Posted by rickyracer (IP: 209.20.170.48) on February 27, 2000 at 15:58:13:
Sports fans, I can see that there is allot of misconceptions about brake systems.
Anytime you change a component on your brake system, from the pedal to the pavement, you have changed how they work. Either faster/slower, stopping distance, respondise time, stopping ability,etc. And this does include adding/removing, shifting your vehile's weight around. Just drive by yourself and then add 4 people and 300 lbs in the trunk and see how she stops. disc brakes are designed to provide, normanlly, 75% of the vehicles stopping power. You change that in anyway and stand by to see the rearend swap around. Just ask a motorcylist about front/rear braking.
Pedal ratio, master cylinder size, wheel cylinder size, prop valves, return springs, tires/air pressure, rims, battery in the trunk, pad/shoe material, etc., all effect the brakes. Some changes a little, some allot.
When you make a change CAREFULLY test drive your car and try and feel the difference. And just because it feels the same under one road condition doesn't mean it will under the next condition.
Discs stop you faster, safer, dry out quicker, cool quicker and have other advantages. Drums also have their place on the street. Remember the manufacter did the things the way they did for a reason. Sometimes as a result of deaths/accidents and the investigation afterwards.