brake upgrades?

akirony · Post by **akirony** » Sat Aug 13, 2011 3:59 pm

Was going down a small hill in the rain today doing about 25 when I locked up my wheels and slid into the intersection

(no wreck thank you) but I was pretty freaked out

. Now if I did the rear disc swap could that ease the tension off the front reducing lockup? And can I even do upgrades at all without making future lockups even worse?

Post by **occasional demons** » Sat Aug 13, 2011 4:48 pm

It really depends on your tires, and how worn the pavement is at the intersection. There are a few intersections where I live, that the pavement is smooth enough, that traction is near impossible when wet.

Making the brakes better will not help in those instances. Now, knowing ahead of time will help you the most.

Swapping to rear discs may help a little, as the rear calipers take more fluid to move than the rear wheel cylinders. This will require a bit more pedal travel to actuate the brakes, but that needed travel will be going to the rears.

Ideally you need the non ABS 4 wheel disc master cylinder, but IIRC, it is needed more when going to the SRT front brakes, and rear disc?

C1DoG · Post by **C1DoG** » Sat Aug 13, 2011 4:56 pm

Right now I wouldn't worry about it. Brake earlier going down hill in the rain. Even at doing 25 in the rain downhill, you are going to slide if you don't start braking earlier.

OB · Post by OB » Sat Aug 13, 2011 6:47 pm

An ABS swap is the obvious solution, though skillful driving and good tires will outperform ABS most times. I would consider getting a set of winter wheels and tires, with tread designed for rain. That's what I do, since my main wheels have summer-only tires on them that are downright dangerous in wet conditions.

C1DoG · Post by **C1DoG** » Sat Aug 13, 2011 7:09 pm

Since we get sudden downpours here. I have to have a tire that has wet and dry traction.

OB · Post by OB » Sat Aug 13, 2011 7:20 pm

i.e. all weather tires, yeah of course. I'm just saying there are some that are much better in rain than others. ABS swap is probably the next most effective thing you can do. Switching to discs in the rear might get you slightly more traction under light braking, but that is not when lockup occurs. The proportioning valve on most cars are designed to bias the force to the front under heavy braking. This is because the fronts tend to be larger and grab harder, and they also gain traction under dive during a hard stop. Add that formula to a front heavy but overall lightweight car, and you have a recipe for disaster in the rain.

hansken_yo · Post by **hansken_yo** » Sat Aug 13, 2011 9:55 pm

OB wrote: skillful driving and good tires will outperform ABS most times.

Post by **occasional demons** » Sun Aug 14, 2011 6:52 am

Plus the most feasible way to install ABS, would be to buy a car with it already from the factory.

C1DoG · Post by **C1DoG** » Sun Aug 14, 2011 7:12 am

poster never did say when he actually hit the brakes. So it could just be a simple change in driving habits, especially on slick roads.

akirony · Post by **akirony** » Sun Aug 14, 2011 12:48 pm

It was more around the crest of the hill. They didnt lock unto after the car was on the down hill.

UriahRR · Post by **UriahRR** » Sun Aug 14, 2011 12:57 pm

Suuuuuuuuuuure....

Honestly, I've done the same thing going down hill in the rain, slid all the way straight through the intersection of a red light. Scary shit.

Now I just KNOW that the Hawk's and Brembo's WILL lock up in the rain and brake much much earlier. Even if you can brake at the last second in the dry, I have made it a habit to smoothly over-brake in the rain. You have to be really smooth with touchy brakes and no ABS.

OB · Post by OB » Sun Aug 14, 2011 8:16 pm

^Indeed, I do the same thing in the rain, even on the all weather tires. When I have my summer tires on and it's wet out, I brake earlier than a grandma.