Hey all, I did my first drives (a couple 2 mile jaunts) to shake things out. Aside from engine tuning, the main issue is the brakes. They work, but you really have to stand on them and they still won't lock or really slow you down quickly.
I have non-power brakes with front disks (a-body) and rear drums (I think 11"). I have the proper distribution block and metering valve for a disk/drum setup. I bought a new master cylinder from the local parts house for a Challenger with manual brakes disk/drum setup. I'm thinking that the master cylinder isn't really doing what I need.
I contacted Dr Diff and told them my setup and asked for recommendations. They recommended the 1 1/32" bore because "If it measures 1 1/8", I recommend one of my 1 1/32" bore units. The smaller bore size will give you a lighter pedal, with increased clamping force at the drums."
I did some other research that sort of confirmed this. From Popular Hotrodding (
http://www.popularhotrodding.com/tech/0601phr_braking_systems/viewall.html), they said: "Generally speaking, if the master cylinder bore is too large, the driver will feel a very hard pedal feel with minimal pedal travel, and will have a difficult time generating the necessary pressure to effectively operate the brake system. If the master cylinder bore size is too small, the driver will be able to generate a lot of pressure, but the pedal may have an excessively long stroke or a very spongy feel."
Now the real question. What is the right answer to provide good braking? I'm not racing or really going to be driving hard on the street so I'm not really looking for a super high performance system. Most stock systems I've driven are perfectly capable of stopping a car reasonably quick with normal driving.
Thoughts?
