Ever notice that some brands have the brake calipers in different positions? Example ours are tucked toward the middle of the car. But the old NSX the fronts were toward the front...


As were the old 300z's...



and the vettes fronts are seating toward the middle but lower than ours....


My quesiton is, is there any science behind this? I can't fit a pattern to rwd,fwd,awd, mid-engine, etc to the bases on how the calipers are positioned?

Does the angle of the caliper have any relation at all to the braking power of the vehicle?

 

there is no science to this, the position won't matter, unless you have a duct or something after it

 

I don't think it matters, just comes down to how they're used to wiring things, etc.

 

The caliper position just depends on the bracket and where the holes to bolt it up are.

 

My experience is that it does matter when it concerns brake dust dispersion (how it coats your wheels with brake dust). I don't think it affects performance.

 

^ and those positions are determined by someone, somewhere.

I can only think of 2 reasons on why one position is chosen over another:

1: (limited benefit, unlikely) Calipers position laterally relative to the axle probably has an impact on the F/R weight distribution. Granted, unsprung weight, and not all that much, but in a world where people look to have 1-3 pounds off their wheel weight, I could see them looking to position calipers more specifically around weight distribution. Both to the front, or both to the rear has to shift the center of mass slightly... although making such a change provides a benefit too subtle to notice for any non-track use.

2: (more likely) Caliper position can directly impact the ease of maintenance on the vehicle where the technician is working around them. A perfect example can be seen with our 2004-2008 dipstick. Position matters for ease of work. I could easily see technicians within the company complaining about caliper position at some time in the past, and a change made to future models to reduce labor time/effort. Even slightly, over several million vehicles, it adds up. Corporations are known to do that.

I wouldn't even pretend to guess on why for a specific vehicle, but generally, I think #2 is the most likely reason why they were designed where they are. Every component of every car has to be designed into place where it exists. For many components, where it is placed doesn't really matter. The pain of a poorly placed dipstick is nothing more than 'no thought' applied to that component, where the top mounted centrally located oil filler cap came to be there simply because people DID put thought into it. Everything falls into 'thought out' or 'not thought out'. Required components naturally have more thought put into them, and when it's position in relation to the components around it really matters (like engine to transmission) there is significant thought put into it. Someone on the design team, somewhere, has to put thought into the lesser components, and they are human, and may or may not be doing their job well/completely.

Same question could be applied to 'Why are some door latches higher or lower than others?', with the same answer.

 

Not so much brake dust but questioning the geometry of the suspension to begin with. I would assume mounting them closer to the center of the car reduces the length of the brake line, centers the weight, hell even mounthing them lower till slightly lower the center of gravity.

Maybe they just mount them were the force of stopping the vehicle can be endured.

 

maybe help in weight distribution? Don't know how heavy brake calipers are... maybe a few pounds.

 

dillsrotary, upon reading your comment, I'm reconsidering my position on the performance issue.

As an isolated system, rotor and calipers, the position of the caliper probably won't affect braking performance, but if the vehicle is taken as a whole, perhaps the caliper position will affect suspension characteristic that affect braking, such as weight transfer and more generally, fore-aft weight distribution.

Just guessing...

 

I know I've read that Porsche puts their's to towards the inside of the vehicle for more central unsprung weight distribution. Less weight toward the ends of the vehicle = better balance just like the idea of a mid-engine.

 

It does seem to be a topic that is paid some attention...

reference:

http://www.shock-dyno.com/Ortiz/Ortiz-4a-2004.pdf

http://sciencelinks.jp/j-east/articl...04A0444461.php

a link to lots of car caliper position pics...

http://forums.finalgear.com/general-...alipers-21269/

below link some interesting thoughts including brake fluid bleeding, boiling, and brake pad 'knock' (something I understand the 350Z driver can experience on track), also front mount applied extra load to the wheel bearings, rearward will unload them.

http://www.eng-tips.com/viewthread.c...=101874&page=7

All in all I likes this guys comment "I think there is nothing new here. These problems have been considered for over 50 years, and the designs are decided on for best overall compromise for the particular application."

 

lol, very true. Your #1 makes some sense, but there is always a limit. How much shifting of the center of mass and how much shifting of the weight distribution. The is no exact number or position and 50/50 does not mean exactly 1/2 of the weight in front and exactly 1/2 the weight in back. #2 is why i hate going to dealers. hahaha...

 

Thats funny you mention that, the 350 front caliper is towards the front bumper and not the center of the car.

 

good stuff man, looks like you researched into this as well.

i agree with that comment, and after looking through those pictures... i want mine mounted lower. HAHA

 

i often wondered this as well, thanks for the info

 

It affects balance and handling.