Professional Racing Drivers ALWAYS Do This, But Why? [#TECHTALK]

Brake knock-off, what is it and why does it cause drivers to tap the brakes when they're still at wide-open throttle on a straight?

It's not uncommon to see professional and amateur drivers tap their brakes before a braking zone not to brake check their opponents or cause any confusion, but instead to help ensure that brake knock-off, also known as brake knock-back or pad knock-back, doesn't cause them to lose firmness and feel in their brake pedal. In the worst-case brake knock-off can restrict braking performance to the point a driver will run deep or overshoot a corner completely.

Tim explains what causes this, how tapping the brakes avoids issues and also what can be done in regards to wheel bearing setup, anti-knock-off springs and general braking package stiffness/compliance to help alleviate the issue.

Interestingly in professional motorsports teams will sometimes make a compromise on a slower or faster circuit to live with brake knock off in the interests of less parasitic drag and more speed leaving them to tune the brakes in this respect from event to event.

0:00 - What IS Brake Knock Off?
0:38 - What Causes Brake Knock Off?
1:23 - Best Fixes
2:12 - High and Low-Speed Adjustments
3:01 - Seal Design Influence
3:27 - Summary
3:54 - Learn More. Do it.

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