Carbon fiber rotors/pads?

[Fiorano]

Found this link on ebay. The only car I know of for the street with carbon brakes is the new Enzo. Anyone have any insight on this?

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=2412497441&category=33564

 

[Paolo Castellano]

I believe the ENZO has ceramic composite rotors for the street. A pure carbon-carbon rotor/pad setup would be dangerous for the street. The temperature range where they grab enough to stop the car would be much higher than the usual street cast iron rotors/metallic pad setup. In simple terms, w/the carbon-carbon setup on the street, hitting the brakes would feel almost like not hitting the brakes at all until they got up to the temperature range(Very hot) where they finally grab so you can stop. Once the carbon setup gets in its temp. range the friction coefficient is greater than that of the iron/metallic setup.

 

[Viper Specialty]

remember, these type of components arent actually "Carbon Fiber". They are a carbon composite, but the two materials cannot be confused. Carbon Fiber is a plastic-like, woven fiber, resin impregnated material that is strnger than steel-(in most cases)-and lighter than Aluminum. However, CF is formed at ~500 degrees, meaning it cannot be used in situations where temp spikes close to that. Brakes are one of these situations, often spiking over 1000 degrees.

However, the actual setup being portrayed here, a Carbon/Carbon braking system-(similar to the now available carbon/carbon clutch systems)-for track use is AWESOME. Carbon/Carbon setups have the unique ability to grab harder and harder, the hotter they get. This in turn, virtually eliminates brake fade, and you dont have to worry about your rotors melting! (However, if you were able to pull off getting your rotors to melt with a Carbon/Carbon setup...look at the bright side, Diamonds will come flying out! LOL)

 

[Vip-RT10]

Everyone is right so far. The operating temp on the carbon/ceramic comp rotors is at 1000 C or more. When they are orange is when they work the best. So for our applications, they would be useless and more dangerous.

 

[ElDiablo Viper]

I think that Zonda and Porsche GT2/GT3 has them also.

 

[Wolf]

I know that Brembo is supposed to come out with a composite brake setup for aftermarket street use, the carbon brakes shown on the auction would be very dangerous for street use. Normal street use would never get the temperatures high enough to generate stopping force and if you do get the operating temps, you will probably start melting some of the items on your suspension (joints, bushings, etc).

 

[Paolo Castellano]

I think that Zonda and Porsche GT2/GT3 has them also.

The Zonda & GT3 have ceramic composite rotors. These are very different from carbon-carbon rotors/pads.

 

[BigCarrot]

Don't the little Panoz race cars have carbon/carbon brakes also?