I was just on the Team Dynamics website and for one of their rims it says "...maximum brake cooling"

It never occurred to me but does wheel design really affect brake cooling drastically? And what else would it affect? Wheel strength?


How would these two stack up to each other

 

The more open space there is, the more air can pass through for cooling and getting rid of dust. From what I can see neither of these wheels appear to have the built in fan designs in their spokes that will actually generate airflow from the inside to the outside to suck heat and dust out so I'd think their "better cooling" line is more like "less restrictive than a big closed wheel". Definately more passive than active. Do you have a brake heat issue so there is a problem that needs to be dealt with by airflow and not by a pad compund change or better ducting to get air to the brakes? Probably not if it is on the street but potentally on the track if you have already gotten a lot from the previous upgrades. If this cooling is not an issue, wheel weight and strength are going to be more important than it's cooling abilities.

For years I have been planning on making wheel fans for the front of my racecar that will actively pull air across the brakes and out through the wheel. This is only needed after you pads and air delivery to the brakes is optimized and you still need more.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by CRX Lee &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote"> This is only needed after you pads and air delivery to the brakes is optimized and you still need more.</TD></TR></TABLE>

awesome! thanks for the info

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by CRX Lee &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">The more open space there is, the more air can pass through for cooling and getting rid of dust. </TD></TR></TABLE>

I would think more wheel surface area also provides some cooling, as the wheel acts as a heat sink since it's directly connected to the rotor. I definitely understand that airflow is important, I've just felt the heat pouring off my wheels after bedding in track pads and wonder how that factors in.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by MrBite &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">I would think more wheel surface area also provides some cooling, as the wheel acts as a heat sink since it's directly connected to the rotor. I definitely understand that airflow is important, I've just felt the heat pouring off my wheels after bedding in track pads and wonder how that factors in.</TD></TR></TABLE>

I'd rather dissipate that heat to the surrounding air (which you won't see again) than to your wheels. The heat transfer will occur faster since convection heat transfer is more efficient than regular conduction, and the kinetic energy storage is higher since there's a lot more air to transfer to than there is wheel material.

 

IMO, heat is transfered to the wheel at pretty much the same rate regardless of the spoke design, because the surface area of the hub is the same. The faster the wheel is able to cool off though, then the more heat it can soak up from the brakes.

The wheel cools at a rate that is determined by A) the surface area and B) the amount of air flowing over the surface. In that regard, pro race 1 seems like it would work better to me.

Then again, I also feel like a cross-drilled rotor has more surface area (in 3D at least) then a solid rotor and thus should cool faster, so I guess that means you should ignore me.

Sean, who wonders why they don't make heatsinks on brake calipers and who is using this post to talk about himself in the 3rd person at the end for the first time, which is very popuar to do around here.

 

How about heat sinks in your rotor






http://www.advancedcooling.com/index.html

 

if u look btcc cars often have different wheels on the back.

WHy ? Because they felt then needed an almost completely closed wheel to get proper heat retention in the rears!

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by Greyout &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">Sean, who wonders why they don't make heatsinks on brake calipers and who is using this post to talk about himself in the 3rd person at the end for the first time, which is very popuar to do around here.</TD></TR></TABLE>

Terry who's noticed the same thing.

Want2race: maybe that's because of the type of brakes they use?

 

possible.. I cannot rule that out due to my lack of exact knowledge..
I can say they are steel in the back.. CF in the front.

 

The BMW E34 M5 was available with (or they might have been standard faire) wheels that had external blades to pull air through the wheel for the purpose of brake cooling. I don't have any pictures, but saw a set at Buttonwillow awhile back and they looked like a neat idea. Rather ugly, though.
-Adam

 

Yeah, '91 and '92 M5s came with those wheel covers (seen here... http://www.autotrader.com/find...t=706 ) and '93s came with different exposed 5 spoke wheels. '91 and '92 wheels that are under those covers look great too (black with polished/brushed lip similar to the Racing Hart CP-035 spoke pattern).

 

mugen CF-48's had kind of a fan effect.. especially when used with the brake cooling disc.