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Date:         Sat, 14 Sep 2013 10:41:31 -0700
Reply-To:     Zeitgeist <gruengeist@GMAIL.COM>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Zeitgeist <gruengeist@GMAIL.COM>
Subject:      Re: Why Bigger Brakes Was Cause of brake rotor warping
In-Reply-To:  <20130914131257.7WSMU.201687.imail@eastrmwml108>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1

To my way of thinking, one of the biggest reasons to upgrade the front brakes is for the opportunity to swap in vented rotors. When I pulled my stock units for a Jag swap, they were dark blue, which is a sure sign of overheating. The caliper piston cup dust covers were "burnt" and mostly missing. The brakes still worked fine, but my confidence in them wasn't.

On Sat, Sep 14, 2013 at 10:12 AM, Dave Mcneely <mcneely4@cox.net> wrote:

> And Don, that's what I have always done, as I pointed out early on. The > point of this post was that some have encountered the situation of > overheated brakes, and had to do something about it after the fact. What > are they supposed to do then, other than manage to get the vehicle stopped > before it is too late? No need to answer. mcneely > > ---- Don Hanson <dhanson928@gmail.com> wrote: > > What you would do, is to shift down to a very low gear, a gear that will > > keep you at a speed that doesn't make it necessary to keep the brakes on > > very often... That is why we encounter very slow trucks on the downhills > > as well as the climbs....They've shifted to a low enough to hold their > > trucks from gaining speed...and thereby they can control the heat they > > create with their brakes..... > > > > When you crest many of our western US passes there are signs warning > of > > downhills, and notifying you..."Use Lower Gears."......the problem is > that > > many don't pay much attention to those...until they start to feel their > > brakes losing power due to overheating...and THEN they try to fix the > > situation.... > > > > Stopping to let the brakes cool is not the best...If you think about > > it....the brake rotors will not be able to lose heat in an even > way...Where > > the brake calipers are, that part of the rotor is 'covered' and the heat > > there will be transferred right into the calipers and the > > hydraulics....Heat rises so the top of your wheels will get all the heat > > from the brakes...it is better to keep the air circulating around > > everything to promote more even cooling and cooling that takes the heat > > away from the vehicle... > > > > As has been said, it is NOT very fun to encounter overheating brakes > and > > the panic that feeling brings...it is much smarter to acknowledge that > > selecting a proper gear and then simply taking the extra time to descend > > slowly, that is the way to assure you won't encounter that panicky and > > sometimes fatal 'brake fade' or ever have to try one of those "Runaway > > truck ramp...No Parking" exits you see on the major grades on busy > roads... > > > > > > On Sat, Sep 14, 2013 at 6:42 AM, Dave Mcneely <mcneely4@cox.net> wrote: > > > > > Well Scott, what does one do if the brakes are overheated, but not > using > > > them will result in uncontrollable speed? I have never had this > situation, > > > though I have driven on some several mile long, steep grades. But some > > > people have. Truckers certainly have faced that situation, to the > point > > > that highways are equipped with runaway truck ramps. I can sure > imagine > > > the fear involved in having to pull into one of those things! mcneely > > > > > > ---- Scott Daniel <scottdaniel@turbovans.com> wrote: > > > > I hope everyone recognizes it's better to cool brakes by driving and > not > > > > using them, then to just stop with very hot brakes. > > > > > > > > > > > > On 9/13/2013 8:29 PM, Dave Mcneely wrote: > > > > > ---- Mike Miller <mwmiller6@ATT.NET> wrote: > > > > >> I certainly didn't do it on purpose. In both cases when it > happened I > > > just didn't think it would, but there was never a place to get off the > > > brakes and let them cool. Constant downgrade and suddenly overheated! > > > > > What gear were you in? Was there a place to stop? Maybe not, on > some > > > mountain roads there is no place to pull over. But in a low gear one > is > > > usually able to keep the speed down enough to rest the brakes > sometimes. > > > > >> > > > > >> On Sep 13, 2013, at 3:54 PM, <mcneely4@cox.net> wrote: > > > > >> > > > > >>> ---- Mike Miller <mwmiller6@ATT.NET> wrote: > > > > >>>> Haven't had to gear down yet, but I haven't gone over those two > > > roads again either > > > > >>> I don't have to be on brutally downhill roads to gear down and > avoid > > > excessive braking. I have never overheated brakes, and I don't intend > to. > > > mcneely > > > > >>> > > > > >>> > > > > >>> > > > > >>> > > > > >>> ________________________________ > > > > > -- > > > > > David McNeely > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > -- > > > David McNeely > > > > > -- > David McNeely >

-- Casey


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