<VV> More Re: Brakes grabbing

[kenpepke at juno.com]

History tells us that Chevy, Ford, and many others went to 14 inch wheels for the 1957 model year.  Disc brakes made no great appearance until 1969 and Corvairs never got them.  Then the center of the 14 inch wheels had to be changed to make room for the larger size of the disc brake caliper.  Power assist was almost mandatory to make up for the loss of the self energizing effects of drum brakes.  Greater pressure hydraulics made up for the loss of diameter of the brake discs as compared to the drums.

I have to laugh at the new 20 & 22 inch wheels ... they make a sedan look like a stage coach and a pickup truck look like a buck board wagon :-)
Ken P
******************************************************

ScottyGrover at aol.com writes:
>
>The reason the factories went to discs was that wheels--within my memory  
>span--went from 16" to 15", then 14", then for the compacts, to 13"; 
>brake  
>drums, as diameter decreases, lose their stopping ability; discs can be made 
>to  work inside smaller wheels without losing their punch.  Isn't it ironic  
>that, now that discs have become the standard way to brake a car, that 
>wheel  sizes are going back to where they were 50 years or better ago.
>
>Scotty from Hollyweird
 

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