Most of the cars have a pressure residual valve in the brake system. This
is found on the left side of the engine compartment down on the frame rail
(probably). This is a hex shaped piece about three inches long. The purpose
is to stop the brake pads from being knocked back so far that you have a low
pedal. BUT this will give a lot of drag when you are just sitting still as
the valve relies on the movement of the wheel and the flex of the stub axle
to keep the pads knocked back a little and thus NO DRAG. If you take a good
hard knock at the top and then the bottom of the tire while jacked up the
pads will be knocked back slightly and the wheel will be like a loose goose
( an expression used in some parts of the USA) ( that 's a technical term).
To have a good pedal on the brakes be sure to bleed the valve before you
bled the balance of the brakes. Bleed the valve on the far end away from the
master cylinder.
----- Original Message -----
From: Richard Taylor <n196x@mindspring.com>
To: <fot@Autox.Team.Net>
Sent: Monday, May 01, 2000 6:25 AM
Subject: Wheel bearings
> Fellow FOTers,
> On the fifth lap in the HSR Enduro yesterday at Road Atlanta, I had my
> right front wheel-bearing blow out. No whining, no growling, no wobble,
> just PUUSHH! The tire went catywompus; billowed huge amounts of smoke
> until it blew. Then there was just the lumpy excursion off into 50 yards
> of freshly mowed grass. Since it was so early into the race, I had an
> exclusive (but rather lonely) spectator spot.
>
> Alan Pinel lent me his spare wheel bearing kit so I got to run the Vintage
> Race that afternoon..and did OK.
>
> This brings me to the question. What is the accepted drill for checking
> wheel bearings? I wiggled the tires before the qualifying race and they
> seemed fine. Does just tugging at the top of the tire really tell you
> anything?
>
> But even after I got the whole wheel back together, there seems to be an
> awful lot of drag. The wheels on my everyday car, a 30 year old 911, spin
> effortlessly. For the life of me I can't get the TR-4 wheels to do this.
> Especially the front ones. The 911 has a spring deally at the top of the
> brake pads to keep them from dragging. The Triumph pads seem to take a
> much longer time to release completely. What's the preferred drill on
this?
>
> I'm sorta embarrassed to ask this august group about something as
> elementary as wheel bearings but, hey, we're family, aren't we?
>
> Richard Taylor
> Atlanta
> TR-4
>
>
>
|