Vanagon EuroVan
Previous messageNext messagePrevious in topicNext in topicPrevious by same authorNext by same authorPrevious page (July 2010, week 1)Back to main VANAGON pageJoin or leave VANAGON (or change settings)ReplyPost a new messageSearchProportional fontNon-proportional font
Date:         Sun, 4 Jul 2010 12:27:11 -0500
Reply-To:     mcneely4@COX.NET
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Dave Mcneely <mcneely4@COX.NET>
Subject:      Re: Parking brake pressure (was I've had it)
Comments: To: David Beierl <dbeierl@ATTGLOBAL.NET>
In-Reply-To:  <4c30bb38.e033e50a.3ff9.3cb9@mx.google.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=utf-8

---- David Beierl <dbeierl@ATTGLOBAL.NET> wrote: > At 08:35 AM 7/4/2010 Sunday, Dave Mcneely wrote: > >Now, if drum brakes are less effective than disc brakes, why do so > >many vehicles have rear drums? Vanagon content here in that > >vanagons are built that way. > > Drum brakes were the standard automotive brake for many many years, > although my grandmother's Studebaker still used band brakes. Some > time in the sixties IIRC disk brakes began to be available, and there > was discussion in the magazines like Motor Trend and Road & Track as > to whether the handling problems from increase in unsprung weight was > a greater disadvantage than any increase in brake performance would > make up for.

As I recall, disc brakes were a high dollar option on high dollar cars when they were first available in this country. They were on European cars well before any American vehicles adopted them. >

> But if you want my bet as to why cars are being built with rear disk > brakes (leaving aside race cars) -- I suspect it is purely cosmetic.

So, if there is no real functional advantage, other than no need for an adjustment mechanism, then it is probably the "cool" factor, or the idea that folks who don't know better might think they are better -- in other words a sales gimmick.

DMc


Back to: Top of message | Previous page | Main VANAGON page

Please note - During the past 17 years of operation, several gigabytes of Vanagon mail messages have been archived. Searching the entire collection will take up to five minutes to complete. Please be patient!


Return to the archives @ gerry.vanagon.com


The vanagon mailing list archives are copyright (c) 1994-2011, and may not be reproduced without the express written permission of the list administrators. Posting messages to this mailing list grants a license to the mailing list administrators to reproduce the message in a compilation, either printed or electronic. All compilations will be not-for-profit, with any excess proceeds going to the Vanagon mailing list.

Any profits from list compilations go exclusively towards the management and operation of the Vanagon mailing list and vanagon mailing list web site.