List and Art, Brian, Randall
Just catching up with the list, but will share this regarding this thread.
I too have experienced 'no brakes' in heavy rain until the brakes were
'held', pumped, or 'ridden' to keep the pads/discs 'dry.
Iv'e expereinced this in the TR4, and with my 4.2 E-Type when I had it
years ago. I have also experienced this (1990)even worse, in what was then
my relatively 'New' Dodge Daytona Shelby 2.2 Intercooled Turbo. To make it
worse, I was on the I-95, approaching Baltimore in the daily commute in
heavy heavy traffic, in heavy heavy rain, at @ 45mph. I was totally
'freeked'- as this was the worst I'd ever had this.
My conclusion was that it was the DISC BRAKES- AND THAT IT WAS WORSE THAN
THE TR or the E, ASTHIS CAR HAS 4 WHEEL DISK brakes. I always made a habit
of slightly tapping, riding the brakes in heavy rain as a preventive
defensive safety measure, and have never had the problem since.
As a comparison, I've never had the braking problem with the '89 Jaguar XJS
(V-112) which has 4 wheel disks, but the two rear are at the differential,
and the Alloys are much wider than the wells on the TR or the E. (The E has
wires.) I did have to go to Michelin Rain Force '65's'vs 70's to scary and
horrible hydroplaning (started at 45mph). The wheel well clearance is
minimal an an XJS. Now with the Rain Force- I don't hydroplane till 80mph.
These are important notes.
On the TR4 and the E-Type V-12, I always keep the emergency brake (to the
rear shoes on the TR4, to the seperate caliper unit on the V-12) really
useful tools, and as a further note - there ARE ADVANTAGES TO DRUM BRAKES on
small sports cars,
especially in the rain.
As a further comment and comparion, on our Fieros, stock alloy 14" standard
wheels and 4 wheel disc brakes- I've never had any brake loss in heavy rain-
or hydroplaning- the wheel wells are 'huge' and this is a real safety issue
in the rain.
Of course I try to avoid even a 'drizzle' on all the British cars in 'The
Collection', but sometimes Britannia weather seeks the cars...
Sherman
Sherman D. Taffel
Columbia MD
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