Sherman,
Thanks for sharing your experiences. It makes me feel better to
hear someone else that saw this symptom as clear as I did.
I have decided to move up the front brake rebuild. I was
planning a front-end rebuild this winter... but based on all the
e-mail on this subject... I believe my brakes... although very
strong in the dry... are very old parts with normal grooving in
the rotors from lots of use and many set of pads over time.
I will replace with new rotors and pads and report back to the
list.
Brian Sanborn
62 TR4 CT16260L - Groton, MA
My TR4 Restoration Web Site
http://www.net1plus.com/users/sanborn/Home.html
E-Mail: sanborn@net1plus.com
-----Original Message-----
From: owner-triumphs@autox.team.net
[mailto:owner-triumphs@autox.team.net]On Behalf Of Taffel,
Sherman
Sent: Friday, September 29, 2000 1:32 PM
To: 'triumphs@autox.team.net'; 'staffel@home.com'
Subject: Scary Brakes , Hydroplaning :TR4 , British and American
Sports/GT Cars
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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