<VV> FC brakes

[corvairs]

      This conversation has gone somewhat beyond what I had meant. On my 
rampside automatic the brakes are excellent (25 year old Underground std 
linings). My comments about brake fade involved pushing the load rating 
far beyond what it was supposed to be (3000 lbs?). Under those 
circumstances it's my opinion  that brake fade becomes the first serious 
problem even though I think the chassis can handle it.
       Yes you could go with (Ours, Underground!) Kevlar linings etc, 
but it would be good to remember that still, if pushed too far, while 
brake fade becomes a lesser issue, brake heat and distortion of the 
drums takes over. In general it's not safe to drive a 40 year old 
vehicle 50% overloaded past it's rated capacity regardless of what you do. 
        The FC brakes, especially when rebuilt with quality Underground 
parts, are perfectly adequate when the vehicle is used within it's rated 
capacities. If you need more, front disc brake kits, Kevlar shoes etc. 
give you a greater margin of protection but still won't allow the 
vehicle to do the impossible.  Lon

www.corvairunderground.com



Bill Elliott wrote:

> A much cheaper upgrade which solves 90%+ of any braking issue is the 
> additional of Kevlar shoes (I use the ones from The Source), braided 
> brake lines for better pedal feel (again I use The Source) and a dual 
> master for enhanced safety... along with a good quality DOT 4 or DOT 4 
> or 5.1 (not silicone) fluid.
>
> Better stopping when cold, much better stopping when wet, and no fade 
> when hot (you'll boil the fluid before you really get any fade).
>
> Upgrading to disks does all of this (plus giving you better 
> directional stability under hard braking) but at a much higher cost.
>
> Bill Elliott
>
> CorvairEd at aol.com wrote:
>
>> Bill,
>> You really want to improve the FC brakes and improve safety, add 
>> disk  brakes to the front along with a dual master cylinder.  I had a 
>> problem  with brake fade on my Rampside on hills with a good load in 
>> the load bed.   Also would lose brakes in wet weather when going 
>> through a puddle.  No more  problems, with the disk brakes. 
>> Ed Corson  (CORSA member)
>> Inland Empire Corvair  Club
>>
>> _
>>  
>>
>
>