[geeks] Drum versus disk brakes (Was RE: car question RESOLVED)

[Peter L. Wargo]

On Tue, 12 Mar 2002, Kurt Huhn wrote:

> have nearly as much weight on it, thus the combo of coeficient of
> friction + weight is much lower.  A disk brake setup on the rear would
> *easily* lock the rears and cause a spectacular spinout - since dynamic
> coefficient of friction is much loweer than static - this results in the

One thing you've left out is proper brake balancing front<->rear.  When
done correctly, it minimizes the chance of rear-wheel lockup.  (I learned
this the hard way...  It may be why I never do brakes any more.)

A cool extreme example of front weight shift was my '84 Toyota 4x4
longbed.  It had a live axle in the front (heavy), 2" lift, 31" tires, and
no tailgate, just a net.  Plus, I had extended stainless braided lines
installed and cross-drilled rotors in the front. (Rear were stock drums.)

One day, a friend was riding with me in the cab when we were forced to
stop *very* suddenly. (Idiot pulled out in front of me.)  BANG!  I thought
we had been rear-ended, but there was nobody behind us.  Turns out I had
enough front weight bias, plus traction and brakes, to loft the rear end
off the pavement an inch or two.

That was one fun truck, and I still miss it. (Would never have passed smog
tests in CA...)

-Pete