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WET BRAKE PERFORMANCE TEST

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Whether you are driving on the motorway, a secondary road or in the city centre, traffic inevitably becomes more dangerous when it’s raining. Even the safest driver can encounter problems on the road in wet conditions, and all brakes are less effective in wet weather, with the additional problem of roads being more slippery.

Whilst in such conditions a cautious driving style is recommended, of critical importance is having good quality brakes which perform consistently and effectively in wet conditions. The last thing you want is a nasty surprise when hitting the brake pedal.

The reality is that in changing road conditions, the friction material used in your brake pads is critical. The friction material determines the stopping power of your brake system, but the quality of that material can ensure that changing conditions don’t result in vastly changed performance.

R90 TESTS ARE ONLY CONDUCTED ON DRY CONDITIONS

European legislation stipulates that all brake pads sold for use on vehicles must be tested, and comply to R90 standards. The R90 test includes cold and hot brake friction analysis and if a brake pad has been R90 approved, it can be safely assumed that the product is within 15% of the original equipment product performance.

Because the R90 test is only conducted in dry braking conditions we decided to benchmark Ferodo®brake pads against some competitor pads in wet braking conditions. Between the tested materials it’s easy to see that Ferodo®offers brake pads with the lowest reduction of friction level in wet conditions.

THE WET BRAKING PERFORMANCE TEST

The test comparing the reduction of friction performance in wet braking conditions between Ferodo®pads and competitor pads was conducted on a Ford C-Max. Six brake applications in dry conditions were measured, after which the brakes were sprayed in water for another 6 wet brake applications. To be sure that all the tests are conducted with equivalent and consistent brake pads, all brakes were bedded in first using identical procedures on new discs. Turn the page to see the results of the dry braking and wet braking test.

WET BRAKE PERFORMANCE COMPARISON

ferodo-support-comptest-n5-graphic-2016

The graph below shows you the percentage of friction level reduction – or brake performance – between braking in dry and wet conditions, with Ferodo®(Original Equipment Quality) showing the lowest reduction from dry to wet compared to some competitors. When you put that into stopping distance or an ability to quickly decelerate in a real-life scenario, these low wet performing brake pads could result in serious safety consequences during wet conditions. Even if you have a top of the line brake system fitted, using poor quality pads means low brake power regardless of the system quality.

ferodo-support-comptest-n5-graphic2-2016

THE RESULTS

As the chart shows, this test proves that Ferodo®brake pads have the most consistent brake performance under wet and dry braking conditions when compared to the competition. Previously conducted tests have already shown that Ferodo®provides short stopping distances, low brake noise and great pedal feel. We can now proudly add that we have some of the best wet braking performance - proving again that with Ferodo®you’re in control.

TEST PARAMETERS

  • Test conducted: An OE industry standard program or similar, 4 test specifications.
  • Brakes fully bedded-in through a cycle of 60 brake applications.
  • Dry coefficient of friction is determined by taking the average of 6 brake applications from 80 to 30 kph.
  • Wet conditioning is achieved by spraying the brake system for 10 minutes with water at a speed of 30 kph.
  • Wet coefficient of friction is determined by taking the average of 6 brake applications from 80 to 30 kph.
  • Vehicle: Ford C-Max, at a gross vehicle weight (GVW) of 1990 kg.

 

Please note that the braking system is a safety critical driver assistance device.
Drivers should always operate their vehicle according to the prevailing road conditions and adhere to any advisory or mandatory guidelines in place.

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