Quote:
Originally Posted by jon@harrison.ne
As a mechanical engineer I appreciate Mikes thorough explanation or brake line mechanics. I would only add that we should be more precise about terms like force and pressure especially regarding units. "Force" has the units of pounds , "pressure" has the units of pounds per square inch, and "torque" is in "inch pounds" or, dividing by 12, foot pounds. Braking is achieved by applying a force to the pedal which then produces a different force (probably larger due to the pedal leverage and balance bar) to the master cylinder piston. This creates a pressure in the brake fluid which in turn creates a force on the wheel cylinder piston. This force results in a torque on the wheel (torque=caliper force X pad coefficient of friction(dimensionless,i.e. no units) X rotor radius.
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Thanks Jon,
I'm no mechanical engineer, just a layperson. I've no formal training in this stuff but an interest in all things mechnical I've always been fairly good at looking at a system and visuallising how it works. Probably because I pulled everything apart when I was a kid.
I've gone back through my post and fixed up some of my incorrect terms. Hope it makes more sense. most of the time I'm thinking faster than I can type.
Cheers