Posted by Keith in Washington [172.69.70.38] on Monday, February 17, 2020 at 10:51:35 :
In Reply to: Re: 318 posted by Marty [108.162.245.61] on Sunday, February 16, 2020 at 22:08:56 :
I agree that if yo have your brakes adjusted correctly they will lock up and stop you.
The reason I mentioned disk brakes is because of two times I have had problems with the drum brakes.
The first was in my Carryall traveling at 55 to 60 mph. Traffic came to an abrupt stop and I did fine. Got back up to speed and had to hit the brakes again, not so good brakes started fading. Slow down number 3 was total brake fade at the end of the stop.
Second was in my PW with a load of gravel and well within load limits. I was going 30 to 35 mph down a slight hill and the stop light turned orange . I was a 1/4 mile from the light and down shifted and started a slow pump of the brakes. Down shifted again and more brakes. By this time I had to hit the brakes hard and they faded really fast. I ended up stopping 50’ past the intersection thank goodness my horn worked and cars stayed out of the way. I was not riding the brakes which I know heats the drums up.
Drums brakes have a nasty habit of fading, sometimes badly. That why they went to disks from what I understand. Drum brakes can actually do a better job of stopping if they are correctly setup and sized. Look at semi trucks they are all drum brakes. But they have to be careful down hill due to fading/overheating.
Unfortunately, the PW brakes are pretty narrow and will heat up pretty fast. They are ok for low speeds and pray when you have a load and going down hill
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