News
10 Years of Chase Bays
I'd love to tell the 20+ page story of the crazy times we've been through and all the lessons we've learned but I'll save that for another time. For now I will keep it shorter.
In the past decade I've made many mistakes (sorry to anyone affected by that). We have grown 100% almost every year and through all the lessons learned I became much better at managing a business. We expanded into new markets and found more uses for our products. They clean up clutter and they solve major problems. I've been on track multiple times a year testing our products and would see weaknesses then ways to solve them in aesthetically pleasing ways. I worked 80+ hour weeks, lived with a tiny income, quit drinking, ate healthy, exercised, and dedicated my soul to the business. Whatever skill I needed to keep a business going, I did it. I stayed up all night learning various things like illustrator, excel, website development, photography, solidworks, inventory control, accounting, all of it. No matter what negativity was thrown my way and no matter how hard people wanted to see us fail, I wasn’t going to quit.
Fast forward...we are all level headed with a clear view of what it takes to move this business forward and keep customers happy. We know what good customer service looks like and we push for the best. I have finally found an A+ team that really loves what they do and respects the brand we’ve created together. We’re not perfect and never will be. Every business will always make mistakes and things outside of our control can always occur. What's important is that we handle it properly and keep customers happy. We're always changing to keep up with increased demand, changing trends, or just in the name of better service. We love everyone who has supported us over the years. Here's to another 10 successful years!
-Chase McMaster, Founder and Owner
Chase Bays Power Steering Kit for Honda's
Super excited to release the Chase Bays Power Steering Kit for 92-00 Civic and 94-01 Integra. Not to be confused with our pre-existing Power Steering Delete; this product will KEEP Power Steering in a functional and aesthetically pleasing way. Check out this preview of how things are shaping up!
Team Jenkins SEASON UPDATE - D1NZ Grand Final
Well, what a massive last few months it has been for everyone at Team Jenkins HQ.
- Troy and Ben Jenkins
Owners / Drivers of Team Jenkins Motorsports
4 Common Misconceptions Of Brake Components
Chase Bays sells many brake component products, and in doing so we receive many questions regarding the function of our setups. There is a lot of misinformation and misunderstanding when it comes to brake hydraulic function. Here are 4 facts to help better understand braking.
1. Master Cylinder Bore: Larger vs Smaller
One of the most common misconceptions is that a larger master cylinder will create more pressure. While a larger master cylinder creates a larger displacement, it takes more force to create the same pressure as it would with a smaller bore. The result after adding the larger master cylinder bore is a harder pedal which requires much more pedal pressure to create the same amount of brake clamp force. This result displays itself as a combination of undesirably high force and unpredictable braking response. In more specific terms, moving from a 3/4" master cylinder to a 1" requires 77.7% more force on the push rod to reach the same amount of clamping pressure. Our goal was to develop a product that balanced the entire system. We factored in pedal force, system pressure, and lever travel and the 7/8” Wilwood fit the bill in every category.
2. Eliminating the Brake Booster: Impact on Braking Function and Pedal Feel
It is not uncommon for us to hear people say that eliminating the booster will cause the pedal to be too stiff for reasonable braking control. While we cannot disagree that some people do have this issue after eliminating their booster, their issues are always due to improper design and setup. Every bore has an appropriate pedal (or lever) design required to produce a certain level of pressure. The key to a great pedal feel and more controlled braking is a properly balanced master cylinder bore in relation to the pedal ratio (the length from the pedal swing mount to where it attaches to the master cylinder) used, with an adjustable proportioning valve before the rear brake lines.
In a brake boosted setup, the purpose of a brake booster/vacuum servo is to reduce the amount of pedal pressure required to push the master cylinder. In doing so it creates inconsistent braking because of varying vacuum levels within the chamber. It is very common in race cars (and show cars) to eliminate the brake booster to attain more consistent and controlled braking. After removing the booster the pedal does get stiffer but it is still reasonable for street and track use (much like the difference in pedal feel after changing from stock to an aftermarket clutch). The stiffer pedal feel allows better brake modulation now that there is no booster between the driver and the master cylinder. Our Brake Booster Eliminator kit ensures the master cylinder size is paired properly with the pedal ratio on street cars. Chase Bays offers a Brake Booster Eliminator Kit, Adjustable Proportioning Valve, and Brake Line Relocation Kit for various chassis.
