<VV>Brakez
Padgett
pp2 at 6007.us
Thu Nov 9 08:32:09 EST 2006
>Yeah wet drums take longer to dry out than wet disks
So soon they forget. The idea is to ride the brakes lightly *when going
through the puddle* and they will stay dry. If it comes up too soon, ride a
little afterwards and they will dry off quickly.
A good set of drum brakes will stop just as fast as disks, they just need
occasional adjustment to keep working properly. In general, disks do not
need adjustment, dissipate heat more quickly, and are more resistant to wet
conditions. They are also considerably easier to work on.
But the main advantage to drum brakes is that they are self-energising and
usually require much less pedal pressure than a disk brake. Power brakes
were "optional equipment" on most cars untill disks became popular and back
in the day, the master cylinder for manual brakes had smaller diameter
cylinders than ones for power brakes to reduce the effort. A lot of the
pedal effort can be reduced with the right master cylinder at the expense
of a bit more travel.
Also don't forget that GM had the answer for vehicles needing power brakes
but had difficulty about vaccuum lines. It was called "PowerMaster".
Padgett
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