brake proportioning

[Phil and Judy Rose <pjrose@servtech.com>]

OK, easy enough to test with some hard non-ABS stops. I will do and report.

Anyway, I think my surprise at rear brake "warmth" was based on a
misconception--namely that the steep downhill would tend to offset the
extra weight over the rear wheels (and hence make the prop. valve ease up
in the rear). Actually I'm now thinking it would take a *much* larger
average gradiant than on Mt. Washington to unload the rear wheels so much.
And as Chris Miller pointed out, the braking was only moderate, so the car
didn't do much nose-diving to relieve the pressure to the rear brakes. So
the prop. valve bias was probably just doin' its normal thang.

Phil


>
>Date: Fri, 9 Oct 98 12:49:03 MDT
>From: DeWitt Harrison <de@aztek-eng.com>
>Subject: RE: brakes and lonnnng downhills
>
>Not exactly. I was suggesting that everything is fine, but, due to
>the adjustable bias design,  if you work the brakes hard in a long
>downhill situation with a couple of lard butts - I mean adults -

>in the back seat, the rear brakes are going to get hot. On the
>other hand, if the rear brakes still became warmer than the
>fronts without rear seat passengers, then the bias valve's control
>arm may have come loose from its moorings or otherwise
>become stuck in maximum pressure to the rear position.
>
>You're on to something, though. I think locking up the brakes
>(ABS off) would give Phil some information about the braking bias.
>
>DeWitt
>
>At 01:57 PM 10/9/98 -0400, you wrote:
>>So, your response suggests that Phil should do several high speed stops on
>>level ground before assuming that his bias is non-optimal.
>>
>>kirby
>>
>>> ----------

>>

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