I wasn't going to say anything on this, but I can't help it.
The '61 has different brakes than the '66. While they were good, the '66 was better. The brakes on the '61 required frequent manual adjustment. Depending on the type of driving, this could mean as often as every 800 miles. Back in those days, oil changes were about every 1,000 miles, so a quick brake adjustment wasn't a big deal. In all the cases of griping that I have heard about the brakes on '57 through '62, none of the owners were adjusting them as often as recommended, let alone more often than that (which isn't a bad idea).
A '66 Imperial has about the best drum brakes ever made. They stop the car just fine. They are also self adjusting. If the '66 Imperial's brakes are in top shape, and the driver is having multiple instances of near misses on the road, the problem isn't the stopping distance of the car, but more related to what is sitting behind the steering wheel.
The is NO techniogical advance that can take the place of sensible driving. While we should do absolutely everything that we can to make sure that our cars will stop correctly, a big money brake conversion on a car that already has great brakes is not going to solve the problem.
Paul W.
-----Original Message-----
From: Lib596@xxxxxxx
To: mailing-list@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Sent: Wed, 22 Feb 2006 18:06:19 EST
Subject: IML: re. Disc V Drum Brakes
Whilst I have no reason to doubt the theory behind Dicks description of the physics I still have to say that from a purely practical point of view, the disc brake / dual M/C conversion on my '61 has made a distinct improvement in the braking characteristics of the car. It is not only the shorter stopping distance but the feel and sensitivity of the pedal which has improved.
Now I will freely admit that by the time I did the conversion, I had developed serious hot spots on the front drums which did nothing to improve their stopping power. In addition, the improved sensitivity may be partly due to the new M/C but even when the drums were perfect and all four wheels were quite capable of locking up, there is no doubt in my mind that the discs have been a major improvement. There seems to be more to braking than simple friction. It is about how the car handles under sharp deceleration. Perhaps some of this improvement arises from the necessary addition of a proportioning valve that governs the pressure ratio between the front and rear brakes.
Apart from the improved braking characteristics, the other advantage is simpler maintenence. No more painstaking adjustments and fiddly bleeding. On the downside, the dust from the pads turns your white wall tyres into gray walls in no time at all. Easy enough to clean but annoying all the same.
Just some observations from someone who has direct experience of both drums and discs.
Best wishes,
Tony V.
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