Hi all, just getting my Mini-matic ready for a blue slip and woundering how good should my brakes be, The car stops ok but being my first drivable Mini i dont really know how good or bad they should be. It has drums all round. Should it still be able to lock up from say 60km/h?? because it wont lock up past about 20km/h. I have replaced the front shoes and adjusted all four brakes!!

Robbo

Mine never used to lock up at any speed on drums! So long as it stops straight and stops from about 80km/h to a standstill "comfortably" then you should be fine. They don't necessarily have to lock up to be effective

_________________
Lillee - 1969 Morris Mini K

Brakes work better "rotating" rather than locked. Thats why ABS systems don't lock the wheels. All to do with the coefficient of friction being lower for a sliding tyre to road junction cf a rolling tyre to road junction. That all I remember from year 12 Physics

_________________
David L


My greatest fear in life is that when I die my wife will sell my Mini and tools for the price I told her I paid for them!

i think he was asking should his brakes be able to lock up, as a measure of how hard the pedal feel is and should his drums need more work,

_________________
any parts for a 76 clubby pm me or ring 0405 329 326

http://www.ausmini.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=44717

I have drums all round and they don't lock (not the front ones). When really stopping fast the rears lock because all the weight shifts to the front of the car.

Trust me you get used to them, you just have to start stopping a bit before a regular car.

_________________
"In two years time your car will be like a lady's clothes, out of date, my car will still be in fashion when I am dead" - Sir Alec speaking to Pininfarina

If you have fitted new shoes to the front brakes and haven't driven the car much since your shoes wouldn't be very well bedded with the drums. They may improve with a bit of wearing in.

Yes very good point, they will feel better once they are bedded in

_________________
Lillee - 1969 Morris Mini K

IMHO any drum braked mini should stop on a zak . But everything needs to be top notch including the drums which generally means machining out any ovality before fitting new shoes. I would recommend new shoes from a reputable brake specialist as they may need to be oversize after any machining.

_________________
1967 Cooper S - new front bearings to do.
1965 Cooper S shell - Slow progress. No time or money!
1966 Deluxe- next rustoration!
Mk 2 & XJ6 Jags. Less said the better.

meeni used to pull up better on drums then on discs, cos the drums were brand new in every aspect.. they can lock up too, i know from experience. but as soon as they get hot they really die off.. thats when disc brakes take the win really

_________________
Potato