[Mgs] Moss Big Brake Kit
Paul Hunt
paul.hunt1 at blueyonder.co.uk
Fri Aug 3 02:13:54 MDT 2007
They won't, just look at the size of rear disc brakes on modern cars
compared to the fronts - they are puny. There is so much weight transfer in
hard braking that the rears are deliberately engineered to produce very
little braking effort relative to the front or they will lock with
consequent loss of control (in most people). The GT (with the exception of
the V8) with its heavier construction has larger slave cylinders than the
roadster as it can take more braking effort without locking. So the easiest
(and cheapest) way to add more braking effort to a roadster is to fit the GT
slaves. Unless you can be sure that the relationship between fluid pressure
and friction is the same with after-market discs as it is with the original
drums, then either you are going to lose rear braking effort and hence lose
some braking effort overall, or gain too much and get rear locking. You
would also have to factor in any change in tyre grip from standard, and it
all gets very complicated - unless you can adjust the front to rear braking
balance which is yet another modification. It all rather goes to prove the
point that tinkering with things rarely gains the expected improvements, you
have to go for a wholesale re-engineer of an aspect be it engine, suspension
or brakes before you gain much if anything. I do acknowledge that modified
brakes (discs and pads) may well have better resistance to fading and
quicker response in the wet.
My son's Z3 M Coupe has very light brakes, to my taste, which is fine when
one is driving gently (once I get used to it), but give it a bit of gusto
and the balance seems all wrong. When test driving my ZS 180 before
purchase in the wet I warned the passenger that I was going to try the
brakes and the ABS and anchored up progressively and what I thought was
quite hard (the passenger made a comment about leaving kiss-marks on the
windscreen) but the ABS didn't activate and neither did the wheels skid, I
had to do it again even harder to get the ABS to work. They are 205/45
R17s. I'm sure they *would* defeat the MGB brakes - if I could fit them.
PaulH.
----- Original Message -----
> I now have disc brakes on the rear yet I believe they have made no
> substantial difference to my braking on the racetrack from in excess
> of 100mph.
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