Learn About Brake Rotors and Pads | Fine Print Series

This Fine Print video is a detailed look at brake rotors and pads. In the first video, we discussed brake lines, fluid, rotors and more. All of the info applies to vehicles like Silverado, Accord, Ford Mustang, Mazda3, and even McLarens. Vehicles every year burn through millions of brake pads and rotors, in this series we try to logically explain brake systems.

Part 1: Fundementals of Braking:

The Following Products Were Shown: (Not Sponsored)
Carbotech Brake Pads - XP12 and 1521
Essex AP Racing Radical Calipers and CP8350

Index:

00:00 - 00:37 Intro
00:37 - 2:20 Brake Pad Basics and Temperatures
2:20 - 3:28 MU - Coeffient of Friction Chart and Heat Ranges
3:28 - 4:27 Pad Materials - Organic
4:27 - 5:10 Pad Materials - Ceramic
5:10 - 6:21 Pad Materials - Semi Metallic
6:21 - 7:00 Pad Materials - Full Metallic
7:00 - 8:02 Temp Charts and Brake Fade
8:02 - 11:05 What is the Best Brake Pad?
11:05 - 13:08 Brake Rotors Pros and Cons- Vented Blanks
13:08 - 14:00 Slotted Rotors
14:00 - 14:55 Heat Cracks and Heat Checking
14:55 - 16:00 Cross Drilled Rotors
16:00 - 17:39 Cryo Treated Rotors
17:39 - 19:41 Two Piece Rotors and Big Brakes
19:41 - 21:36 Carbon Ceramic Pros and Cons
21:36 Bedding Brakes, Burnishing and Stopping Squeaks

[awacs]

Time stamps for Mobile:
Index:

00:00 - 00:37 Intro
00:37 - 2:20 Brake Pad Basics and Temperatures
2:20 - 3:28 MU - Coeffient of Friction Chart and Heat Ranges
3:28 - 4:27 Pad Materials - Organic
4:27 - 5:10 Pad Materials - Ceramic
5:10 - 6:21 Pad Materials - Semi Metallic
6:21 - 7:00 Pad Materials - Full Metallic
7:00 - 8:02 Temp Charts and Brake Fade
8:02 - 11:05 What is the Best Brake Pad?
11:05 - 13:08 Brake Rotors Pros and Cons- Vented Blanks
13:08 - 14:00 Slotted Rotors
14:00 - 14:55 Heat Cracks and Heat Checking
14:55 - 16:00 Cross Drilled Rotors
16:00 - 17:39 Cryo Treated Rotors
17:39 - 19:41 Two Piece Rotors and Big Brakes
19:41 - 21:36 Carbon Ceramic Pros and Cons
21:36 Bedding Brakes, Burnishing and Stopping Squeaks

[nicolatamanini]

Dear Mark, to my eyes what you are doing in this Youtube channel is truly superb. You have a way of presenting that makes me feel better every time I'm watching one of your videos. Their quality is top notch and I'll always be thankful to you because you provided, provide and will provide such beautiful content for the YT community. Don't stop, the world needs more people like you! Thank you again from an italian enthusiast.
Grazie!!
Nicola

[dil]

When I was young and dumb, I needed brakes on my daily driver Miata. And my dumbass bought an expensive set of Hawk HPS pads for a stock 1.6 car that is driven almost entirely on the street. I never liked those pads. Crazy dusty, really noisy and terrible bite unless you got them super hot.

I recently swapped to EBC green-stuff which is a street-only pad and it made a massive difference. Initial bite is 100% better. They don't dust as much and they grip just as well cold as they do hot. They don't dust like crazy and they are plenty good enough for spirited driving in a street car. I wish I had this video when I was 18 because it would have made choosing the right pad a lot easier. Don't buy trackable street pads thinking it'll make your vehicle stop better all the time. There is no pad that does everything great.

Thank you for this video Mark. Because of your great information, I only bought the pads I needed.

[Almighty_cornholio]

Your videos are the cleanest, best pleasure

[donohu]

I remember you talked with Matt on the Smoking Tire about how these videos don’t have some of the wider appeal or are too technical, or whatever it was, but I love the videos you do like this. Good work!

[AireJayy]

Glad this series is back again! Something about you explaining stuff is far easier to digest than Engineering Explained. Maybe it's that silky smooth voice

[louie]

Falling asleep? Are you kidding me. You had my attention 100%. Excellent explanation of the different braking systems. Thanks for sharing with us.

[quaidmciver]

The finest quality automotive video entertainment on YouTube!

[IGDesigns]

I talked to one of the head guys at AP once and he mentioned how he was an advocate of grooved/dimpled rotors. Not drilling or slotting all the way through meant they didn't create high stress concentrations (areas more prone to cracking). It's cool to actually see them in use with the ones you had.

[RotaryLover]

I'm a mechanic and my teachers never managed to explain everything as good as you did. I wish you were my teacher when I was at school.

[miguelfreitas]

This is kind of videos are the reason the internet was created for. This is the kind of video you can't be doing anything else while you are watching or you will loose so many quality information. Congrats for your work. Probably the best automotive vlogger in terms of what really matters(content and the way you communicate).

[itsbillybobs]

Really enjoy these technical insight videos - they provide a lot of insight to people who throw thousands at brake components without thinking of their applications and the relative performance gains.

[rzezniqq]

You clearly know your stuff. Keep up the good work. I hope you won't stop as I got used to your reviews and technical videos so much that I find any other YouTube car channel lacking in comparison (maybe except Engineering explained).

[dwallis]

The Long John Silver's reference made my day. Thank you for putting so much work into these videos. I love your channel because I can always learn something new.

[mcswks]

you've helped me decide on the Type R, and now with the really awesome trifecta (Fundamentals of Braking, All About Brake Pads and Rotors and Performance Car Myths) I'm diligently studying so that when I'll track the CTR, I won't destroy it (or myself).
I can't emphasize enough how much you're helping a community so overwhelmed with hype and buzzwords to enjoy that which is dear to us.
Oh, and I forgot about the awesome oil video, which I also enjoyed immensely. Especially as the FK8 Type-R comes with 0W20 oil as standard 🤔

[kodonosaki]

Just discovered your channel. The tonal sound of your voice, transduced through microphne(s) and other audio equipement and processes, is not in any way unpleasant to my blast traumatized hearing - thank you! Your enunciation and diction are exemplary. The props and graphics provided, were visually sharp and on screen long enough for me to observe adequately. 1440pHD helps my diminished eyesight see more detail - thank you! I'm an elder car guy, who can't do much myself, anymore, but, I still have much interest in civil street performance - vehicular and personnal!

[laurenbina]

Was so excited when I saw I still had 1 more of your videos to catch up on for after work. Did not disappoint!! Thanks for helping me break this monotonous day and like always, I learned something 😀 You're the best.

[MrRoger]

19:31 For some cars, there are aftermarket 2 piece brake rotors in the original dimensions, so you do not need to change calipers.

[michaelcheshareck]

Great video as always. For street driving I’m liking the factory Brembo pads on my Chevy SS sedan. I am running the 6 piston Brembo calipers from the C7 Z06 and 2 piece rotors up front, with Motul 600 fluid. The factory pads dust a lot, but they never give up with a good workout, and they aren’t loud. I’m sure at the track the Brembo pads wouldn’t work great, but they’d at least be decent when paired with the good fluid.

[ChrisOh]

I know these more technical videos are not as loved like your other videos, but I really appreciate that you do these. Please keep doing them.