'Side Loaded' Brakes

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Figured this discussion was best off here instead of the real 'mechanical' forum:

https://jalopnik.com/watch-this-dodge-challenger-hellcat-light-itself-on-fir-1838822882

Reading through Jalopnik today and come across this article/video of a Dodge Hotfireburnplace-cat on the dyno. Its clear in the video from the 3rd brake light that the driver stands on the brakes when the strap snaps (See the 3rd brake light) but in the article they post this gem:

'Since the dyno keeps the car tracking straight, the car flexes under its own twisting force. In this case, the wheel and brake rotor appear to have slid sideways and come into contact with the brake pad. This is known as side loading the brakes and can lead to some spectacular failures.'

Huh-What?

I've never heard of something more made up in my life.

Not to mention the colossal amount of other stupid in that video. (you know, like standing next to a 700+HP car on a dyno, stomping on the brakes, crappy straps, dry chem fire extinguisher, etc)
 
Huh... that's a new one. If the wheel managed to flex enough to touch the brake pad, you'd be left with mangled bits of wheel and brake caliper
crackmeup2.gif


I wouldn't say they were stupid for standing on the brakes though... Assuming it's the automatic and they're in 6th gear (1:1), the car will push 198'ish mph... which yeah is pretty stupid to be within 50ft of the thing, as is using crappy straps and the wrong fire extinguisher on a very very hot brake pad.
 
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The problem with standing on the brakes on a dyno like that is the mass of those rollers will launch the car through the wall if you have enough traction/braking. Those things have a LOT of inertia.
 
As someone who used to emissions test vehicles on a dyno especially awd You never mash the brakes. I've seen many a new person launch a car this way.
 
There is the same kinetic energy stored in the dyno roller as a car actually traveling at high speed. Bystanders need to treat that situation with the respect it deserves.

A 198 to 0 panic stop using only the rear brakes is going to burn them up. Simple physics, no "side loading" BS involved.
 
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Originally Posted by 97prizm
As someone who used to emissions test vehicles on a dyno especially awd You never mash the brakes. I've seen many a new person launch a car this way.


Yup, I was a student lane tech many moons ago which involved running cars on an emissions dyno. I have learned to stay far away from them, same with the performance ones. A lot of the people working them don't make safety the first priority.
 
The only way you're going to side load brakes like that is if the caliper bracket is lose or the wheel bearing is toast. Dude hammered on the brakes on the dyno trying to get the thing to stop and really got them toasty.

Also, that's a really thin looking strap. I wouldn't trust 4 of those to hold my stationary Jeep on a trailer on bumpy roads.
 
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