--- Kim Brennan <kimbrennan@MAC.COM> wrote: > I was giving some thought on a drive home late Saturday to the > issue of > brakes. The few folks that have actually upgraded to the "big > brake" > kits haven't had really definitive comments on whether they > allow you > to brake "better. This is not what this posting is about > however. From a scientific point of view, the greater the distance from venter of hub to the brake pad contact area, the greater the leverage and the greater the effective braking force given same amount of total friction between the pads and the rotors. Another point to consider is MODULATION, since power is nothing without control. I still would like to see a braking distance test done between two Vanagons with same equipment on board, same tires, totally new braking systems with one having the SA brakes. I will tell you that the '84 Westy I recently purchased has new brakes in front and rear, and it does seem to stop better than my '85. This makes me think how many brake complaints are due to vehicle's age and need of maintenance vs. supposed engineered inadequacies of the braking system itself. Car and Driver tested a Vanagon Syncro Westfalia, a rather portly version of our vehicles, in February 1986 and its braking was measured at a very impressive 191 ft from 70 to 0 mph. As a comparison, the Ford Expedition stopped from the same speed in over 200 feet with ABS. ===== Chris S.'85 Westy Camel -> http://www.knology.net/~vw/dadada.jpg'84 Westy Hershey -> http://www.knology.net/~vwghost/hershey/'01 NB TDI -> http://www.knology.net/~vw/Beetle.jpg |
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