Craig,
My bet is you have oil or brake fluid in the rear drums.
Simple test: drive slowly and slowly pull the handbrake. If you can pull
really hard w/o locking up the rear wheels, your rear brakes aren't doing
anything.
Of course a better test is to remove the drums and have a look.
Your wheel cylinders could be leaking or your rear axle seal.
If the brakes need adjustemnt, you will find thet the pedal goes down more
than you'd like but that if you pump them once, they will feel fine (kind
of like air in the system).
BTW, I like this inspection they are doing. You may have not found out
about your brake problem until your really need them! I had both rear
brake drums full of brake fluid on my first Midget and didn't know it for
quite some time. I noticed it when I was trying to stop at a light down
hill and the fronts locked up.
Ulix
On Fri, 9 Jul 1999, Craig P Carter wrote:
>
> I took my 74 Midget through the Connecticut State safety inspection
> last night (required for new registration) and it passed on every
> point except brakes. The test procedure calls for driving straight
> onto ramps at around 5 mph and stopping quickly on sensor pads which
> can detect the braking action of each wheel. A computer monitor shows
> the inspector a graphic display of this from which he can determine if
> each brake is working and adjusted properly.
>
> My front disks were fine but the rears were nearly undetectable. I'm
> hoping that they simply require adjusting. I'm wondering if anyone
> with experience with that sort of brake test might have suggestions
> and/or advice for optimal setting of the brakes to pass the
> inspection.
>
> Craig
>
Ulix __/__,__ ___/__|__
..............................................(_o____o_)....<_O_____O_/...
http://students.washington.edu/~ulix/ '67 Sprite '74 X1/9
|