Help Solve a Brake Debate

Sometimes a notchy steering feel can be a bad u-joint and/rag joint.

my dad always told me tires stop cars, not brakes. lots of cool/interesting posts here. I think I remember a CCC article saying competition drums on all four corners of an historic Mini were all it needed.

I won't get into all the ins/outs of pedal feel with different pad compounds etc, AngryCorvair is the expert on that. In my case I am running an unboosted 13/16" 1st gen RX7 brake master with early Miata calipers and rotors with stock Mazda pads (they bite good at low temps) and good condition stock Miata rubber hoses. The pedal is rock hard and very easy to modulate. The thing will make your eyes bug out and stand on its nose if you so desire.

The quickest/easiest method of deglazing rotors is a Scotchbrite 'cookie' in an air grinder. Makes a nice nondirectional finish without a lot of metal removal.

nutherjrfan wrote: my dad always told me tires stop cars, not brakes. lots of cool/interesting posts here. I think I remember a CCC article saying competition drums on all four corners of an historic Mini were all it needed.

Tires stop cars if you're looking for the minimum stopping distance on a single stop. And even then, the brakes can prevent you from using everything the tires have to offer. I don't care how good your tires are if you've boiled your brake fluid, have poor bias or have overheated your pads :)

But the original question was about feel and "bite", not actual stopping distances. So tires aren't part of the equation here.

The reasons Minis don't need super brakes is because they weigh nothing and they have fairly low acceleration and very high cornering speed - so there's no need to brake for a corner :) The first discs for the Minis were a step backwards, but not so for the later ones.

Interesting note - because the amount of kinetic energy involved increases with the square of the speed, it takes more effort (ie, heat and distance) to slow from 100-80 than it does from 80-60. So if you improve your cornering speed, and thus your straight line speed thanks to a faster entry on to the straight, you'll work your brakes harder.

TANSTAAFL rears its head again.

There Ain't No Such Thing As A Free Lunch.