What's your favorite brake fluid?

I was just gonna mention our success with the Valvoline DOT 4, Toyman beat me to it. For a faster/heavier car I'd go with the Wilwood or similar. Avod DOT 5, about the only thing out there that uses it is Harley because it won't damage paint. And as an FYI for everybody: some Urpeen motorcycles, most notably KTM, use mineral oil in the clutch hydraulics so read the cover carefully before adding!

yamaha wrote:

wbjones wrote:

BoxheadTim wrote:

chknhwk wrote: I've had great luck with ATE Blue also. Reasonably priced and performance is good.

... and not available in the US anymore IIRC.

depends on who you ask … like I said, I have 2 cases … more than I'll ever use, since I swap back and forth between it and the amber (reasonably priced )

I think its back, just without the "DOT-4" markings...... I prefer ATE or Motul myself.

blue color still isn't legal for highway use … I've been expecting to see it back on the shelf, but with the designation "not for highway use"

So dot 4 is good to go in all dot 3 required brake systems?

I have boiled everything listed except for SRF, but road atlanta and stock mini cooper S brakes are a bad combo.

wbjones wrote:

yamaha wrote:

wbjones wrote:

BoxheadTim wrote:

chknhwk wrote: I've had great luck with ATE Blue also. Reasonably priced and performance is good.

... and not available in the US anymore IIRC.

depends on who you ask … like I said, I have 2 cases … more than I'll ever use, since I swap back and forth between it and the amber (reasonably priced )

I think its back, just without the "DOT-4" markings...... I prefer ATE or Motul myself.

blue color still isn't legal for highway use … I've been expecting to see it back on the shelf, but with the designation "not for highway use"

The cans that were on the shelf when the news broke were already labeled as such. FYI.

smog7 wrote: So dot 4 is good to go in all dot 3 required brake systems?

Yes. It simply has to meet higher standards for both wet and dry boiling temps. When trying to choose between DOT 3 and DOT 4, you'll almost always want DOT 4.

and keep in mind that all DOT 4's aren't created equal… be sure to check the wet boiling temp … a high dry temp is great, but that's in only in effect when you first pour it in … at that point it starts to absorb water, and the wet boiling temp starts to become important

DOT5.1 is also compatible with DOT3/4, but DOT5 is not!

One thing to note regarding brake fluid specifications is that those are the minimums for each classification. Generally the more motorsport oriented fluids are formulated to higher specs. DOT 5.1 has the highest MINIMUM specs for dry and wet boiling temp. There is a difference in viscosities as well, with the 5.1 being the lowest and 4 being the highest. This might make a difference if your car has one a factory installed clutch release bleed valve (to reduce chatter).

wbjones wrote: and keep in mind that all DOT 4's aren't created equal… be sure to check the wet boiling temp … a high dry temp is great, but that's in only in effect when you first pour it in … at that point it starts to absorb water, and the wet boiling temp starts to become important

The DOT standards specify both a wet and a dry boiling point. A DOT 4 has a higher minimum wet boiling point than a DOT 3.

yes DOT 4 has a standard (I assume higher temps than DOT 3) but I've seen comparison charts of different brands (DOT 4) and there is quite a bit of difference between brands (usually in line with the price)

http://www.lelandwest.com/brake-fluid-comparison-chart.cfm

I've used ATE Blue and Motul RBF. Never had an issue with the ATE that would have been solved by a better fluid - i.e., when the fluid's boiling, the pads are hot and everything's unhappy.

Anything of reasonable quality should be fine, especially for light track use.

Overheating pads and overheating fluid are two different things - good pads won't keep your fluid cool and vise versa. I've had a car with neglected fluid boil even while the pads were happy, and I've definitely overheated pads without any fluid problems.

wbjones wrote: yes DOT 4 has a standard (I assume higher temps than DOT 3) but I've seen comparison charts of different brands (DOT 4) and there is quite a bit of difference between brands (usually in line with the price) http://www.lelandwest.com/brake-fluid-comparison-chart.cfm

If you want to know what the standards are, look at the chart you posted. Right at the top! Looking at that chart, it would seem that Castrol SRF is the perfect fluid for those who don't like race car maintenance, while AP Racing specializes in the exact opposite.

understood … but I can't afford SRF and those standards are minimums … the various brands vary widely in their implementation of those standards … so I try to pick one that works for me

and the boiling of pads/fluid … yep .. you gotta take care of both

I just found that the Delphi Lockheed DOT5.1 I can get locally is surprisingly good, almost as good as the Motul DOT5.1:

http://www.fensport.co.uk/Parts/Model_16/Category_11/538

Ford Truck Heavy Duty fluid

Zombie thread I know, but stuff changes over time.

Anyone got any new recommendations?

I'm still using Valvoline. It still works.

Kind of a sad thread. There are several posters in here that are no longer with us. Both were local to me and good friends. I still miss those guys.

2016 brake fluid spec comparison.

Wilwood still seems to be holding it's own.

In reply to Toyman01:

In reply to Flight Service:

Nice chart, thanks. The Willwood looks pretty attractive. Reasonable price and reasonable performance.

Another vote for parts-store Valvoline. The fact that it's cheap and easy to get makes it more likely that I'll change it more often.

Reviving an old thread:

If there is any new "magic" brake fluid, I'd like to know.

I have used both RBF 600 and Motul 5.1 in 100's of Ducati Brembo brake systems both ABS and non-abs. I like the 5.1. It stays clear for a while even in a Ducati clutch system (know to turn fluid black)

I am looking for fluid for my Mini cooper S. I used to put Castrol GT LMA Dot 4 in all my cars, now I can't ever find it, plus this Mini will be autocrossed and tracked as well as hard daily driving (zero traffic mountain roads where I live)

I think I will use the 5.1 because of cost vs. performance over the RBF600. I also read the 5.1 may perform better in below zero temps (and I get those here).

I put some random brand of DOT 3 in both in my 2008 Jeep JKUR and 2006 Jeep Commander Hemi. Both stop just fine. Even with 35" tires on the JKUR, and even if I rallycross it (if they let me, we'll see) or if I tow an un-braked trailer with the Commander down a mountain pass, I probably will not boil any DOT 3 fluid.

wbjones wrote:

mistanfo wrote: I used to keep ATE Type 200 and Blue on the shelf. Now that the American people are too stupid to know that the blue is brake fluid, I only have the Type 200. I usually try to find a friend that needs a fluid flush when I'm ready to do mine so that the can gets used in one go.

this … and I have 2 cases of Blue and for track work I'd recommend DOT 4 (the highest wet boiling point temp you can afford) oh.. and stay away from DOT 5 …

DOT5 is what I run in anything I build. I like my paint and brake fluid has no respect for how much it cost to paint stuff.

Since most of my projects have been Brit cars, you can be certain that brake fluid is going to end up on the paint at some point.

I have tracked the GT with silicone and had no issues. That said, I am more of a builder than a driver, so ultimate high temp performance is not a big deal.

And contrary to popular belief, silicone fluid needs to be changes out as often as regular brake fluid.

I was using RBF600.. got tired of the price.

Now I just use standard boring DOT4 fluid. Works great. Cheap.

I've been using ATE Typ 200. It's better than the white bottle Valvoline stuff and still pretty reasonably priced. Seems like anything better costs dramatically more money.