John Butler
Brake fluid is very important because it helps the car stop. Without brake fluid, you won’t be able to stop the car by pressing on the brake pedal. When it comes to shopping for brake fluid, quality matters a lot. High quality brake fluid:
- Has the right viscosity and base for your braking system
- Has a high boiling point
- Contains additives that prevent corrosion in the brake lines
When you’re shopping for brake fluid, it’s important to get quality brake fluid with all the features listed above. There are several high quality brake fluid brands you can rely on:
- StopTech
- Brembo
- Hawk
- Motul
- EBC
At BuyBrakes.com, we carry all of these brands. If you’re not sure which brand to get, we can help you reach an educated decision.
A General Rule Of Thumb: Never Buy Cheap Brake Fluid
A lot of people think that cheap brake fluid is just as good as expensive brake fluid. We strongly disagree with this line of thinking. There are a few fundamental differences between cheap and expensive brake fluids:
- Cheap brake fluid often contains inferior ingredients that reduce the boiling point, viscosity, and lubricity.
- Cheap brake fluids aren’t made with the same level of care as expensive brake fluids.
- Cheap brake fluid will break down more quickly, which means it will need to be replaced earlier. Better quality brake fluid may cost more upfront, but it can save you money because it lasts longer.
If you have a performance vehicle, we recommend getting a top-of-the-line brake fluid. If you have a daily driver or another type of vehicle, mid-range brake fluid would do just fine.
Let’s talk about the different types of high quality and mid-range brake fluid we carry on our site. We stand behind each and every one of them. It’s only a matter of finding the right one for your vehicle.
1. StopTech Brake Fluid
StopTech brake fluid is a top seller at BuyBrakes.com. We carry two different types of StopTech brake fluid for high performance vehicles:
- Stoptech Racing STR 600 High Performance Brake Fluid
- StopTech STR-660 Ultra Performance Race Brake Fluid
The 600F brake fluid is best for the following driving styles:
- Commuting
- Towing
- High performance
- Track-day sessions
It maintains great performance at high temperatures. It also maintains viscosity, lubricity, and non-compressibility.
The 660F brake fluid is for high performance vehicles. It’s designed to handle even more heat and pressure. This brake fluid maintains viscosity, lubricity, high thermal stability, and non-compressibility.
2. Motul Brake Fluid
Motul brake fluid is affordable, yet it’s perfectly suitable for high performance vehicles. It’s a non-silicone based, 100% synthetic DOT 5.1 brake fluid that lasts a long time. It has a high dry boiling point of 270°C and a high wet boiling point of 185°C. That’s a recipe for high quality brake fluid.
3. Brembo Brake Fluid
We carry two types of Brembo brake fluid:
The Brembo Sport 500+ brake fluid is ideal for performance driving and track racing. You can mix it safely with DOT 3, DOT 4, and DOT 5 brake fluid. The Brembo Racing LCF 600+ brake fluid is exclusively for racing use. That means it can handle higher temperatures better than the Brembo Sport 500+ brake fluid can. It has low compressibility at high temperatures, which is necessary for effective braking while racing.
4. EBC Brake Fluid
If you’re looking for brake fluid that can handle extremely high temperatures, look no further than EBC brake fluid. We have two different types in our catalog:
The first one – the high performance super DOT brake fluid – is ideal for:
- Aggressive street use
- Track days
- Racing
It’s formulated to operate at extremely high temperatures. The other kind – the EBC DOT 4 brake fluid – is better for daily drivers and light performance vehicles.
5. Hawk Street Brake Fluid
Hawk Street Brake Fluid is a high performance DOT 4 brake fluid that’s made above OEM specs. Specifically formulated for high performance vehicles, this brake fluid can handle a higher dry boiling point than most other brake fluid brands.
If You’re Replacing Your Brake Fluid, Please Dispose Of It The Right Way
It sounds like a no-brainer, but we’d be irresponsible if we didn’t remind you. Make sure you dispose of the old brake fluid the right way when you replace it. Here are several ways to do this:
- Bring the old brake fluid to an auto parts store or a shop that accepts hazardous waste
- Bring the old brake fluid to a waste recycling center
- Use kitty litter to absorb the old brake fluid (only if you have a small amount of it)
We wrote another blog post about this if you’d like to read more about it.
