Two calipers on one rotor?

[Redline240]

Always wondered why we don't see this? I mean isn't it a more effective than big heavy *** rotors? You'd get a lot more surface covered...if you don't know what i mean, just picture a second caliper mounted infront of the rotor oposite of the stock one...

This has probaly been done on race cars or something, i dunno, or maybe there's a simple reason why it just won't work...inlighten me...

Redline

[Ubernoober]

Heat dispersal. Its not so much about the clamping area as it is about dissipating the energy of your foreward movement. Brakes take that energy and convert it to heat. The disc provides the mechanism by which that heat is dissipated to the environment. With a second clamp, you reduce the cooling path by half. Also, two points of failure instead of one, unless built to redundancy which would make each that much heavier.

[Checkered-Member]

Some drag cars used to have 2 calipers on one rotor, and some custom bikes have it, because heat dissipation isn't an issue, lets see if I can find one

[Nismo_Freak]

Always wondered why we don't see this? I mean isn't it a more effective than big heavy *** rotors? You'd get a lot more surface covered...if you don't know what i mean, just picture a second caliper mounted infront of the rotor oposite of the stock one...

This has probaly been done on race cars or something, i dunno, or maybe there's a simple reason why it just won't work...inlighten me...

Redline

Doubling the clamping load on an already fade prone braking system will not increase stopping, it will only make the braking threashold shorter between stopping and locking up the wheels.

If you want to increase clamping load do it properly with a 300ZX setup where the rotor mass is increased as well as the caliper clamping load. Caliper squirm is reduced in multi-piston designs as well.

[crzycav86]

Maybach has this, but the brakes are all computer controlled.. and it stops its 6500 pounds faster than a corvette. It also handles and accelerates just as well

[nlzmo400r]

many top dollar cars use this set up in the rear. The lambo gallardo and new vipers i know offhand use them in the rears

[D Money]

i saw a maybach the other day on the highway and it was soooo nice

[pmkls2]

I feel really dumb for asking but what is a maybach? And depending on the particular setup dual calipers could be quite beneficial. Having dual calipers would be like using a larger rotor in the sense that you are getting more surface area to clamp onto thus allowing you to hold the wheel right at the point of locking-up for maximum braking. That is why drum brakes and small rotors are inferior to having a large rotor because they have too small of a friction surface so higher clamping forces are required to produce enough friction to slow the vehicle. When this happens what you run into is there is no "finesse" in the braking. You will have a very unresponsive pedal and when you mash on it harder to make it stop faster and the line pressure spikes the wheels suddenly lock. Anybody who has ever driven a car with 4-wheel drum braking knows exactly what I'm talking about. However, like was mentioned earlier just throwing another caliper onto an already wimpy little rotor isnt going to do much good, you need to have sufficient cooling because you are producing much more heat.

[IvoryJ30t]

the maybach is a luxury car from mercedes. at only $350,000 its a steal.

[pmkls2]

Hmmmm, never heard of it. I've probably seen one but didnt pay attention. I really have no interest in german luxurycars, although I admit I do kinda like some bimmers.

[barrigas14]

most of the high end cars use two calipers in the rear...but one is the barking brake. so you don't have to use a drum brake to hold the car there. less wieght. it is generally a one piston setup since you really don't need that much to hold a 2700lbs car still.

there was a website that i saw a bently with two 4 or 6 piston calipers on the front of the car...i will try to find that picture.

[barrigas14]

[pmkls2]

that is soooooo sweet, I'd love to have that on my 240

[Tatanko]

I saw a picture of a Porsche show car with twin calipers up front once. I believe it was on SupraForums. I looked there but all I could find was pictures of a Volvo with twin calipers...

[Checkered-Member]

I went down to the dealership to look at the new viper, in the rear it had two calipers one big and one really small

[barrigas14]

parking brake. the Enzo has that as well. and the really small brake even says brembo on it...

[EnzoRWD]

well you know, those brembo parking brakes are fade resistant, even after repeated parking. I believe ferrari tested them at the monza parking garage. because, as you know, those carbon rotors allow you to getting maximum parking brake power without having to warm up the system, which is useful for those high performance, run up and drop off the rented DVD- moments.-Enzo

[hXc_240]

^^amazing^^

[book-ends]

Instead of two calipers, why not three or four? How about a drum brake set up!!!