To see more about these Chase Bays brake products, click HERE
3. Cross-Drilled and Slotted Rotors: The Basics
Cross Drilled Rotors
Cross drilled rotors are OE-style blank rotors that have been cross drilled to allow heat to escape that builds up between the brake pad and rotor through the drilled holes and out the mid rotor vent channels. Many people prefer drilled rotors because they like the look and consider it a good upgrade over an OEM blank rotor. The problem is that the integrity of the rotor is moderately compromised which combined with extreme temperatures and pressure can allow them to crack between the drilled holes. Thus even though drilled rotors are specifically designed to expel hot gases, most available on the market are not built properly and the holes serve merely an aesthetic purpose. If you are set on buying a drilled rotor, we recommend a quality brand such as DBA, Brembo, or Wilwood.
Slotted Rotors
Slotted brake rotors are a great alternative to drilled rotors because they serve the same purpose of expelling hot brake gas, but since they retain the strength of the rotor, they are not prone to cracking in the same fashion as cross-drilled rotors. They are also easier on the brake pads in terms of wear.
What's best for the street vs the track?
Most of our customers will notice more of a difference in stopping performance by changing the brake pads than the rotors. The advantages from cross drilled and slotted rotors comes during extremely hard and repetitive braking such as in competition use. For street use, we believe the best bang for the buck is to get a quality set of slotted brake rotors, suitable brake pads for your driving style, and replace your rubber fender well brake lines with stainless steel brake lines.
4. Brake Pad Quality Breakdown
There are different types of brake pads for different purposes. The qualities we demand from a street pad is completely different from what we need out of a race pad. Day-to-day street driving pads generally demand the following characteristics:
- Never make any noise
- No dust on our fancy wheels
- Good cold bite on the way to work
- Effective in the rain and snow
- Last 100,000+ miles
- Never wear out rotors
However, our priorities shift when the weekend rolls around. We want our race pads to have the following characteristics:
- Enough heat capacity to never fade after repeated lapping on a racetrack
- Predictable torque response for precise brake pedal feel and modulation
- No required bed-in or preparation
- Immediate release from the discs when we let off of the brakes
- No uneven pad deposits or scoring of the rotors
- Little to no wear as temperatures increase
Each driver must determine the most important pad characteristics for the type of driving he or she will be doing and choose a pad strategy with acceptable compromises. Out of often hundreds of different pad options, each pad compound will exhibit different characteristics and potential drawbacks. The goal is to find a happy medium based on how the car us used. Every situation is different.
With this article, we hope to help people understand braking components better so they can build a functional system suitable for their demands. If you would like to see a full article on specific pad types including their strengths and drawbacks to help you determine which is best for each type of driving…let us know!
Chase Bays July 4th Sale!
Chase Bays July 4th sale is live! Use discount code JULY4thYAY for 15% your entire order. The sale ends 11:59pm CST July 5th and requires a $20 dollar minimum order.
https://www.chasebays.com/
Chase Bays Hydro Hand Brake
• Compact. By using a side mount master cylinder we've created the most compact base and master cylinder mount available. We wanted the ability to install under factory center consoles and others on the market do not allow for this. Ours is over 2" inches shorter than the current popular options.
• Stability. No excessive wobbling of the handle and a more solid mounting option. The factory trans tunnel metal flexes too much, we're offering a steel plate that matches the base shape with nuts pre-welded on. This is sandwiched under the chassis or you can weld onto the top. This makes mounting a breeze and creates a sturdy mount.
• Modular. We have designs for stand alone and inline style MC, with the handle being reversible for Pull-Up or Pull-Towards.
• Complete. This does OR it will have the option for everything you need to install. We offer over hundreds of -3AN Brake and Clutch Line kits already, so we'll be offering chassis specific Brake Line Kits and Universal kits to assist your install further.
This is already strength tested and is being drift tested as I type. In less than a week we will be sending to production. We will be doing a pre-order and you can expect these in two months.
