BRAKE FLUID : EXPLAINED IN DETAIL !!

Brake fluid, also known as hydraulic fluid, is responsible for moving the various components of vehicle’s braking system.In other words,brake fluid is a type of non-compressible fluid which transfers the force from the brake lever all the way to the brake pads. The reason the fluid is non-compressible is to increase the magnitude of the force applied via the lever and simultaneously increase the pressure on the pistons which make the brake pads rub against the disc, thus bringing the bike to a complete stop.

Classification of brake fluids :

Most of the brake fluids which we use today are made by fulfilling certain requirements of the US Department of transportation also known as DOT. This is what classifies different kinds of brake fluids. According to the parameters set by the DOT brake fluids are labelled as DOT 2 or DOT 3 etc.

For classifying a brake fluid into a particular class, different parameters of the fluid like its boiling point, nature of the fluid either hydrophilic or hydrophobic, viscosity, chemical structures and many others are considered. Main types of brake fluids include-

• DOT 3
• DOT 4
• DOT 5
• DOT 5.1

What is meant by dry and wet boiling points?

The Dry Boiling Point of brake fluid refers to the boiling temperature of fresh, new brake fluid from an unopened container. Whereas the Wet Boiling Point is defined as the temperature DOT brake fluid will begin to boil after it has absorbed 3.7% water by volume. DOT brake fluid will reach this level of water volume after roughly 2 years of service, which is why it is advisable to renew your brake fluid every year.

Mineral Oil

Unlike DOT brake fluid, Mineral Oil brake fluids are not governed by any standards or regulatory body, therefore the technical information on the various substances that contribute to their make-up is usually hard to come by.