Tell me every thing I need to know. What are all the different types? Can they be mixed? Does Dot 4 superced Dot 3 or are they for different applications? Was there a Dot 1 and 2? Are their other types? What does the military use in their light vehicles, say HMMWVs etc. Is there some badass type that everyone likes to run? And, does the stuff ever evaporate or other wise vanish or if you are down any it means you have a leak some where, even if its a tiny one? And any thing else you think I should know about. TIA:grinpimp:

dot 3 is the most common in all highway cars/trucks its pertty cheap and does a good job in most all applications

Dot 5 is used in most industrial applications, i'm not sure why but i think it has something to do about how it does not mix with water (better than dot 3) and has a higher boiling point than dot 3. It is also used in HMMWVs and its hella expensive ($130 a gallon)

You can't mix any of them in the same system they blow out seals that way.

do some searching on the net there is some high performance compaines putting out their own brake fluids and i'm sure you find out alot more info that what i posted here...

www.xs11.com/tips/maintenance/maint1.shtml

You can mix 3 and 4. dot 4 has a higher boiling point, Never mix 5 with anything else #3 and 4 are a glycol base fluid and 5 is silicone base.

dot 3 has a great resistance to moisture, but can't resist the heat like dot 4.

dot 4 can take the heat better, but absorbs moisture more than 3. so dot 4 needs to be changed more often. (you do not want water in you brake system.)

dot 3 and 4 can be mixed.

i was also told that dot 5 is silicone based. it was developed for the military vehicales in mothball. it doesn't absorb moisture at all but is expensive, (like said above,) and does not perform as well as the dot 3 or 4. it's basically a brake fluid that can be left in for decades and would not need any maintenace when the vehicale is pulled out of mothballs. if you switch to dot 5 you need to flush your brake lines and calipers and/or cylinders of all other fluid.



i run dot 3. i never have problems with it.


no, it doesn't evaporate from your system. if it is missing, it means that your pads are wearing down and the fluid is filling up the wheel cylinders to make up for the now thinner pad, or it means you have a leak. check for leaks/check your pads.

also just a side note. dot 3 and 4 are water soluble. so if you spill it you can rinse it away with the garden hose. also it will ruin any paint that you spill it on.

so if you spill it on you fender, hose it down. wiping it with a rag isn't enough.

that's all i can think of about brake fluid.




ok. i have a question for you.

of all the things on you rig. why in the world would you choose brake fluid to make bad ass?

Agree with the don't mix dot 5 with any of the others. Not sure on a 4X4 how it would react, but in a Harley, you get to rebuild and replace damn near all the components when you mix the two. Think it might do the same to your rig. Better safe than sorry.