It was asked:
> I drove a 1600 for the first time last week, and the brakes were like skid
> brakes on a go-cart....
> Is this common? I really had to push the brakes hard. Am I just too used to
> power brakes?
NO, this is not at ALL proper brake performance. A properly set up and
maintained brake system will STOP the car.
There has been lots of talk in the past about brake upgrades, slotted
rotors, 4 pot calipers, etc etc etc which is all well and good for super
performance stopping. But working Roadster brakes on a street car will
do just fine, thankyouverymuch :-)
The biggest t problem comes from too-thin rotors. Then the front pads
end up pressing against the bridge assembly and not the turning rotor.
Solid pedal and no friction! So check that rotor thickness!
Add a brake brace from Stan Chernoff to get rid of the firewall flex,
make sure the rubber lines are good, don't forget that the rear breakes
are NOT self-adjusting and you have to get under there now and then
to take out the slop. While you're at it, carefully remove the plastic
protection from the front caliper transfer tubes; the steel line will
rust inside the cover and fail (didn't really believe it 'til it happened
to me). And flush the system at least every other year! TOM: How
'bout a 'fix your brakes' FAQ? You're not doing anything else these
days, are you? :-)
-- John
John F Sandhoff sandhoff@csus.edu Sacramento, CA
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