TheSamba.com :: View topic - brake set-up

Tue Nov 28, 2006 10:12 am

ok so i know fiberglass buggies are light but what is a good brake set-up. I know 4 wheel disk is ideal but for just crusing around in a full length set up w/cage will just rear's do, or four wheel drum, rear drum? what do you run. Basically im asking in order to stop like a small normal car what is the minimum set-up you would recomend, thanks.

Tue Nov 28, 2006 10:23 am

I don't believe any state will let you get by with rear brakes only for street use.

Tue Nov 28, 2006 10:24 am

I'm a little weary of weighing in so early on this one but here goes.(My understanding anyway).

I was going to install four wheel discs and was told that if I was going to off road it a lot,I'd be locking them up and sliding all over the place.I've talked to some people who like their four wheel discs,(mostly asphault guys),but the general concensous seems to be sticking with drums with the brake bias adjusted a little more toward the rear.(bigger/better rear brakes).I am running type 3 brakes in the rear (45mm instead of the 30mm type one).and the weiniest of wheel cylanders in the front,(68 bug rear) in an attempt to adjust.

I love the way my buggy stops.Of course if your building a mega CC twin turbo engine you might want to reconsider!

Seabee?!

Tue Nov 28, 2006 3:52 pm

on my buggy I have the drum brakes like on a stock 67 bug, they do not work all that great, mainly because the rear tires are much larger than stock, so they overpower the stock rear brakes (on a stock bug, the rear brakes are weaker than the front, with the front doing most of the braking), the front being so light in weight, plus the short wheel base not allowing much weight transfer from rear to front, the front tends to lock up,mostly if offroad, but for example, my driveway is very steep, and when I back down the driveway, the front tires lock up, and the buggy just wants to slide backwards, the rear brakes are just about impossible to lock up. The cheapest cure for this, which I plan to do, is to switch the front and rear wheel cylinders, giving greater braking force to the rear, and less to the front. If money where no object, I would have disk brakes all around, with a proportioning valve that could be adjusted. If I where to have disc brakes on 1 axle only, it would be in the rear.

Tue Nov 28, 2006 5:14 pm

there was an article in one of the VW mags a couple of years back about a modification you could do to the master cylinder to compensate braking pressure when you added disk brakes up front. Anyone have it?

Tue Nov 28, 2006 6:00 pm

I drive my Fiberglass Dunebuggy regularly on the street and drag race it often at low 14's. I have stock 4 lug drums on all 4 wheels. I have installed front wheel cylinders on all 4 wheels to equal braking. I have no problems stopping on the street or the strip. Buggy weights 1325lbs without me in it. I have 145's up front and 235/60/15 in the rear.

Fri Dec 01, 2006 1:24 pm

Sorry if these are dumb questions, but if you install front wheel cylinders on the rear, do you have to change out the backing plates? Or are the cylinders interchangeable on the front and rear? If they are, what's the difference in stopping power?

Fri Dec 01, 2006 2:17 pm

Front and rear wheel cylinders are interchangable with no modifications. Fronts are larger inside diamater. I don't know the braking force difference, but with all 4 front wheel cylinders, you now have 50/50 braking. When I had correct front and rear wheel cylinders, it was real easy to lock up the front stock drums with the skinny 145's.

Fri Dec 01, 2006 2:47 pm

Running 205/55-15 and 295/50-15 with stock drums (1963 pan). Stops great and straight. Discs are nice, but I honestly don't feel I need them. (FYI my regular car is a Subaru WRX, so I know what really good brakes are)