[FC] Re: <VV> FC brakes

[Paul Steinberg]

Rolling friction is greater than sliding friction, so locking up the brakes is a bad thing.  Single master cylinder is a bad thing if you don't service them regularly, but dual master cylinders also fail, one side at a time, if you don't take care of them either.  Changing the brake fluid on a regular schedule is the best way to maintain good brakes.  Every 2 years is considered adequate.  Silicone brake fluid is forever, but doesn't have the ability to handle the heat generated in some situations.  Brakes are "out of sight, out of mind" usually for most people.  You change the oil regularly, but how many people check the brake linings every XX amount of miles or ever year or two?  Also, when was the last time that you checked the brake lines.  Most brake line failures are from the rust on the inside, rather than the rust from the outside.  No way to check for this, but regular brake fluid changes will keep this rust from forming.  Brakes, like all the other mechanical systems on your vehicle should be checked and serviced as needed on a regular basis for dependability.  Anything less is neglect.
Paul in CT
  ----- Original Message ----- 
  From: Chris & Bill Strickland 
  To: virtualvairs at corvair.org 
  Sent: Tuesday, October 03, 2006 2:25 AM
  Subject: [FC] Re: <VV> FC brakes


  Bryan wrote:

   > Everyone who doesn't have an FC keeps saying they need better brakes,
   > but I can lock 'em up loaded so I don't see an issue.

  I'd sort of agree with Bryan -- in several hundred thousand miles of FC 
  travel, frequently with a herd of goats inside, I never felt a *real* 
  need for better brakes, although I do fall into the 
  you-always-need-better-brakes camp.

  Maybe that's why there aren't any kits -- no market. But it is no big 
  deal if you want to do it -- change the front spindles to something with 
  bigger brakes, disc or drum (remember they are 60ish big Chevy parts - 
  lots of stuff will fit, including most of the drop-spindle hot rod stuff 
  for '57 Chebbies), and similar with the rear end, just change backing 
  plates and everything that goes with it for something else with the 
  brakes you want and Chevy bolt pattern drums (or even others, if you 
  want to get your axles redrilled) -- yes, you might need longer studs 
  and a spacer under the brake drum and wheels that fit under the fenders, 
  but we're still talking about stuff that just bolts on -- yeah, ya might 
  need to fine tune the wheel cylinder size or the master cylinder bore to 
  go with those nice new big brakes, but remember, what you want is 
  maximum stopping -- locking the wheels up is 'Not Stopping' (ie, you 
  want more pressure w/o lockup or fade - think disc brakes). Think about 
  what ABS does -- it unlocks a locked up wheel, primarily to improve 
  stopping distance, but it also helps  to maintain control.

  As Lon pointed out, *fade* is really the problem on an FC, especially 
  loaded ones or if you drive in mountains or both.

  mo,

  Bill Strickland
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