A Guide to Buying the Best Brake Fluid in the Market
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** Below, you'll find our more detailed reviews by click in "Reviews" column, but you can also click the links above to see current prices or read customer reviews on Amazon.com.
What is a Brake Fluid?
A brake fluid is a special type of hydraulic liquid used on the vehicle's brake parts, and the clutch and its function are transmitting the force applied by our feet or hands into pressure hence increasing the force using to brake. Brake fluid working principle is quite simple. What it does is that it transmits the pressure exerted by the foot on the braking pedal through the master cylinder into the wheel hub.
A lot of people ignore using brake fluid on their break parts and clutch because they have no idea that it is of equal importance as the engine oils. They rarely change the brake fluid on a frequent basis as recommended and this may be dangerous.
You may want to know: Brake Controller
Types Of Brake Fluid
There are three main types of brake fluid, namely DOT3, DOT4, and DOT5. DOT is a Department Of Transportation body whose main function is to classify and recommend the types of brake fluid to be used in America. You can further categorize these types of brake fluid as either being glycol- based or silicon based. DOT 3 and DOT 4, for example, are glycol- based and are colorless whereas DOT 5's purple color is because of the silicon in it.
- The DOT 3 brake fluids are more economical, and their dry boiling point is 205 degrees Celsius while the wet boiling point is 140 degrees Celsius. It is not a must for them to be glycol-based.
- DOT 4 brake fluids have borate esters in addition to glycol ether so as to raise their dry and wet boiling points but these boiling points lower as they continue to be in use.
- DOT 5.1 brake fluids are mostly used by military equipment because their boiling points are outstanding and you can leave a vehicle unused for quite a long time, and when you use it abruptly, the braking system will still be on point.
Advantages of Brake Fluids
- Try picturing this scenario where you are driving very fast on a speeding highway full of speeding vehicles, and a motorist in front of you applies an emergency brake. You try to exert pressure on your pedal, but the braking system isn't working. The next thing you know is that you have crushed into the front vehicle causing a terrible accident and losing many lives. Such incidences only occur if your braking systems aren't well maintained. Brake fluids help lubricate and protect your braking systems.
- The more you use and change the braking fluid and the brake system in your car the longer it lives.
- Brake fluid's incompressible property is the reason behind braking on a car which without it, too many lives are lost.
- It protects the braking and clutch parts against corrosion by absorbing excess moisture.
Finding the Best among the Best Brake Fluids Available
Top 3 Best DOT 3 Brake Fluid with Reviews
MAG1 120 Premium DOT 3 Brake Fluid
Everyone likes products that are highly rated when it comes to performance. MAG1 120 Premium DOT 3 Brake Fluid has it all. It is a high-quality type of brake fluid that will take great care of your braking systems and last long than any other type of DOT 3 brake fluids. This brake meets all the safety requirements of standard oils by the SAE.
(Image source: www.amazon.com)
Pros
- Meets the vehicle standards safety
- Cheap
- Can flow nicely under room temperature
- High quality
Cons
- Poor packaging
Prestone AS400 DOT 3 Synthetic Brake Fluid
Prestone manufacturers mainly focus on the safety of your vehicle, and they have been in business for over 90 years now, so they understand clearly the car needs especially the braking system and importance of cooling. Prestone AS400 DOT 3 Synthetic Brake Fluid is one of their best products which has been created to exceed the standard boiling point requirement. It is also a safer lubricant on your braking system with polyglycol which regulates the brake system when it is at high temperatures. It's dry and wet boiling points are way more than the standard, and it mainly is suited for the modern braking system.
(Image source: www.amazon.com)
Pros
- Has a very high dry and wet boiling points
- High quality
- Contains polyglycolic to protect the braking system when hot
- A good lubricant
- Cheap
- Safer during extreme braking situations
Cons
- Leakages
- Poor packaging
Wilwood Hi-Temp 570 Racing Brake Fluid
Ricercars are subject to a lot of heating during driving and braking. With all that in mind, the usual brake fluids won't be effective because most of them have a standard dry and wet boiling points. That is why Wilwood took that opportunity and manufactured Wilwood Hi-Temp 570 Racing Brake Fluid which has the highest dry boiling point of 570F so as to accommodate the heating during racing. Its viscosity is low so as to make it flow nicely at room temperature. Since the pedal is subject to too much pumping, there will be a massive aeration which can be removed by this brake fluid.
(Image source: www.amazon.com)
Pros
- Has a higher dry boiling point
- Eliminates aeration
- Protects the braking system
- High quality
Cons
- No cons or negative reviews available
Top 3 Best DOT 4 Brake Fluid with Reviews
Pentosin 1204116 Super Dot 4 Brake Fluid
Corrosion is one of the major reasons why braking systems end up experiencing breakdowns. Many brake fluids have failed to tackle this issue correctly except the Pentosin 1204116 Super Dot 4 Brake Fluid. This DOT 4 brake fluid has a high corrosion resistance, and it ensures that its efficiency and boiling point isn't lowered by absorbing water or moisture.
