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Welcome back to teamscr.com...

bringing you a brand-new look...

Only about five years overdue, here is the new-and-improved teamscr.com!  What started in 1997 as the home of the biggest Saturn road racing team in North America has evolved into your comprehensive resource for improved vehicle dynamics and high-performance brake system engineering.  As you can see, this site is still under development, but we are making rapid progress.  (What else would you expect?  We are a race team, after all...) 

Please contact us with feedback and check back often to see the latest improvements.  Thanks for stopping by!

but the same drive to win!

UpComing Events

Mon May 21 @ 8:00AM - 05:00PM
Applied Vehicle Dynamics
Thu Aug 02 @ 8:30AM - 04:30PM
Introduction to Brake Control Systems: ABS, TCS, and ESC
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Have You Read It?

The Book

Yes, in fact we did write the book on brakes, thank you very much...

High-Performance Brake Systems: Design, Selection, and Installation by Author James Walker, Jr.

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James Walker, Jr.

James Walker, Jr.
 James Walker, Jr. is the man who started scR motorsports and subsequently allowed it to spiral out of control to its current state.



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We're Gonna Take You to School

SAE logoThrough scR motorsports consulting, James Walker, Jr. has developed an extensive portfolio of vehicle dynamics and hydraulic brake system courses that he delivers exclusively through SAE International.  All seminars have undergone industry technical review, received SAE approval, and are sanctioned to award Continuing Education Units (CEUs) as authorized by the International Association for Continuing Education and Training.

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Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Chapter 1 - Energy Conversion
Chapter 2 - Tires Stop the Car
Chapter 3 - Brake System Design
Chapter 4 - Brake Balance
Chapter 5 - Pedals, Boosters and Master Cylinders
Chapter 6 - Brake Fluid
Chapter 7 - Brake Lines and Hoses
Chapter 8 - Brake Calipers
Chapter 9 - Brake Pads
Chapter 10 - Brake Rotors
Chapter 11 - Sports Car Brake Upgrade
Chapter 12 - Racecar Brake Upgrade
Chapter 13 - Muscle Car Brake Upgrade
Chapter 14 - Hot Rod Brake Upgrade

Table of Contents

Biography 5
Acknowledgments 5
Dedication 6
Foreword 6
Introduction 7

Chapter 1: Energy Conversion 9
The Conservation of Energy 9
Where Energy Comes From 10
Friction 10
Kinetic Energy 11
Potential Energy 13
Energy Transformation 14
Energy and the Brake System 14
Calculating Brake System Temperature 15
Importance of Brake Sizing 15

Chapter 2: Tires Stop the Car 18
The First Law of Motion 18
Brake Forces 18
Tire Slip 19
How Brake Forces are Generated 20
The Mu-Slip Curve 22
Choosing the Best Tires 24
Calculating Maximum Deceleration 25

Chapter 3: Brake System Design 27
Driver Applied Force 27
Brake System Overview 28
Brake Corner Gain 33
Summing Forces 34
Overall Brake System Gain 34
Calculating Deceleration 34
Calculating Stopping Distance 34
Brake System Modifications 35

Chapter 4: Brake Balance 37
Brake Force and Corner Weight 37
Perfect Balance 38
Static Weight Distribution 39
The Second Law of Motion 39
Dynamic Weight Distribution 40
The Benefits of Perfect Balance 41
Front Brake Bias 43
Rear Brake Bias 43
Measuring Brake Balance 44
Changing Brake Balance 44

Chapter 5: Pedals, Boosters
and Master Cylinders 46
Brake Pedal Components 46
OEM Brake Pedals 47
Racing Brake Pedals 48 Brake Boosters 48
Vacuum Boosters 48
Hydraulic Boosters 50
Master Cylinders 50
Master Cylinder Selection 52
Rear Brake Pressure Reduction 54
Balance Bars 54
Proportioning Valves 55

Chapter 6: Brake Fluid 58
Brake Fluid 101 58
FMVSS116 58
Dry Boiling Point 60
Wet Boiling Point 61
Water Adsorption 61
DOT Ratings 61
Brake Fluid Compatibility 64
Brake Fluid Maintenance 64
Brake Bleeding 65

Chapter 7: Brake Lines and Hoses 69
Hydraulic Circuit Design 69
Brake Lines 70
Flare Fittings 70
Brake Hoses 71
Banjo Fittings 72
Stainless Steel Brake Hoses 73

Chapter 8: Brake Calipers 76
Hydraulic Gain 76
Caliper Components 76
Taper Wear 79
Piston Count 81
Caliper Mounting 82
One-Piece (Monoblock) Calipers 84
Two-Piece Calipers 84
Knockback 84

Chapter 9: Brake Pads 88
Brake Pad Terminology 88
Coefficient of Friction 90
Coefficient of Friction Stability 91
Brake Pad Fade 91
Friction Material Categories 92
Friction Material Chemistries 93
Friction Mechanisms 96
Brake System Break-In 97

Chapter 10: Brake Rotors 100
A Rotor Refresher 100
Rotor Terminology 101
Effective Radius 103
Rotor Sizing 103
Static Weight and Rotational Inertia 103
Rotor Cooling 104
One-Piece (Fixed) Rotors 107
Two-Piece (Floating) Rotors 107
Solid Rotors 109
Vented Rotors 110
Cross-Drilled Rotors 111
Slotted Rotors 112
Rotor Inspection 113
Thickness Variation 115

Chapter 11: Sports Car Brake Upgrade 118
The Vehicle 119
The Objective 119
Picking the Right Parts 119
Bolting Them On 121
The Results 124

Chapter 12: Racecar Brake Upgrade 126
The Vehicle 127
The Objective 127
Front Brake Upgrade 127
Rear Brake Upgrade 129
Apply System Upgrade 131
Hoses, Fluids, and Pads 132
The Results 132

Chapter 13: Muscle Car Brake Upgrade 133
The Vehicle 133
The Objective 134
Drum Brakes 101 134
Picking The Right Parts 134
Bolting Them On 135
Buttoning it Up 138
The Results 138

Chapter 14: Hot Rod Brake Upgrade 139
The Vehicle 139
The Objective 139
Front Brake Upgrade 139
Brake Pedal Considerations 140
Master Cylinder Upgrade 142
Brake Line and Proportioning
Valve Installation 142
Brake Hoses 143
Brake Fluid Selection 143
Parking Brake Installation 144
The Results 144
 

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The Motorsports Gateway

SSC #34 Victory LapEverything you've always wanted to know about scR motorsports - and more.  Get the latest news on our various exploits (racing and otherwise), read up on tech articles written by people who actually race their cars, peruse our tongue-in-cheek newsletter archive, browse our extensive photo gallery, watch our action-packed videos, meet the drivers and teams, and get official scR stuff.

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Daily Dose of Tech

Braking Systems…in Plain English

by James Walker, Jr. of scR motorsports
...as published in Grassroots Motorsports, Dec 2000

Back in February, an article describing brake upgrades made to the GRM project Ro-Spit introduced a number of basic braking concepts and reviewed several brake component upgrade possibilities that are available to racers and enthusiasts. However, before any of us go running off to the aftermarket for our own NASCAR 6-piston calipers, F1 carbon-fiber rotors, and 50 feet of stainless steel braided brake lines, it would be wise to take a deeper look into braking systems. We just might find that once we gain a fundamental understanding of what each of these components really does (and more importantly, what each does not do), we will be better prepared to make the right decisions when modifying (or choosing not to modify) our own rides.
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