When it comes time to replace your brakes, you might wonder if your brakes were good enough for your car in the first place. If you made adjustments to your car to allow for it to drive faster, it would make sense to also purchase better brakes that will be able to stop your car at a higher speed without sustaining damage.

You Can't Have It All

Brakes are highly specialized. Therefore, if you are looking for brakes that are designed to provide you with better fuel economy, they will not be as effective at stopping a vehicle that is traveling at a higher-than-normal speed. You will want to consider performance brakes if you are using nitrous oxide, turbochargers and superchargers.

Good Brakes Have More Friction

Performance brake pads and rotors provide more friction, which makes it easier to start and stop a vehicle. Some car enthusiasts like braided stainless steel brakes because they like to feel greater firmness when pressing down on their brakes. However, the braided stainless steel can also need to be replaced more often, and will also need to be cleaned of debris.

Get Brakes That Dissipate Heat

Brakes begin to lose their stopping power as a result of brake fade. This results from the brakes becoming very hot and the components cannot absorb anymore heat. But with the right brake design and materials, the heat can be dissipated more effectively. One way to accomplish this is to get the cross-drilled or slotted rotors. These help remove heat, but they can also wear out faster.

Disc Brakes are Better Than Drums

Disc brakes are much more-effective than drum brakes. Fortunately, there are replacement kits you can purchase or you could ask a brake service to replace them for you.

Semi-Metallic Brakes are Better Than Ceramic

The brake material affects both quietness and your car's braking performance. Ceramic brakes are among the most common because they are quieter when braking. However, their performance is not as great and you will likely not care how loud your brakes are. The better option is to get semi-metallic brakes. They can include steel wire, copper and iron powder. They are combined with synthetic fillers that bind with friction modifiers. However, these will also wear down your rotors faster, so you will need to replace them more often if you race frequently.

Taking your car to a brake service can allow you to obtain an evaluation that will give you a sense of how well you are taking care of your brakes. You can also get advice on what types of upgrades you should consider based on how you drive.

Contact a service like Alignment Center to learn more.