Moggie, I'm not sure that reduced final brake temperature when heavy braking is applied is solely due to reduced tire flex -- mind you I don't have the numbers.
Speculating, I can conjure up two other mechanisms:
- Reduced time the brake pucks are held against the disks at low efficiency
- Increased erosion of high temperature particles
A brake disk erodes and loses mass with successive braking applications. A maximum effort stop from a given speed at the same weight and other conditions will produce a lower final temperature on a new disk than on a thinner disk near the end of its useful life.
For that I can offer an equation:
T = mEc
Where:
- T - Temperature increase
- m - Mass
- E - Energy Transfer to disk
- c- Heating coefficient of brake disk material, i.e. Temperature increase of unit mass of brake disk material per heat energy unit input