Quote:
| So in the same way that a larger contact patch of tyre on the road gives better grip wouldn't a larger contact patch of brake pad on the disc give better braking performance? Taken to its extreme, the disc should be solid with no holes, shapes etc. just like they were 25 years ago !! ... it seems logical (to me) that cutting down on the contact area would decrease braking efficiency. |
I know that it's counterintuitive, but the frictional force developed between two surfaces is independent of contact area. It depends only on the coefficient of friction and the force pushing the two surfaces together. The force developed between the road and a tyre is different because the soft rubber interlocks into the road surface, so a tyres grip is contact area dependent.