> "Carrol Smith's Nuts, Bolts, fasteners and Plumbing Handbook"
FWIW, this book was intended to be part of his "Prepare to Win" collection.
He originally wanted to call this volume "Screw to Win" but the idea got
nixed.
The thing I find amazing though, is that no one asked just what aspect of
TR4 brakes that John wants to improve. Engineering is all about
compromises, and brakes are no exception.
The stock TR4 brakes are fully capable of locking the wheels, unless your
left leg is too weak to stand on. Yes, they are quite a bit firmer than
newer cars with power brakes, but if they won't lock the wheels, there is
something wrong (like contaminated pads) that should be fixed. Thus
improvements in "stopping power" are pointless (again unless there is
something wrong with your left leg).
For racing of course, heat buildup (fade) is a definite problem. It's not
impossible on the street of course, but it takes a lot of determined work to
get into brake fade. You'll never do it driving "normally".
Ultimate stopping power requires front/rear balance of course, since the
optimum is to have all 4 tires almost locked up at the same time. If one
axle tends to lock first, then you have less stopping power. A twin MC and
a balance bar is one way to get closer to this, but the balance is still
fixed. In the real world, road surfaces vary considerably, the only way to
get maximum braking is to have a system that dynamically adapts to
conditions at each wheel. Anybody feel like adapting ABS to a Triumph ?
Then there's safety of course. TR4s have single-circuit brakes meaning that
a single failure renders the entire system useless. Converting to
dual-circuit front/rear like the TR6 is definitely worthwhile, IMO. But
still, if something fails in the front, it might as well have taken out the
whole system, since the rear brakes are nearly worthless and can be operated
by the handbrake anyway. The ultimate setup would be 2-circuit front
calipers with separate MC chambers operating each circuit.
Maybe others don't, but on the street, I care about brake lifetime, too.
Replacing rotors every year is not my idea of fun.
So, even before reading "Screw to Win", my suggestion is that you think
about just what aspect of brake operation you find inadequate. Make sure
it's not due to some defect in your particular car. THEN you can start
wondering about what to change.
Randall
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