Why do my brakes not lock-up?
 

I just finished flushing my brakes with my new Power Brake bleeder. Made the job really easy.

So I went for a drive and the brakes are working great, but they do not lock up and cause the tires to skid when I mash on them from speed. I had never tried this with the car since I have owned it, the brakes feel fine (nice and firm), just will not lock up.

What do you think? Is it time for a caliper re-build?

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Matt Chamblin
78 911 SC

my guess would be that you are not pressing hard enough

...or try a more agressive pad material.

Sherwood Lee
http://members.rennlist.org/911pcars

What kind of pads are you using? If your pedal is firm, then I'd look into different pads before I started messing with calipers.
Is your boost working OK?

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Bill Krause
'79 911SC Euro
MY PELICAN GALLERY

if the tires skid, is that not locking up? soft REPCO metalmaster pads work good on the street. hard race pads don't. if the rotors were rusty, and then were polished by the pads, the surface will be real slick and braking response will be poor. polished rusty rotors look black.

[This message has been edited by john walker's workshop (edited 08-07-2001).]

I'm with John Walker... You mention the tires skid. If they are skidding, they have locked up...

What specifically is (or is not happening?)

I think he means that

1) They do not lock up

and

2) They do not cause the tires to skid

or, for the mathematically inclined,

They do not (lock up and cause the tires to skid).

John Walker... you mention Repco Metalmaster pads as being "soft" and working well on the street. Do these pads offer improved feel at the pedal, compared to ATE or Jurid o.e.m. pads? I find the o.e.m. pads stop well enough, but pedal pressure is higher than I'd like.


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'81 SC Coupe (aka: "Blue Bomber")
Canada West Region PCA
The Blue Bomber's Website

the repco metalmasters are the only pad i've had good luck with. jurid, ate, textar, etc., all seem too hard, as evidenced by their squeeking,and they dust up the wheels, too. response (less pedal pressure to stop) is better.

Thank you JW. It won't be long before I'll be buying some pads, and appreciate this advice.

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'81 SC Coupe (aka: "Blue Bomber")
Canada West Region PCA
The Blue Bomber's Website

While I have never used the Repco Metalmasters on my Porsches I have used them on my Audi V8 quattro, a 4500 lb car with undersized (though cross drilled) rotors. They worked great in that application, very little dust, no squeal.
The name was changed(I think that Repco may have been bought out) to Axis(sp?) several years ago.

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<font color="#730000">Bill Verburg</font>
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