Standard brakes on any car are designed with the exact make and model of car in mind. They work by applying frictional pressure to a disk attached to the wheel, translating the energy into heat, which is dissipated by the brake disk.

Often though, the designed systems are at an absolute minimum in terms of the delivered requirement specified by the car brand, keeping costs down.

But if you were desirous to vastly improve the stopping distances in your car, or liked the enhanced look of your vehicle with upgraded brakes and perhaps vented discs peeking through alloy rims, then a brake upgrade is the way forward.

More importantly, if you boost the performance of your ride in any way, whether through a larger engine, nitrous kit, tune-up, supercharger or turbocharger on the exhaust system, then sorting the brakes out becomes a necessity as the standard OEM kit fitted will simply fail under the added strain of markedly increased power.

This failure occurs when the braking system in use can no longer cope with the increase in temperature or heightened temperature over greater lengths of time, created by higher speeds. The pads and discs heat and are unable to dissipate the energy in time, causing them to lose grip and efficiency. This loss of braking ability is known as ‘fade’, and can be experienced when going down a steep incline for any length of time, where the brakes are under greatly increased strain for an extended period.

One straightforward way of remedying this is to vent the cast iron discs, to allow for greater air circulation. Another is to simply use larger discs. Larger, vented discs also mean larger pads, the improved surface area offering more for the pads to grip when the caliper is activated. And then there’s changing the compounds used in the pads themselves. 

Upgrading brakes isn’t cheap. Not only may discs be larger and vented, but they may even be made from more expensive materials, such as ceramic. Likewise, the requisite pads will also end up being pricier.

And these slotted or vented discs or rotors also end up wearing out faster than solid ones, not just because of the way they are designed, but also because they are used more heavily, more often. 

A lot of the efficiency in brakes is lost in the piping between pedal and wheel, which in standard cars can expand and bulge slightly under braking, detracting from the pressure exerted on the actual brake pads. These will obviously need to be replaced with more robust lines to boost the effectiveness of the hydraulics, so it isn’t only the brakes at the wheel that will need attention. The final piece of the jigsaw is the brake caliper, the bit that clamps the pads to the disc. 

If you are considering whether to upgrade the brakes on an SUV or off-roader, it’s worth bearing in mind that increased disc size is not necessarily a good thing. The reason for this is that if you do indeed take your car off-road, the bigger discs become more of a liability when negotiating rocks or deep mud.

Really, what needs to be worked out is what use are you putting your car to: Is it just to look good as a road racer, where slotted discs and performance pads will suffice, or actual race-track, where the whole system needs to be addressed?

Whatever you do, be sure to check in with your insurer about any alterations you do make; it might invalidate any cover you currently have not to do so.