Want Disk brakes on the Rear?

**Dunerunner** · 06-13-2008, 04:53 PM

Found this set, I don't think it's available yet but WOW!!

Disc brake set, Rear (Available soon): shop.flyingtiger.ca

Smart Car Geek · 06-13-2008, 05:25 PM

Great find Dunerunner! If these are ceramic pads then it's a keeper

SmartPassion · 06-13-2008, 05:34 PM

451? Looks great!

Smart Car Geek · 06-13-2008, 05:47 PM

Yes, 451

(we need a thumbs up smilie here ;) )

xcrew229x · 06-13-2008, 05:47 PM

That's more than 10% of the cost of the entire car........... yikes

geosynch · 06-13-2008, 05:57 PM

I confess I like the looks of disc brakes, but there is one thing I learned racing road bikes (the motor kind):

On dry pavement, 100% of the stopping can and should be done with your front brakes.

I've never raced cars before, but the physics of the situation is that most of the stopping power comes from the front brakes on a car (not 100%, but certainly more than 50%).

For the average commuting joe, rear discs is a show toy...but a cool one!

geosynch

**Dunerunner** · 06-13-2008, 06:01 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by geosynch

On dry pavement, 100% of the stopping can and should be done with your front brakes.

Lifetime brake pads!!! I don't know if there is a proportioning valve for the smart but 90/10 should be about right.

smartune · 06-13-2008, 06:53 PM

I sell those too...for less.

And wow! I'm a supporting vendor!

-Dan

WickedMessenger · 06-13-2008, 07:08 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dunerunner

Lifetime brake pads!!! I don't know if there is a proportioning valve for the smart but 90/10 should be about right.

Three reasons that most (over 50%) of the braking is done at the front brakes: load distribution front compared to rear, load shift (car pitches forward during braking adding to the front wheel effective load), and pre-ABS it was preferable to have a lock-up on the front of the car (loss of steering but the car goes in a straight line. When the rears lock up the car spins around). Now, the rules for the smart are a bit different. The engine is in the rear so weight is better distributed and more braking can be done at the rear wheels. ABS and stability control will prevent lock-up in the rear (or front for that matter) so that's not a factor any more. I haven't seen the data but I would guess that the smart is proportioned much closer to 50/50 than the guess of 90/10. Unloaded pickup trucks have that kind of ratio.