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Re: Brake pedal height

To: vinttr4@FORBIN.COM
Subject: Re: Brake pedal height
From: mike jackson <grand_wazoo@flinet.com>
Date: Thu, 18 Dec 1997 18:33:44 -0800
Jack W Drews wrote:
> 
> It is with great fear and trepidation that I interrupt the hilarity of
> the Season's messages to ask a genuine technical question, but I have
> been forced to do so by public humiliation and derision on the Team
> Thicko page, so here goes:
> 
> My TR4 suffers from unpredictable brake pedal height. Sometimes the
> pedal is high, sometimes low, on the same lap. We are forced to
> compensate for this by tapping the brake once before we reach a corner,
> much to the consternation, I'm sure of our fellow competitors, when they
> see the brake ligt flash at a point prior to the corner.
> 
> I think it is caused by front pad push-back. Front bearings are tight.
> Happens with new pads or old ones. We are running the TR6 master
> cylinder for its dual circuit, and we do not have the eaarly TR line
> pressure valve in the plumbing.
> 
> What can we do to cure this?

Learn to love it.  Glen and I chased this one for years.  We've tried
wheel bearing adjustment as well as re-installation of the little line
pressure valve that was orignally on the TR3 whose job was exactly that,
keep the brake fluid from being forced back.  We have concluded that it
is simply stub axle flex brought on by huge grip on modern tires.  Of
course it also means that you're driving the car pretty hard, good work!

My right foot brain ( that's in addition to the big head and little head
brain) has simply learned that applying the brakes is a two stroke
operation.  In times of major stress like a reallly close race I can
convince the left foot brain to raise it's foot up on a long straight
and bring everything back into align before the breaking zone.  I find
that support from the left foot brain can, on some circuits, really help
with that competitor that is close to my bumper.  You'd be amazed at how
far they will drop back when they see the lights flash 100 feet before
the correct braking point.

Noticing this reaction has motivated that sneaky little sucker to even
flash the brake lights at really fast corners that other competitors
havent figured out are really flat.

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