Date:         Fri, 21 Jan 2011 11:59:52 -0500
Reply-To:     Mike S <mikes@FLATSURFACE.COM>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Mike S <mikes@FLATSURFACE.COM>
Subject:      Re: Brake
Comments: To: neil n <musomuso@GMAIL.COM>
In-Reply-To:  <AANLkTinHTLt-CpNxJo62EgOwj1jT+aYcThObiXnPtbtG@mail.gmail.c om>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"; format=flowed

At 11:32 AM 1/21/2011, neil n wrote...
>I would think running one side with properly set up self adjusting
>rear brakes and the other side non self adjusting, is asking for
>trouble. If Bay side brakes allowed too far out of adjustment,
>slamming on the brakes would cause the rear end to swerve.

The brake system is made so that the pressure to both cylinders is the
same. If everything else is fine (good shoes, drums), the amount of
braking is related only to the pressure. If the manual adjust side is
out, it only means there's more pedal travel before both brakes engage.
The pressure doesn't build until both shoes have made contact.

Other than that, there could be an effect on the emergency brake, since
it can only accommodate a limited amount of imbalance. That's done
where it splits from one cable to two, and I'd think the brakes would
have to be _way_ out for even that to be a problem.

There's a proportioning valve, which lets the fronts have higher
pressures than the rears, but the same applies there - both front
brakes will get the same pressure. Same thing, none of the brakes do
much until they _all_ (front and rear) make contact, unless there's a
catastrophic failure where the master cylinder dual system kicks in.