Took the TR-3 out autocrossing for the first time and enjoyed it quite a
lot. The car handles much better than expected, but the brakes faded
outrageously. By the end of a run, the pedal was nearly to the
floor. Here's my theory and I would appreciate any comments or suggestions.
1. The standard shoes and pads I'm using fade quickly, necessitating more
force on the pedal: This is the most obvious possibility, but it didn't
seem to me I was pressing the pedal very much harder than usual (of course,
this could be an illusion).
2. There is air in the brake lines: Could be. I'm running DOT 5 and
haven't changed the fluid in several years. On the other hand, under
normal driving, I don't need to pump the brakes for them to be effective.
3. In any case, metal brake hoses would improve performance, so I
will install them and change brake fluid at the same time.
Can anyone suggest a source for more effective pads and shoes to use on
an original '60 TR-3A? (but not *too* race-worthy, since the car is a
weekend driver and I don't want to trash the rotors and drums). The big
three don't offer anything except standard parts.
Thanks.
John Cowan
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