DOT does not test nor approve brake fluids. It is important to understand that the U.S. No, really! Think about those grubby Vikings on that credit card commercial and you won’t be too far off. That was back when oil was actually sold in real metal cans that had to be stabbed with an evil-looking metal spout containing a pointy metal spike, for the benefit of our younger readers. ![]() Yes, that is the same group of gearheads who mapped out motor oil viscosities decades ago. The physical characteristics were sorted out by the Society of Automotive Engineers, or SAE. Department of Transportation (DOT) has laid out some specific criteria for brake fluid labeling. Starting at the place most of us heard about when looking at brake fluid for the first time, the U.S. Even if you skip the final exam, you will at least know WHY the pros carefully choose what they use! Brake Fluid Specifications: What’s all this gibberish mean anyway? If you want to know what is most important about brake fluid (and how picking the right one will give you more time to work on going faster), reading these ABC’s will help put you at the top of the class in Brake Fluid Science 101. “Wet” versus “dry” boiling point? Compressibility? Hygroscopic? DOT 3, DOT 4, DOT 5, DOT 5.1… Add in a few bench-racing tales and no wonder people throw up their hands and say – “Forget it! Just give me what the fast guys are using!” Some terms have been tossed around with so little clarity that their true meanings are often misinterpreted, if not misrepresented altogether. While seemingly simple, brake fluid is saddled with just enough chemistry and material science terms to quickly outpace even most race engineers. ![]() Few items in modern motorsports have been marketed to professional racers and enthusiasts as “creatively” as brake fluid.
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