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[Serpent33 (not logged in)]

Hi I've got a question. Apparently all S3's come stadard with brakes bias unusually more to the front. Given the fact that the weight distribution is about 70+ % front and 20+ % rear (weighing scale), it makes sense. But I find the standard set up not very effective. After adjusting the brake bias more to the rear. Can notice immediate improvement in braking. Less nose diving, less locking of the front on wet.

So the question is, is there a reason why factory set up is as such? I tried hard braking on corner and doesn't give me the tail out effect any more than stock. So I assumed that the adjustment was for the better. Any input on this??

[Serpent33]

It was me that posted the message. Thanks for any input.
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Each time I speed I say, "Dear lord, make me fast and accurate..."

[tvatavuk]

My guess would be that because rear drum (no rear disc version) overheats after few serious 120-50 brakes.
And drum compared to disc cools much slower, if at all.
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Tino Vatavuk
Little black dress which replaced Alfa Romeo 33 S 16v Permanent 4 GMo

[Ben_nz]

Also they might have set it up like that to compensate for the rear brake bias valve failing and always applying maximum force to the rear brakes.
I find that if I apply my brakes too suddenly, one or both of the rear wheels will lock up and start skidding before the car nosedives and the bias valve has a chance to reduce rear braking pressure. The locked wheels will stay locked and cause the car to do interesting things.
You don't want to increase the rear brake bias so much that this happens every time you brake.

[Serpent_33]

So what do you guys reccomend? Everytime I tail some novice drivers in some new geneation cars, when they brake hard, I tend to skid a little on the front.

I've given up on rear disc conversion in view of handbrake complexity. Need that for annual inspection. Haven't had rear brake locking experience before and I am sure it can be seriously hazardous. Is it a high chance locking occurs on the rear?

[Ben_nz]

[Peter D]

It is easy to adjust.

You will have the best braking, if all wheels are on the edge of locking at the same time, but the front should lock with a slightly less pedal pressure than the rear to avoid the car to spin during max braking.

This test and adjusting should be done on the best, dry road. That will mean that in the wet you will have a little too early front-lock-up, but if you do it in the other way - optimizing in the wet - you will have rear-lock-up in the dry (that is the reason for racecars to have a possibility to adjust the brakebalance from the cabin, in case of change in weather conditions).

Also with suddenly braking, you should not have rear-lock-up, so test and adjust, until you are satisfied.

That is the benefit of having a load sensing valve (some people are angry about the valve, because sometime it get stuck). Without having this valve you must "adjust" the brake balance by finding other brakepads front or rear, until you are satisfied, but that is much more trouble.

Peter (DK)

[serp33]

Dear guys, I've adjusted rear to the max and does not experience any rear locking. Err... I'll just go out for brake test later. But so far quite effective without lose tail on e-brake.

[Ben_nz]

My last car had leaky rear brake cylinders, and when they were replaced the car's braking got a lot stronger and more even. Do you know that all your brakes are working properly, Serpent33?
If I take my car to the right Warrant of Fitness (MOT) testing station, they put the car on rollers to test the strength of all the brakes and give you the readout.

[Guest]

Yup, they are working indeed. In fact, no 33 in my country ever passed that test because of inadequate rear brakes. All have to be adjusted.