More to move this forum's discussion off of the SM issue than anything else, let me ask some opinions on brake heat control ideas and legality. I'd like to hear people's opinions on (and let me disclose I have a vested interest in this I have a severely brake challenged car):

1. Titanium or stainless steel backing plates siliconed to brake pads to insulate the piston and caliper seals from heat.

My take: Legal, as brake pads and pad material are free. This is certainly less of a tortured rule intepretation than the one that "allowed" spherical bearings.

Your take?

Disclosure: I do this already. I think this is legal.

2. Insertion of a shim that includes a heat sink that dissipates heat out of the caliper. I'm not describing it well enough, but it is basically the same as (1) above except the "shim" extends on out from the back of the caliper and has a heat sink that allows heat to escape as opposed to being transmitted to the piston and caliper seals.

While a much more tortured analysis than 1 above, I still think it legal if the shim is attached to the pad.

Your take?

I am aware this is being done by others (hell, the website for the product shows an ITS car), and have a set of these, but they don't fit under my current wheel setup.

3. Brake recirculator. Circulates fluid through the caliper so new fluid (and hopefully cooler) goes in the caliper with each pedal stroke. Legal under the brake circuitry may be revised rule? It is simply additional lines and check valves?

I had this in 2004, and removed it for a variety of reasons, one of which was concern over legality.

Your take?