Page 1 of 1

Brakes

Posted: Tue Mar 13, 2007 11:54 am
by blownvn
Been thinking about converting my VN Commodore to Salt lake use (its sitting here unregistered with a pretty stout engine) but the issue of four wheel discs creating drag has me wondering if I should change them for something else.

Converting the rear to drums isn't too hard but what about the front? Is it legal to remove and disconnect the front calipers off the disc and therefore only have rear wheel braking?

The rulebook doesn't say much about it other than the brakes have to be "adequate". I swear the braking section must be the smallest section in the rulebook. :P

Or am I concerned about nothing and leave the front discs hooked up?

Posted: Wed Mar 14, 2007 9:39 pm
by momec
G'Day Blown
Front brakes are not required by the rule book and I left them off my ute for simplicity during the build. I have deliberatly put discs on the rear this year as the drums only were bl--dy hopeless by them selves.
Providing your calipers are in good nick and the pistons free the normal running knock off will make sure there is no rolling resistance. I would remove all the Commodore hand brake garbage of course.

If you remove the fronts and still use the tandem M/Cyl you need to block the old front outlet (not Tee both to the rear).

The only times you would need to stop quickly is if your on fire or kicked a rod and spreading oil.
so good brakes or crap brakes is up to you.
Chris

Posted: Wed Mar 14, 2007 11:43 pm
by blownvn
C Hanlon wrote:
The only times you would need to stop quickly is if your on fire or kicked a rod and spreading oil.


And they're the times you really want good brakes isn't it? I'll probably leave them on, especially for the first year when just getting out there will be a job in itself. Speed week seems to share it's dates with a whole bunch of other events but I'll just have to commit myself to going next year.

Posted: Fri Mar 16, 2007 6:40 am
by DirtyDave
A trick we did some times in Dragbike racing was to get the pit crew to pull the pads away from the disks after the burnout, it was supposed to be good for a couple o mile/h but pumping brakes up thru the finish line at warp factor was sometimes more scary than the run,,I went back to the lets just try and make some more horse power theory,