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I think I might be cursed!


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Posted

So, I'm out for a blast today in the glorious sunshine. Took my neighbour out to find Bruntingthorpe Proving ground. (He's just picked up a three month ban for doing 125MPH in his TVR)

We both quite fancied doing the trackday there next saturday. The bloke on the gate laughed when I asked him what the noise limit was and, comically, someone local rang him up to complain about the noise I was making. ( I drove round the village for a good ten minutes afterwards, trying to keep the revs up - sorry locals!) :o

On the way back home, I'm trapping along down the very nice country lanes, wind in the hair, sun on my face, engine screaming, speedo pushing 100 MPH. I spy a little old lady nudging out of a junction in her VW. I ease off a bit but then she looks straight at me - good she's seen me - back on the power.

Oh my sweet Jesus - she pulls straight out in front of me and stalls the b******d in the middle of the road!

I have to stop from about 80MPH in about 100yards!

Can't believe it but I only went and managed it! I didn't crash - very unlike me.

The tyre were smoking and smelt lovely afterwards too.

Can't fault the brakes at all either. Stardard M16 calipers with Mintex pads. Myself and my fat git of a neighbour must weigh at least 30 stones between us and the car slowed down enough for me to sneek into the same junction she had just come out off. I didn't quite slow down enough to stop.

Very bl**** close indeed - my pants were filled with **** but I don't need to call the insurance company this time - thank you God.

Posted

Close call then Diggle  :angry:  :p  :d  :d  I use standard M16 callipers, solid discs and EBC green stuff pads and to be honest can stand my little blighter on its nose.

Hope you gave the silly old  :angry:  your opinion on pensioners being allowed on the roads  :o  (With the exception of Parky and Marshall)  :d  :p  :d  :)

Posted

Chaps, I'm a little puzzled by these comments - I can't stand mine on its nose.  Same thing happened to me on my way to Stoneleigh and I had all 4 wheels locked up solid sliding towards the old fart.  Not the first time I've locked all four up, either.  Is it my tyres? - original factory supplied Toyo F3s.  If so, then there may be a good reason for having something grippier even for my mainly road use.   :o

Posted

:)  :d  I use Yoko 539 tyres which are not the favoured tyre choice, are they Scott  :d

And they sure don't leave as many or heavy skid marks as Diggles been leaving of late  :p  :d  :p

But I do have an extra pound or three to throw at the brake pedal  :p  :d  :)  when needed.

1 -1 against the Swedes  :o  :angry:  :angry:  :d  :d

Posted

I reckon the tyres had a lot to do with it. (Yoko AO32Rs)

I had been thrashing the car for over an hour and they were very hot to the touch. (does anyone else check this at traffic lights?)

The fronts locked so I had to pump then a la ABS. They worked unbelievably well.

About 6 months ago, I had to do a similar emergency stop and the whole thing locked up. The tyres and brakes were both cold as I'd just set off. They were totally useless and I ended up swerving into the oncoming lane to avoid a young girl on a horse in the middle of the road around a blind corner.

If anything had been coming the other way, I would have been in big, big trouble.

Posted

Mark,

agree with you - i drove your car the other day at curborough - very impressed with brake performance. i have ordered some green stuff pads for my Willwoods to see if there is any improvements over Hawk pads fitted at the moment (which have developed a healthy appetite for the discs).

fish

:o

Posted

You set me thinking, guys.  My car (a full modular kit - all new - built 1999/2000) failed its SVA in Birmingham due to being overbraked at the rear.  Westfield kindly agreed to sort it out for me FOC, and did so by fitting a Mini compensator in place of the rear T-piece.  Westfield also took it back to Birmingham for its retest (and to 'argue the toss' with the testers).  It passed, and I was told that the brakes were now perfectly balanced.  They also told me that they intended to make the fitment of the compensator standard (but, AFAIK, they never have).

As I said above, each time I have had to hit the brakes hard, the front wheels have obviously locked and, because of Westfield's comments about perfect balance, I have assumed that the backs have been locking also.

