Question: Just wondering if any could explain the difference between "floating" and "fixed" brake calipers. Are there comparative advantages between the two?

Thanks.

 

Floating calipers have moving pistons on only one side. The other brake pad moves as the caliper slides in and out on pins. Heavier (generally) and less maintenance intensive.

Fixed calipers have moving pistons behind the pads on both sides. The caliper does not slide. They tend to cost more, break more, cool better, stop better and make more noise.

 

Gotcha. Thanks.

 

So, fixed is better? I remember hearing that Brembo uses floating style, and was tauted as being so great because of it.

 

Floating calipers allow the caliper to move side to side under heavy braking when the forces on the rotor can warp it slightly to one side. On Sportbikes, floating calipers (usually what Honda has on their bikes) and floating or semi-floating rotors (what everyone else uses) give you much shorter braking distances. Now the rotors on bikes are a lot less stiff and flex more, but proportionally (size of rotor vs. weight of vehicle) should be roughly the same as a car.