Continental is best known for its tires, but its latest product could help to significantly improve the handling of the family sedan when it is shown for the first time at Frankfurt Motor Show next month. It's a new fixed-type brake caliper for passenger cars, and in comparison to the fist-caliper brakes widely used at present, the new design saves around 1.5 kg per wheel - a large lump of unsprung weight that makes the suspension's job much harder than it need be.
Yes, fixed calipers have a bad reputation for brake squeal, but Continental claims it has overcome the problem using a new aluminum monobloc brake caliper that's "fundamentally much more robust in terms of brake squeal."
The new 4MF fixed-type caliper brake has (four pistons in a monobloc fixed-caliper housing) and reduced pad-disc clearance compared to fist-calipers, resulting in extreme responsiveness and a precise pedal feel according to Continental.
The company the caliper could be further developed for the high-performance segment.
Time we reverse engineered and reduced the weight of other mechanical apparatus, and bodyshell parts. I remember reading years ago, that a gas combustion engine has 90% more moving parts than a electric built vehicle, so one can see the room for improvement!. This also has highlighted to me ... \'\'why are electric vehicles so expensive, when they have so little in parts ... hhhmmm???\'\'.
It would either take some complex machinery to cut the bores, or the calipers would need very precise holes cast in for pressing in pre-machined liners.
Sliding, single piston calipers are nearly all one piece castings. They have an opening on the side without a piston to provide access to machine the piston bore. The biggest problem with them is when the sliding system gets gunked up to where it won\'t slide back to relieve the pressure on the side without the piston.
Batteries. Energy intensive to make, short lived batteries.
josiahc - August 16, 2011 @ 03:32 pm PDT
EXACTLY. Thanks to ZTL, the front of my Lightning is ~30% lighter than an equivalent sportbikes front end. Oh duh, THAT\'S why it\'s so easy to pull wheelies...
http://www.cquence.net/blog/reducing_thermal_conductivity_of_heat_on_brakes/