brakes

[Yummi]

The reason this is of interest to me, is this summer, assuming no other major malfunctions I would like to add front brakes to the ride in case I ever want to run it in the desert....

[fabr]

The simple,cheap,effective,most used way is the bias valve.Ultimate safety is the dual MC/balance bar.Your choice.

[Engineer]

So on a 1000-1500 lbs MC buggy, do you feel front brakes are a good thing, a neccesity, etc?  For sand only?  I know we threw all the front brakes away on our sand only quads, and tried to keep at least one brain cell engaged.

[fabr]

Rear only is fine for sand.I use front and rear tho.

[Rick S.]

Why not just do the brakes like in the Piranha plans.
2 masters with 2 pedals, close together. This way you can bias front or rear by just tipping your foot. It does work nice. They're so close together that you always end up on both pedals. Doug Heim sells a nice assembly than includes the master. Mount these side by side.

Hey Doug, What do I get for the plug? 

[southernford246]

is it better to have a pin like the plans show or the bolts like you have?

[Yummi]

This idea ROCKS for getting unstuck from the side of a hill!  Winner winner! Any down side?

[Nutz4sand]

So on a 1000-1500 lbs MC buggy, do you feel front brakes are a good thing, a neccesity, etc?  For sand only?  I know we threw all the front brakes away on our sand only quads, and tried to keep at least one brain cell engaged.

I am not sure the idea behind taking front brakes off a quad. The tiny bit of friction and the meager few pounds of weight saved are not worth the safety lost. I have seen many drag Banshees and others with no front brakes and when some doofus drives across the drag strip in the dunes (It happens a lot at Silver Lake) and the rear brakes locked up with the machine going upwards of 70 MPH and trying to stop before they hit them. Those with front brakes stop MUCH quicker!

I feel that anything with over 45 mph capability and over 350 pounds front brakes are a good thing. Especially on downhills. No front brakes makes for LONG stop times there.

I say run-em.   

[Rick S.]

Works the same either way. I used 2 seperate socket head shoulder screws because we stock them at work. I also couldn't run a shaft all the way across. (I had the Air shifter's pressure switch mounted between the pedal boxes.)
I'll probably do my current build with shoulder screws too. I like it better.
Shafts with cotter pins are what they use on my lawn mower deck.   
 

[Admin]

IMO, i had a balance bar dual caliper pedal, I thought it completely sucked ass, I would use one maste and a proportioning valve myself, I sell all them pieces Yummi posted pics of as well as a dual master Balance bar pedal, with remote cable...

[artie on edge]

I guess the style you want dpends up what safety factors you require. Im not a fan of the dual pedal dual master cyl idea. This is based upon you needing to make a concious decision in emergency braking conditions (not everday use, they are fine for that), which pedal or both pedals, which one harder... oh shit got it wrong....

And dont heap crap on me, its only my opinion...

My preference is a dual piston master cyl (one master cyl) and an inline biase valve. This gives you preset preferences (changeable) and only one pedal to select with the built in redundancy of dual braking systems.

Simple, safe.

[artie on edge]

The reason I say the dual piston single master cyl is in my Barracuda there isnt really enough room to use the dual master cyl balance bar system. This is a good system Ive used for many years in full sized off roaders.

[southernford246]

im not going to be racing and i am trying to make it street legel

[Yummi]

im not going to be racing and i am trying to make it street legel

It is my understanding that as a general rule, brake bias is not street legal.  It can be planed for in advance, and installed later, but might not pass the inspection for "street legal."  Course this depends on your state's rules, etc...

Just something to think about.

[Nutz4sand]

If you are wishing to make it street legal then you NEED to see what the laws are in your state and make it that way. No other.

With this being an obvious home built type vehicle if its not built to the legal code and you get in an accident a lawyer will make it YOUR FAULT yesterday. Its gotta be by the code.