As a general rule of thumb, more pistons in a caliper will allow for 1. more secure & consistent pressure on the rotor 2. a larger brake pad surface area.

That being the case, could "in theory", one improve their braking performance if they attached another stock caliper to each rotor in the system?

Obvious concerns:
1. Creating a reliable and secure mean of attaching another caliper to a stationary point on the wheel assembly
2. Master cylinder, ABS, & VCD systems to work correctly with added caliper
3. Greater heat build up when braking

Any thoughts?

 

i would guess that the added caliper would take away from the convective cooling area thus causing excess heat and friction which will probably warp your rotors. if they haven't done it in the race world, it prolly isn't a good idea. especially on stock rotors. larger slotted, cross-drilled rotors may be a little more feasible, but prolly still a bad idea.

 

The one mercedes i think the maybach has 2 calipers on each rotor in the front. We have them at the golf course pretty frequently and thats one thing i have noticed.

-Sean

 

Sure it's possible but like izmir pointed out, you'd be covering up too much of the stock rotor. Plus I think the cons far outweigh the pros as in signifcantly increased unsprung weight, having to use a new master cylinder that could supply the correct amount of pressure, running more hard and soft brake lines, etc. A good 4 piston BBK like Stoptech or AP is more than enough if you're looking for improvement. If shorter stopping distances is what one is after than one needs to look at stickier tires and brake pads with more coefficient of friction.

 

Generally, the race world opts for the most simple solution with the more reliable results, thus a single caliper, multiple piston option is likely going to be an easier mechanism to tune and maintain.

It doesn't mean that dual calipers is a bad idea, but will definitely take more work to tune, maintain, and diagnose.

Cost of BBK = $1200+
Cost of building a dual caliper add on = ???

 

Almost every modern car will lock the brakes at 80 mph with ABS off, if the pedal is pressed with sufficient leg force......this would be less than 70 pounds.

Using a tire with a high treadware index is the cause of most long braking problems. As a tire ages beyond 8,000 miles its rubber becomes progressively harder and friction coefficent declines...........compared to new 20,000 miles is a dottering old age.
Expecting to get more than 10,000 miles out of a tire means you are accepting LESS than ideal braking.

Take a moment to look at tire rack wet braking test and see the 20-25 foot difference between the best and worse from only 50 mph.

 

The added weight and complexity wouldn't justify it vs what the other bbk makers out there have to offer.

Although more piston clamping force does = more brake force, you are still using the same dia rotors as before. And not taking advtanage of the larger rotor torque arm advantage other bbk system imploy