Date: Sat, 2 Sep 2000 18:11:42 PDT
Reply-To: Mark Dorm <mark_hb@HOTMAIL.COM>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: Mark Dorm <mark_hb@HOTMAIL.COM>
Subject: Re: Stainless Steel Brake Lines...brake performance tips
Content-Type: text/plain; format=flowed
I was refering to "Aircraft quality stainless steel brake lines, improves
brake pedal firmness and resists pedal fade" found at
http://www.msdsinc.com/vanagon_btb.htm thats a part of
http://www.msdsinc.com/
Dont know what to think of their vented brakes versus the SA bigger
brakes... only I guess the SA is only good for 15 inch wheels... and I might
get 15 inch, or I might not....
Thanks for your informative post. I saw cryogenic discs in an ad once,
didn't know what to make of it....
>From: Gary Stearns <gstearns@SPRINTMAIL.COM>
>
>Are you referring to braided stainless bake hoses? If so, don't think
>they'd have much value in a Vanagon. They are intended for racing and high
>performance applications. The "braided stainless" part refers to the
>stainless wire mesh cloth that surrounds the rubber hoses inside. The
>intent is to keep the rubber hoses from expanding or bursting under very,
>very high pedal pressure. They do add some brake "feel" on a street driven
>car, but only in extreme applications.
>
>If better brakes is what you seek, there are so many other places you
>should
>go first.
>Cryogenically frozen rotors, drilled rotors, slotted rotors, bigger rotors,
>rear discs, metallic pads, carbon pads (try www.carbothecheng.com ) ,
>silicon DOT 5 brake fluid, etc., etc.
>
>As with so many other Vanagon issues, it's the heat built up by the brakes
>that causes them to feel inadequate and makes the pedal feel like it's
>headed for the floor. The easier places to start are: get the moisture out
>of the hydraulics (brake fluid is "hydroscopic", it attracts and is
>contaminated by moisture even in a closed system). When contaminated by
>water, the water near the caliper boils when the system gets hot. This
>boiling creates vapor bubbles that are compressable; hence mushy brake
>pedal. Similarly average quality brake pads also vaporize under extreme
>use. This creates a layer of gas between the pad and the rotor lubricating
>the friction area. Result: you gotta push much harder. This gas buildup
>is the reason for drilled or slotted rotors. The holes and slots give this
>gas a place to go. You could then get better pads/shoes. Semi metallic or
>carbon pads have higher friction coefficients and don't "gas off" 'till
>much
>higher temps. The exception here can be the semi-met. pads which sometimes
>feel like you have no brakes at all until they warm up. Can be scary.
>Finally, rig some dryer hose or vent hose from the two intakes in the
>air-dam so that they blow on the back of the rotors. This is a racing
>technique that requires cutting an opening in the brake backing plate and
>attaching the hose. On the Vanagon these air-dam openings are pretty much
>just decorative, but this is where the look originated.
>
>I found that simpy thoroughly flushing and bleeding the brakes and clutch
>hydraulics made a big difference in both.
>
>Gary
>----- Original Message -----
>From: Mark Dorm <mark_hb@HOTMAIL.COM>
>To: <vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM>
>Sent: Saturday, September 02, 2000 3:34 AM
>Subject: Stainless Steel Brake Lines
>
>
> > Has anyone put stainless steel brake lines in? We're none of the
>Vanagons
> > equiped with them? So how are they?
> >
> >
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