What is a brake caliper?
The brake caliper is a U-shaped device with a piston or pistons on one or both sides of the U. The brake pads sit infront of the piston(s) on each side of the U-shaped caliper. When the brakes are applied, high-pressure fluid is channeled from the master cylinder to the brake caliper where it pushes the piston(s) inward. This action moves the pads against the spinning brake rotor, and the friction stops your vehicle. There are two types of calipers, a floating or a fixed caliper. A fixed caliper does not move relative to the disc. It uses two or more pistons to clamp from each side of the disc, and is more complex and expensive than a floating caliper. A floating caliper moves with respect to the disc; a piston on one side of the disc pushes the inner brake pad until it makes contact with the brake rotor surface, then pulls the caliper body with the outer brake pad so pressure is applied to both sides of the disc.
