Input on disc brake kit

[Helirich]

Originally Posted by scottyb

Is that a correction (?)
I think my point is still a valid concern. If you are traveling near 30 mph in an light golf cart through a turn on a wet street and you slam on the brakes I think you are going to spin, based upon my years of driving in the rain, snow, and sanded pavement.


Just trying to help - not looking to validate your old car. Just saying this combination of front disc / rear drum has fallen out of favor in automotive production today

My point was the reason they went to all disc was because they are better brakes and cheaper to manufacture. Not to alleviate any safety issue.

I agree that a short coupled cart could present some spin issues. (Think motorcycle) But you won't find anyone that solves that problem by removing the front brakes on a cycle. You have to adjust your driving style. Front brakes do most of the braking on a vehical equipped with them. (Like 70 percent)

Most of the guys on this forum have carts that are way faster than they were ever designed for. These carts are no longer stupid proof to drive. So you must adjust your driving style. I don't mind adjusting my braking style to get better brakes.

[Volt_Ampere]

Front discs is what you want if you want to stop from higher speeds! The weight shifts front under braking and the fronts do most of the work in a car. Only having rears is ok for 14 mph but not for much more than that.

[Clemsoncartguy]

Originally Posted by scottyb

The trouble with front disc/rear drum braking systems is the front is always stopping harder than the rear which is okay on straight dry pavement but, add any adverse condition and the front breaks loose before the rear which can be dangerous. The auto industry did this in the 1980s and by 1990 they stopped.

Work truck I just got rid of was a 2012 chevy colorado. It had front disk and rear drums.....but it also had Anti lock brakes

You are still correct. The fronts with disks will lock up way before the rears.

Would you advise if you went with front disks to totally do away with the rears? Or leave fronts bare and use rear disks? If one feels they need more stopping power.

[scottyb]

That's kind of the point, the vehicle you are using to justify the set up with has anti-lock and proportion valves which reduce the chance of locking the front before the rear because of ....... what?
The danger of loosing control when front wheels lock up at speed.
That's my point, nothing more really

I know when I'm on a steep descent I darn sure do not want the fronts skidding around before the rears if I need to steer. That's just a personal preference.

[Clemsoncartguy]

Originally Posted by scottyb

I know when I'm on a steep descent I darn sure do not want the fronts skidding around before the rears if I need to steer. That's just a personal preference.

I would tend to agree with this statement

[Unsoshl]

No intentions of hijacking the thread here, but because a few of you spoke about having stock 8" wheels I'm curious if there are any bolt on front disc kits for us w/stock wheels/tires?

[Helirich]

Originally Posted by scottyb

That's kind of the point, the vehicle you are using to justify the set up with has anti-lock and proportion valves which reduce the chance of locking the front before the rear because of ....... what?
The danger of loosing control when front wheels lock up at speed.
That's my point, nothing more really

I know when I'm on a steep descent I darn sure do not want the fronts skidding around before the rears if I need to steer. That's just a personal preference.

On my truck, it has anti lock brakes in the rear only. Proportional valves are installed to reduce pressure on the rear drums only. (So they don't lock) There is nothing stopping the fronts from locking except my foot. it is very difficult to lock the fronts because the harder I brake, the more weight transfers to the front. If the front is locking, you have been dragging the rears for a while.

Of course, if the truck is on ice, I can lock the wheels. But again, the rears would be locked also.

Originally Posted by Clemsoncartguy

I would tend to agree with this statement

While I would agree also, the senario is not really possible. By the time your front is locked, your rears are already locked. If you need to steer, pump the brakes.

I guess what I'm saying is there is no safety reason to not have front brakes or to not have better front brakes. You can always choose not to use them. Once you have front brakes, the rears are almost useless.

[Volt_Ampere]

Properly adjusted fronts should not lock up before the rears but they will still do most of the braking.

[JohnnieB]

Originally Posted by Unsoshl

No intentions of hijacking the thread here, but because a few of you spoke about having stock 8" wheels I'm curious if there are any bolt on front disc kits for us w/stock wheels/tires?

Granted, I haven't done an all inclusive search, but I've yet to find disk brake kit for front, or rear, that are compatible with 8" rims.

[JohnnieB]

Originally Posted by scottyb

That's kind of the point, the vehicle you are using to justify the set up with has anti-lock and proportion valves which reduce the chance of locking the front before the rear because of ....... what?
The danger of loosing control when front wheels lock up at speed.
That's my point, nothing more really

I know when I'm on a steep descent I darn sure do not want the fronts skidding around before the rears if I need to steer. That's just a personal preference.

Having skidded to a stop from 30+ MPH when my motor seized while going down a steep hill with a curve at the bottom on a narrow paved road with deep ditches on both sides and barbed wire fences on the far sides of the ditches, I most definitely share your preference.

I think we can all will agree golf carts that will exceed about 20 MPH need more stopping stopping power than rear wheel only mechanical brakes can provide and locking up the front tires is hazardous to your health.

While I'm too old and too poor and too lazy to exploit the thought, I wonder if an eddy current disk brake system can be designed for the front wheels of golf carts and if so, could it be made compact enough to be compatible with 8" (stock) rims.

Due to size constraints, it most likely wouldn't be powerful enough to lock up the front tires, which is a bad thing, but it would still enhance the cart's overall stopping ability and that is the primary goal.

Along those same lines, using an electro-mechanical caliper rather than a hydraulic caliper on a conventional disk brake system might have some interesting possibilities.

Those ideas are now in the public domain, but if anyone makes use of them, please feel free to PM me for an address to mail the royalty checks to.