Well, I have just jacked up the back of my car (one side at a time - no LSD), started it, put it in first and then tried the brakes.  The rear brake effort on either side IS NOT SUFFICIENT TO STALL THE ENGINE on tickover in first gear.  No wonder it's so difficult to stop it in anger.  Calipers aren't seized as disc is polished and it will just stall in second gear.

It therefore seems to me that I have been carrying my family around for 2 years in a car that cost me nearly £15k but which has dangerous brakes.  You will understand that I am not a little annoyed about this. :o

Trouble is, there have been a few threads related to cars being dangerously overbraked at the rear so I ain't sure what to do.  I would appreciate comments anyone may have as to the rear brake effort on your cars so that I can make a decision whether or not to remove the compensator.

TIA

(Oh, and Westfield, if you read this, I WILL be in touch).

Posted

Stuart

Sorry to hear of your woes  :angry:  :o

Firstly my car is a 1989/90 model with discs front and rear - it uses the Escort top mounted pedal box and master cylinder - and braking has always very good, never had any trouble with over-braking to rears and always felt balanced  :angry:  :) therefore I have confidence in it. Over the years I've done my share of emergency braking  :0  :d

However my fathers car is a 1996/97 twin cylinder floor mounted system and it took quite a while to set it up, initially it was rear happy - luckily we have a friendly garage who assisted and checked things through on their MOT rollers and the car now brakes very well  :d  :d  I've heard a lot of owners saying they fitted a mini compensator to their system themselves.

Has your car had an MOT ? was it put on the rollers ? This usually gives a resonably accurate reading of braking percentage.

At Curborough on Wednesday all the guys that drove my car did say it felt very good in the braking dept  :p  Just needed more BHP  :d

Brakes are very important and without doing a comparable back to back road-test it is difficult to compare electronically over this forum - Its all down to "feel" and personal braking style. Keep us informed of your situation.

Posted

the brakes on the rear of a westy do chuff all anyway if there set up right if you have it ballanced it equal and you brake on a bend or turning into a bend  with any aggresion you will more than likley lose control, i had an old sb with drums on the rear changed them to discs and the rear was well overbraked ended up fitting a bias valve ,cars gone now  :o

Posted

Mark - floor mounted pedals single master cylinder.  No idea where cylinder is from as it came with the kit (1800 Zetec).  Hasn't had an MOT as current reg on 1.4.2000 so not due until next April.  Did have a pre SVA though, before the compensator was fitted, and this tester also commented that it was overbraked to the rear.

SteveD - accept what you say but I will need to get it through an MOT and it's not likely to pass with no rear brakes.

Right bl**** quandary, this one :o

Posted

Just had me SVA and they do their 5-point test on front to rear proportion and mine p******** it looked pucker on the test sheet and it stops pucker in anger.

It the floor mounted jobbies with single cylinder (looks like mk1 fiesta with no servo)

But I have willwood 4 pots on the front and STD sierra callipers on rear.

jamie

Posted

yet to see a westfield give the right reading on the  rear brakes on any mot brake test they just ain't heavy enough at the rear ,that is if your not 29 stone  :angry:  they just rise of it , my advice would be take it and try it on a brake test that will give you a pointer , its hard to say without seeing the car and problem   :angry:  :o why not try backing off the biass valve then give it a road test if thats possible  :0

Posted

Westfield might have a little too much bias to the rear but this can work to your advantage - namely by "trail braking" into corners which unsettles the back of the car then enabling you to feed in the power and steer it using the throttle (not the steering wheel) - see avatar.

As to pads steer clear of the "turf" variety. I've had some near lethal moments using these when the result was sudden brake fade - not nice! Hawk and Pagid do some excellent compounds for the Westie. Try Rally Design who always have a good selection of Hawk in stock. The black Y5 compound is excellent, but be prepared to replace discs (not expensive) at the end of the season. Braking from cold and at high temperatures (700°F) is consistent.

Regards

Windy

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