Brake balance and dry sump

[Richards 7]

My current 7 live axle cross flow and a slr I looked at this weekend both lock the front wheels under braking. I feel they lock prematurely, is it possible to alter the brake bias, or add a valve that can be easil adjusted?

 

Also the slr was dry sumped, what are the advantages of this off the track? and does it mean more ground clearance?

 

thanks guys

[Shaun_E]

Locking the fronts first is better than locking the rears. Ultimately it is the tyres that will determine when the wheels lock. It is more normal for Caterhams to be overbraked at the rear and a brake limiting valve is often fitted to reduce the effectiveness of the rear brakes. The fronts and rears are on separate circuits so there is no ability to bias them.

It could just be that the rear brakes are not operating correctly - perhaps the adjusters have seized or the pads are worn or glazed. New pads would probably sort things out.

 

Dry sump on the road won't really give you much advantage - the extra ground clearance is minimal. It will prevent oil surge on track though and I guess if you do lots of high speed corners on road then it will prevent possible surge in that situation.

Word of warning - with the Caterham dry sump system, check the oil level regularly and do not allow it to drop at all.

 

Yellow SL #32

[Richards 7]

Thanks for that

 

Re: the brakes I always seem to think that they are not as effective as they should be for such a car. I've never locked the backs (thank goodness).

 

Dry sump, I suppose extra clearance is useful. Thanks for the warning about the levels.

 

R

[CageyH]

What tyres do you have on the 7?

With CR500's and A048's. I have to try really hard to lock up the fronts.

[Richards 7]

The SLR has sticky road legel slicks (well almost slick). They were Avon, Would they be 500's ?????

the road was dry and the tyres definately warm !!!!!

 

Maybe the SLR was that much faster than I expected so I leant on the brakes a little too hard. But it always seems to be the fronts far far earlier than the backs

 

thanks

 

R

[CageyH]

Sound like ACB10's.

It is better to have the front's lock first, as this is easier to control compared to the rears.

[Englishmaninwales]

Shaun:

Word of warning - with the Caterham dry sump system, check the oil level regularly and do not allow it to drop at all.

 

sorry for the thread hijack - what's the danger? ( apart from the obvious!)

Thanks

 

[Normans_Ghost]

My dry sump has about 5 litres of oil and has needed 3 to top up. The actual amount of oil in the engine when running is probably less than 1 litre so as long as the pick up pipe is covered at all times there is enough oil.

 

One reason for having as much oil as the DS tank will take is the more oil, the cooler it will run.

 

Norman Verona, 1989 BDR 220bhp, Reg: B16BDR, Mem No 2166, the full story here

You and your seven to The French Blatting Company Limited