Brake balance

The brake balance or brake bias of a vehicle is the distribution of brake force at the front and rear tires, and may be given as the percentage distributed to the front brakes (e.g. 52%)[1] or as the ratio of front and rear percentages (e.g. 52/48).[2] The braking balance affects the driving characteristics in terms of how fast the vehicle can brake, how the vehicle can take corners, and tire wear.[2] The optimal brake balance can vary between circuits, weather conditions and driving styles.[3] On race cars, the brake balance is often part of the racing setup, and in formula car racing it is regularly adjusted during the course of an entire lap.[4] In some cases, the brake balance may be adjusted to match the traction (grip) of the vehicle during braking, which usually means distributing a greater braking force to the front (for example 55/45). In other cases, it may be desirable for the brake balance to be the more similar at the front and rear (e.g. 50/50) for the tires to last longer, which may be beneficial in endurance racing.[5] Adjustment of the brake balance is often done by adjusting a proportioning valve which determines the distribution of the brake force between the front and rear brakes. The adjustment can be made via mechanical couplings or with the help of a small electric motor.