Brakes and Traction Control: Description and Operation

NON SRT

Four-wheel disc brakes are standard on this vehicle. There are two four-wheel disc brake systems available, a standard and a premium. The standard disc brake system is referred to as "Seventeen-Inch." The premium disc brake system is referred to as "Eighteen-Inch."





"Seventeen-inch" four-wheel disc brakes (so called because they are designed to fit inside 17-inch wheels) are standard on rear-wheel drive models with V6 engines. They feature single-piston aluminum calipers (2) and vented rotors (1) in the front and single-piston aluminum calipers (4) with solid rotors (3) in the rear.





"Eighteen-inch" four-wheel disc brakes (so called because they are designed to fit inside 18-inch wheels) are standard on all international models and optional on other models. They feature twin-piston aluminum calipers (1) and vented rotors (2) in the front and single-piston aluminum calipers (4) with vented rotors (3) in the rear. Although the rear calipers appear the same as the 17-inch system, the rear calipers used with this system feature a wider jaw to compensate for the wider, vented brake rotors used.

Although the twin-piston caliper used is the same, Rear-Wheel-Drive (RWD) models mount the caliper to the rear (trailing end) of the knuckle while All-Wheel-Drive (AWD) models mount the caliper to the front (leading end) of the knuckle.

All calipers are aluminum construction and are the low-drag type. New-technology caliper construction allows minimal drag of the pads on the discs with low clearance to the rotors to maintain maximum pedal feel and responsiveness.

All calipers are anodized, giving them an off-black appearance. This coating offers corrosion protection and a long-term neat appearance.

Phenolic pistons are used in all calipers. The premium twin caliper pistons have stainless steel caps for protection against damage due to contact with the brake pads.

All brake rotors are fully coated with Geomet(TM), a water-soluble, environmental friendly corrosion preventive. Both the friction surfaces and the vents are coated. During initial brake applications of a new rotor, the brake pads scrub the coating off the friction surfaces, ensuring that the remainder will be rust free. Coating the vents also ensures that there will not be a loss of heat capacity over time.