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Article: High temperatures can cause problems in the brake fluid
- Article from:
- Chicago Sun-Times
- Article date:
- July 29, 1996
- Author:
CopyrightCopyright 1996 Chicago Sun-Times. (Hide copyright information)
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Back when most cars had four-wheel drum brakes, brake fade was
common. Brake fade is caused by heat expanding the brake drums and
increasing the space between the brake shoes and the drums. Now,
disc brakes are standard on the front axle of almost all cars.
However, there is a heat-related problem which affects braking -
boiling brake fluid.
Brake fluid is rated by the Department of Transportation
according to a variety of factors, including its "wet" and "dry"
boiling points. Fresh brake fluid is considered dry. Although a
hydraulic braking system is essentially closed to the atmosphere,
brake fluid can take on water from humidity, when the master cylinder
reservoir is opened, or ...