<VV> More Re: Brakes grabbing

[kenpepke at juno.com]

Personal experience?  You bet!  Except, the junkyard owner was a friend so I got the parts for free ... and, because I spent quite a bit of time visiting, I saw dozens, perhaps hundreds, of others doing the same thing.

85 MPH traffic?  Right ... that was flat out top speed of lots of the early 50s cars still hanging around in the late 50s & 60s.  Even when new EM brakes were marginal.  One would not even consider following a 59 Buick too closely ... at any speed  

Customer profiles were far different in those days.  Today it is easy to forget that the first Corvairs were 'planned' to be compact econo cars in a day when VWs performance was good even though it had a top speed of less than 70 MPH.  Back in the days when I drove Corvairs 30 miles to work every day I always bought wider tires with a smaller diameter than the originals.  [Wider contact patch, less lever advantage] Today I would not even consider using an EM in daily service in and around major population areas without modifying the brakes.    

Although I like the more solid feeling of the EM body I do recognize the improvements GM made in the LM years.  Brakes were greatly improved to the point they were at least on a par with other cars of their day.  [But, that day is long gone.]  I would still hesitate  to use a LM in daily service today without upgrading the brakes.  Sure, I know lots of guys do BUT there is added risk ... the more risks one takes the greater the chance of loss.
Ken P

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>>
>>Back in the late 50s ...
>>  
>>

>
>Chris & Bill Strickland <lechevrier at earthlink.net> writes:
>
>... we didn't have 85 mph traffic bumper to bumper on the interstates,
>either.  Personal experience, eh, Ken?
>
>I recall buying axle sets of shoes in the sixties for Dad's Morris
>Minors (what are they, about 6" dual anchor brakes? -- I've seen golf
>carts with bigger/better brakes) and replacing the four worst shoes on
>both axles ... not that that is what is recommended, but more like it
>was what was needed at the time.  Pulling was not the issue, stopping
>was.  We lived near the top of a steep hill that "T"ed into Oregon Hwy
>97 at a severe angle (cliff on the other side) -- what with, of those
>times, the log trucks and all, not stopping was not a good option.
>Intersection is still there, but they've moved Hwy 97, and log trucks?
>What log trucks?  They used to carry one or two trees that would each
>build a house or two with Select grade lumber.
>
>Was very happy when I graduated to Corvairs and what were for the times
>(and still are, when they work right) excellent brakes, esp those darn
>late models.
>
>Bill Strickland
>

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