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"We know where most auto manufacturers tune brake bias – they like our cars to be front-biased in all conditions achievable by the tires offered on the vehicle. This helps to insure vehicle stability under braking by the mass public. If we measure stopping distance of the vehicle as delivered from the showroom floor, we have a good benchmark for a vehicle with a 5% to 10% front brake bias. Now, if we make changes to the car that can effect brake bias and re-measure stopping distance, we can tell immediately if we have taken a step in the wrong direction. For example, it is not uncommon to install more aggressive front brake pads (which will make the car even more front biased) and see stopping distances go up 5% or more. Dedicated race pads can result in even longer stopping distances. The most dramatic front-bias impacts are usually brought about by “big brake kits” which are not properly matched to the intended vehicle. Any time that a bigger front rotor is installed, there is a simultaneous need to decrease the effective clamping force of the caliper (installing smaller pistons is the easiest method) to offset the increased torque created by larger rotor effective radius. The objective is to maintain a constant amount of brake corner output (torque) for a given brake line pressure as Figure 6 illustrates. Unfortunately, too many upgrades do not take this factor into account, and those poor cars end up with both bigger rotors and larger pistons which serve to drastically shift the bias even more forward. While rock-solid stable under braking, stopping distances will go up dramatically." Full article: La-Z-Link
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