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Re: [Mgs] Moss Big Brake Kit

To: "Paul Hunt" <paul.hunt1@blueyonder.co.uk>, "MG Listserver"
Subject: Re: [Mgs] Moss Big Brake Kit
From: "Dodd, Kelvin" <doddk@mossmotors.com>
Date: Thu, 2 Aug 2007 10:14:43 -0700
Ok. I'm no longer in the Marketing Dept. and don't get commission, so
here is my honest feedback to some of the comments.


Comment:  No stock engined MGB needs anything more than properly
serviced stock brakes.

And they also thought you couldn't drive faster than 40 mph or you would
asphyxiate. Sorry, but this comment is hogwash. Today's bargain basement
tires have a lot more grip than the original design specification and
many owners are going to 15" wheels specifically to be able to use high
grip modern performance tires. Our cars are on the road with vehicles
that have insanely good brakes so if I'm cruising at 70 mph I'd like to
be able to stop in an emergency without rear ending the modern car in
front of me. For safety sake any brake improvement is a positive thing.

I'm not even going to comment on the bragging rights statement. That may
be true for a small segment of the population, but we are discussing a
very expensive, engineered OE quality brake upgrade, not a set of
spinner hubcaps.

The intent of a braking system is to achieve maximum vehicle retardation
without locking the wheels.

I suggest that we all go out and do a brake trial on a deserted section
of highway. Based on experience, you will find that under progressive
braking, the front brakes do not lock up first.

The next trial is to do some hard downhill driving and note how much
fade the stock brake system experiences.

Moss initiated design of the big brake kit after installing the
supercharger system on their 1973 MGB. The road testers were a bit
concerned about flogging the car with the stock brakes especially
following some brake fade issues driving over Hwy 154 and 150.

The kit had some major design limitations as the rotor diameter was
restricted in order to allow the kit to fit under stock road wheels.

I am not going to state that the kit if for everyone. I'm also not going
to state that the kit gives a huge difference in braking for the money.
It does not. Typically if you want to improve over the stock design,
it's going to cost a lot of money for even minor improvements.

I will state that the kit uses top of the line, leading edge OE quality
components and gives a very usable improvement to brake feel and fade
resistance.

If anyone is interested in further information, I'll gladly go on at
more length but first I would suggest reading the technical sheet on the
caliper being used at:
http://www.wilwood.com/Products/001-Calipers/014-DRM/index.asp

Note that caliper design has changed dramatically since 1960, this isn't
some kind of foo foo go fast ricky racer bit, but a real attempt to
adapt modern technology to our vehicles so they can be safe
transportation.

Kelvin Dodd


> -----Original Message-----
> From: mgs-bounces+doddk=mossmotors.com@autox.team.net [mailto:mgs-
> bounces+doddk=mossmotors.com@autox.team.net] On Behalf Of Paul Hunt
> Sent: Thursday, August 02, 2007 12:53 AM
> To: MG Listserver; Chris Attias
> Subject: Re: [Mgs] Moss Big Brake Kit
>
> It isn't going to improve your stopping performance, and may even
reduce
> it.
> As long as the existing brakes will lock the wheels on dry tarmac with
> progressive pressure they are working fine and 'bigger' brakes won't
> change
> that.  It's the tyre to road contact patch that determines maximum
> performance, so unless you change the tyre compound and/or contact
area as
> well you won't gain anything.  And if the 'bigger' front brakes mean
that
> you can lock the fronts with less pedal pressure, then that means less
> hydraulic pressure to the rears, and so *lower* braking performance
> overall.
>
> If your existing brakes can't lock the wheels, then there is something
> wrong
> with them, so fix that.
>
> PaulH.
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