On Tue, 13 Feb 2007, Mark Price wrote: > I'm somewhat confused myself as I don't prefer to lock my front brakes, even if I stand on the pedal. The result of locked front brakes is loss of steering control. Not something I want around here when a child, deer, dog, cat, or other pops out in front of my car on a windy mountain road. I'd rather hang the back end out than have the front go straight. Besides, IIRC, the shortest stopping distance is achieved with out locking the brakes. You're totally right, but you want the mechanical/hydraulic *ability* to lock them up, ideally one tiny bit more pedal pressure than what it takes to create maximum grip on all four tire patches at the same time. When a tire patch loses grip it doesn't slow the car very well, the curling rubber lubricates the contact patch! If front or rear locks up a lot before the other than you're pretty much gauranteeing that you'll never acheive maximum braking force. It's probably too difficult to get *perfect* balance front/rear on a street car but it oughta get awful close for a given set of tires and weight distribution. This reminds me, I bought new wheel cyls for the rear of my Hornet, where the added disk brakes to a drum brake car means I have too much brake in rear. I forgot to install them! > > -- > Mark Price > markprice242ATadelphia.net > Morgantown, WV > > > ---- Tom Jennings <tomj@xxxxxxx> wrote: >> On Mon, 12 Feb 2007, d stohler wrote: >> >>> well, i got a gm style proportioning valve, metering >>> valve, what ever you call it, it is suposed to do like >>> 3 things all itself. if there is anything i noticed, >>> it was that the rear tires lock up harder and maybe >>> just a little bit sooner. i dont think its really >>> going to be noticeable on the road from what it was >>> before. i still do not get ANY front end lock at all. >>> i like my brakes where the front locks only if i STAND >>> on the pedal. im kinda in a confused way. and before >>> anyone asks, i looked up on the valve what side what >>> front and rear. yes, it is hooked up correctly >>> front/rear. im starting to get irritated with this. i >>> have a lot of time mostly, and some money into it, and >>> it is not how i think it should be with the parts that >>> are on it. anyone have any ideas? thanks. >> >> Is this in your 62? >> >> Some of those valves are proportioning valves, but a lot of >> them are just a switch for "brake fail" eg. the front and rear >> systems have different pressures, eg. one failed. I forget how >> you tell the difference visually. >> >> If you have stock 62 rear brakes, and added-on front disks, then >> you probably have an actual imbalance in brakin force. You'll >> need to buy an adjustable prop. valve ($30? from summit etc) >> or pick smaller-bore rear wheel cyls. Smaller bores will mean >> for a given brake fluid pressure, there will be less force >> (smaller piston) than with larger. >> >> _______________________________________________ >> Amc-list mailing list >> Amc-list@xxxxxxxxxxxx >> http://www.amc-list.com/mailman/listinfo/amc-list > _______________________________________________ Amc-list mailing list Amc-list@xxxxxxxxxxxx http://www.amc-list.com/mailman/listinfo/amc-list