent vibrations in the pedal, which is a direct indication. This mainly occurs because the calipers are not able to release properly.
- At times you might observe smoke coming out of the wheels with a burning smell. This indicates that the brakes are stuck and need immediate attention.
- While applying brakes, you might at times notice that your car pulls on one side. This signals that one of the breaks has stopped functioning; hence the entire pressure is falling on the calipers of only one wheel.
- One of the most obvious indications to look for is the brake lights. They give you a prominent signal to look for when you feel that there is some problem with your brake's calipers.
- You might, at times, notice that the brake pad wears down prematurely. This can be due to a faulty caliper.
- Leakage of brake fluid is another prominent indicator that the caliper is at fault. You can easily identify oil spots on the parking of your car to determine the same.
- At times, while driving, you can hear a clunking sound. You must not ignore it as this might be the calipers trying to draw your attention toward its deteriorating condition.
- Another noise that you can hear is a high-pitched squealing sound. When you hear them, you must understand what your vehicle's brake is trying to communicate with you.
When to Replace Brake Calipers?
The exact time to replace brake caliper will vary based on material, usage and driving patterns, and type or roads plied on, among other factors. However, it is ideal to check brake caliper periodicallty and get them replaced every 1,00,000 miles or 10 years.
How to Remove Brake Caliper?
To remove an old brake calliper, remove the wheel covering your brake system. After installing a new calliper that matches your car, bleed the brakes to remove air.
Steps for removing old brake caliper:
Jack up and remove the wheel in front of the calliper.
Unfasten the calliper bolts with a screwdriver.
Remove the brake pads and calliper bracket.
To disconnect the calliper from the brake hose, turn the banjo bolt.
Screw the bracket to the brake hose and new calliper.
Return the brake pads to the caliper bracket.
Ratchet and bolt the new calliper to the bracket.
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