(Image source: www.amazon.com)
Pros
- Highly resistant to corrosion
- High quality
- Nice packaging
- Offers maximum protection
- Cheap
Cons
- No cons or negative reviews available
ATE 706402 Original SL.6 DOT 4 Brake Fluid
ATE breakthrough technologies are the world leading manufacturers of braking system lubricating and protecting products. ATE 706402 Original SL.6 DOT 4 Brake Fluid is one of their best brake fluids, and if you put it in any vehicle that has issues with its braking system, all the problems are solved. Forget about the braking fluids that make the pedals soft. This brake fluid offers nothing but the best when it comes to lubrication, corrosion resistance, moisture resistance and constant viscosity throughout.
(Image source: www.amazon.com)
Pros
- Resistant to corrosion
- Constant viscosity
- Protects the brakes
- High quality
- Easy to use
- Cheap
Cons
- No cons or negative reviews available
Mercedes GENUINE 1L Brake Fluid DOT 4 PLUS
This brake fluid was mainly created for the Mercedes vehicles but it can be used by any brand, and it is friendly to any car. Mercedes GENUINE 1L Brake Fluid has a low viscosity with an MB Spec of 331.0. It leaves your braking system well lubricated for a longer period of time without losing its boiling point.
(Image source: www.amazon.com)
Pros
- Has a low viscosity
- It's a Dot 4 plus
- High quality
Cons
- No cons or negative reviews available
Top 3 Best DOT 5.1 Brake Fluid with Reviews
Motul Brake Fluid DOT 5.1 (N-S)
Packaged in a classy bottle, Motul Brake Fluid, DOT 5.1 (N-S) is a non-silicon type of brake fluid that has polyglycolic which ensures that the braking system is well protected when it is hot. It's wet boiling point exceeds the standard wet boiling points of Dot 3 and 4 meaning that you can comfortably use this type of braking fluid in a dot 4 braking system and it will operate just fine.
(Image source: www.amazon.com)
Pros
- Has polyglycolic
- Has a higher wet boiling point than the standard wet boiling points of dot 3 and dot 4
- Cheap
- Well packaged
- Can be used with Dot 4 braking system
- Doesn't require to clean out all the Dot 4 brake fluid when applying this one
Cons
- No cons or negative reviews available
Liqui Moly (3092) DOT-5.1 Brake Fluid
If you are looking for a fairly cheap braking fluid that can be applied instantaneously into your braking system and it works without any complications whatsoever and it can protect your braking system parts from corrosion, then Liqui Moly (3092) DOT-5.1 Brake Fluid is the deal. It works pretty well across all kinds of braking systems even a mountain bike.
(Image source: www.amazon.com)
Pros
- Cheap
- High quality
- Can be used across all the different braking systems available
- High resistance to corrosion
Cons
- No cons or negative reviews available
Wagner Dot 5.1 SEVEREDUTY Brake Fluid
If you have been experiencing problems lately when you try to make an instant stopping, then you need to consider changing the brand of your Dot 5.1 brake fluid and start using Wagner Dot 5.1 SEVEREDUTY Brake Fluid because it offers a safer and an excellent braking properties. This brake fluid has better lubricating capabilities that you won't hear that irritating sound inside the braking system when you apply brakes.
(Image source: www.amazon.com)
Pros
- Offers an optimum stopping performance
- Better lubricant
- Offers protection to the brakes
- Extends the life of your brakes
- No more sounds from the braking system
- Cheap
Cons
- Plastic packaging creates a possibility of absorption of moisture
Verdict
DOT 3 braking fluids work best under high dry boiling point so as to accommodate the heating and overcome the moisture that could contaminate it and lower its boiling point. Wilwood Hi-Temp 570 Racing Brake Fluid seems to be the best DOT 3 braking fluid due to that property, and the people who have used it before having nothing but positive feedback on the product.
Dot 4 braking fluids have flexible wet and dry boiling points making them safe to use during any driving conditions. All of the above DOT 4 brake fluids work the best so choosing your most preferred brand is the only thing that can distinguish them and the cost.
Dot 5.1 brake fluids have one advantage. That is they can be used on dot 3 or 4 braking systems without any problems or corrosion. Most of the dot 5.1 brake fluids work the best and are highly cheap.
Finding the best brake fluid among the above list can be quite difficult. Most of these products have been tested by quite a few people, so it is hard to tell whether it is 100% effective and vehicle friendly. So to sum up, I suggest that you choose the brand that best tickles your fancy and uses it.