I rolled my tractor

wushaw · Sep 10, 2005

( Um.. logically thinking out what you said.. it seems incorrect.

If you have a vehicle with ONLY rear brakes.. and you apply them.. those brakes account for 100% of that vehicles breaking power.... even if they are ineficient.. they are accounting for 100% of the braking occouring on that vehicle.. less wind resistance, rolling resistance and mechanical drag, and engine compression braking.. etc...

I think you might revise that statement to preface it with: for vehicles with front disc and rear drum.. and possibly 4 wheel drum.. the rear brakes only account for X % of the total braking of the vehicle.. no matter how good they work.

The "no matter what vehicle it is in" is the falacy... there are plenty of rear brake only vehicles, with those brakes being drum brakes....

For instance.. my bycicle.. has only rear brakes.. yet they are the 100% sum total of the braking force on that vehicle.. I.e. no front brakes.. etc.. same with a rear brake only truck.. like an oldie/antique... PLENTY of those still in service..

Soundguy )

I'm sorry Soundguy I was refeering to your 87 T-Bird. I guess I should have mentioned that /forums/images/graemlins/smirk.gif

Junkman the parking brake is causing the rear pads to drag more than the fts. It's obviously not releasing good enough to keep the pads from dragging too much.

Soundguy · Sep 11, 2005

I'd also have to guess parking brake... I've got a wife too! /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif

Soundguy

Junkman · Sep 11, 2005

The parking brake is internal to the rotor and it is a drum system within the disk. It is totally mechanical and it has no drag when the pedal is released. I looked at those brake shoe linings and they are still good. Hard to wear them out when they are disengaged when the car is put into gear. I will give this some time for others to weigh in, then I will post the pictures of why...

Soundguy · Sep 11, 2005

Who said anything about the pedal being released.. My wife can happily drive with the e-brake/parking brake set...

Soundguy

wushaw · Sep 11, 2005

They have apparantly changed the parking brake ststem up since the 80's. The rear calipers used to double as parking brake and service brakes.
Does your wife use both feet for driving...one on brake one on gas??

Junkman · Sep 11, 2005

I think that she uses both feet on the gas only!!!! Watch out for the speed demon!!!! She is the original lead foot. /forums/images/graemlins/frown.gif /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif /forums/images/graemlins/frown.gif /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif /forums/images/graemlins/frown.gif /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif /forums/images/graemlins/frown.gif /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif /forums/images/graemlins/crazy.gif /forums/images/graemlins/crazy.gif

OffBalance · Sep 11, 2005

I don't know about Ford Explorers, but on the cars I have with 4 discs, the rears use much thinner pads to begin with. I guess that is due to the mfgr knowing that they don't need to put as much material on the rears. But you would think that they considered equal life on all four corners. Does the Explorer have sticky calipers?

Of course, on my Prius (which has rear drums), the pads hardly wear at all. That is because most of the braking is done by generating electricity and charging the batteries!

Junkman · Sep 11, 2005

You have found the correct answer. The rear disks are the same size as the fronts, but the pads are half as large. Same thickness, but half the square inches of contact surface. The rears will wear out faster on this car than the fronts ever will. I am lucky if the car gets 20,000 miles before the rears need to be changed. Problem is that at 21,000 the rotors are scored and need to be replaced. Tires are another problem. The original Firestone tires that were replace when Ford had all those problems that they were blaming on the tires lasted the longest. They were removed at 58,000 miles and were only half worn. The Michelin replacements with less than 40,000 miles on them are just about shot. It will get new sneakers before the winter. I keep putting $$$$ into this beast since a new car is going to cost more than keeping this one alive. Junk....

Soundguy · Sep 12, 2005

( The rear calipers used to double as parking brake and service brakes )

As far as I know.. they still do.

( Does your wife use both feet for driving...one on brake one on gas )

NO!... she simply forgets to pull the brake release lever.

On some cars.. it auto releases when you move into gear.. but on many others.. it does not.

Soundguy

davidseaquist · Oct 19, 2005

I have been using my tractor up and down the steep hill. backing down where I had previously had the accident and I have gone up the hill to a steeper angled part of the road and the tractor has been working fine. I backed down the hill with a rock that the loader would just lift a few inches off the ground and the tractor felt safe with the hydro trans when I took my foot off the hydro pedal the tractor slowed down. I would still like better breaks on my tractor, but I feel it is safe going up and down steep hills as long as I make sure it is in gear before I move it. David