Composite phenolic brake piston with improved heat resistance

In a molded plastic disc brake piston having a cylindrical phenolic resin body and having an open end and a closed end, the improvement comprising a phenolic sheet molding compound skin that is simultaneously co-molded to the open end of the piston to provide a disc brake piston with improved heat resistance, wherein the co-molded phenolic resin skin and the phenolic resin of the phenolic resin body are cross linked and chemically react with one another during molding in a continuous resin reaction across an interface between the skin and the body to form an integrated unified molded product which resists separation of the skin and resin body by mechanical, chemical or thermal methods, and wherein the phenolic resin skin comprises carbon fibers, and wherein the carbon fiber skin extends over the outside surface and the inside surface of the open end of the piston up to one inch.