News:

It appears that the upgrade forces a login and many, many of you have forgotten your passwords and didn't set up any reminders. Contact me directly through helpmelogin@dodgecharger.com and I'll help sort it out.

Main Menu

Brake pedal feel.....How do you like it?

Started by Kern Dog, August 12, 2023, 11:52:10 PM

Previous topic - Next topic

Kern Dog

After years of driving late model cars for daily drivers and classics for pleasure, I been wondering what other people prefer or consider normal for their classic cars.
For example, we all have cars with a variety of combinations. 4 wheel drum, front disc, rear drum, 4 wheel disc, Manual, vacuum boosted, Hydroboost, etc.
The very best manual brake equipped car that I have driven has been a 73-76 A body with front disc, rear drum. I have this arrangement in a 67 Dart and that car flat out works. The master cylinder is an iron 15/16", nothing fancy at all. Pedal travel is not bad but there is about 1 1/2" of slight tension free play before I feel the brakes engage. They are progressive acting too...the harder you press, the more they act.
I've driven cars with manual MCs that require me to stand on the pedal to get the car to stop. Short pedal travel, terrible feel, terrible braking action.
I've also been in power boosted cars that are so touchy, barely pressing the pedal skids the tires.
Right now, my two '70 Chargers have very different brake systems.
The red car has 4 wheel discs, a '75 Dart power booster, an aluminum 15/16" master cylinder and stops pretty good but not quite good enough. Pedal travel is good. The car stops well but not as good as the Dart. I can't get the tires to skid. It feels like I just need more force to the brakes but since I can't press any harder, the next choice is to swap in a stock type dual diaphragm booster. I did buy one but have yet to install it.
Jigsaw is a 12" front disc, 10" rear drum, manual 15/16" MC and the car stops normally, at least it has no bad habits. I don't know if it is about the same or better than the red car.
Today I drove another B body. Front disc, rear drum, stock 1966-70 booster. Super hard pedal, very short travel. It stopped okay at low speeds but I didn't take it out on the road. If the car were mine, I'd want a bit longer of a pedal stroke. This one barely moves...maybe 1 1/2" and the brakes are grabbing.

Kern Dog

I've tried to emulate the feel I have with my 2007 Ram 1500 into my red car...

Both are 4 wheel disc with a vacuum booster. The truck is linear. The pedal travel is acceptable, the harder I push, the harder they grab. The fronts do lock, the rears are ABS.
The Charger will not lock. Braking is great at low and moderate speeds under normal conditions. It is just that as I press harder, the brakes feel like they don't get any more effective....Like I cross the "tipping point" where nothing I do past that point makes any difference.
If I only wanted to cruise the car and not drive hard, they would be acceptable.