On 3 May 1999, Chris DeStaffany wrote:
> That may be true for the first few stops, but what about brake fade. You
> spend a day going up and down some pretty big hills and those brake things
> get really hot and don't work so pretty good anymore.
No, not at all.
You should use your gears to reduce and hold speeds on down-hills, not the
brakes. As long as the brakes get reasonable time to cool between uses,
they will be OK.
If brakes are applied constantly, they will overheat and fade, no matter
how large they are.
In addition to proper driving techniques, the most important limiting
factor re. brake fade is definitely brake fluid boiling point. Even a
little bit of humidity in it will reduce the boiling point dramatically.
Change it every two years, at the very least. That will buy you more
fading resistance than any increase in brake size.
(Silicone fluids may get away with longer intervals, but they have a
lower boiling point to start with).
Egil
who thinks he knows a thing or two about "pretty big hills".
--
Email: egil@kvaleberg.no Voice: +47 22523641, 92022780 Fax: +47 22525899
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