Brake systems having back plates with thermal management features

A vehicle brake system, comprising:

• a back plate configured to support a composite pad, the back plate extending along a length direction from a first end to an opposite second end, the back plate extending along an orthogonal direction from a first lateral edge to an opposite second lateral edge;
• at least one conditioning insert coupled to the back plate and configured to contact a surface of a wheel during a braking event and thereby to condition at least a portion of the surface of the wheel;
• and
• fins coupled with the at least one conditioning insert and longitudinally extending along the length direction beyond one or more of the first or the second end, one or more portions of the composite pad disposed between the fins, the fins configured to conduct heat generated by contact of the at least one conditioning insert with the at least the portion of the surface of the wheel away from the at least one conditioning insert.

A method comprising:

• forming or obtaining a back plate configured to support a composite pad, the back plate formed to extend in a length direction from a first end to a second end and along an orthogonal direction from a first lateral side edge to a second lateral side edge, the back plate formed to have a head surface configured to engage a brake head and a pad surface that is opposite the head surface;
• forming or obtaining first and second conditioning inserts coupled to the back plate in a position to contact a surface of a wheel during a braking event and thereby to condition at least a portion of the surface of the wheel, the first conditioning insert formed or obtained to include first fins coupled with the first conditioning insert and longitudinally extending along the length direction beyond the first end of the back plate, the second conditioning insert formed or obtained to include second fins coupled with the second conditioning insert and longitudinally extending along the length direction beyond the second end of the back plate, the first fins and the second fins formed or placed in positions to conduct heat generated by contact of the first conditioning insert and the second conditioning insert with the at least the portion of the surface of the wheel away from the first conditioning insert and the second conditioning insert;
• and
• forming a composite pad to be coupled with the pad surface of the back plate, the composite pad extending between the first conditioning insert and the second conditioning insert with portions of the composite pad disposed between the first fins and between the second fins.