I meant to write last week, during the flame-wars--don't get me started--that I happened to be reading the 6/64 Motor Trend, (great issue, btw) and 'saw' the review of the '64 Chrysler Newport 'stripper' 4-dr sedan. Regardless, the car weighed 3,920 lbs, BUT, it sported the 11x3" (front) and 11x 2 1/2" (rear) Bendix "Duo-Servo" drum brakes. If anyone has any late-50's MoPar 'reviews' that feature "braking-distance-results", for the Lockheed "CenterPlane" brakes, I'd very much like to learn what "they" could 'do'. ANYWAY, MT recorded stopping-distance, on that 3,920 lb car, riding on 14x 8" TWO-PLY rayon-bias-belted tires (recall: this car was an econo-model; base price : $2,901; price-as-tested: $3,030.50 [!!] ) "from" 60 mph-to-zero, at.................. ......(ANY GUESSES??)............ OK: 149' (as in: ONE HUNDRED FORTY NINE FEET). [ ref: pg. 61; also: 30 -0 in 32 feet ] Autoweek TV show, LAST NITE, road-tested a 2004 Fxxx F150 pickumup truck, with God-Knows what kinda high-tech radial tires, and anti-lock , and OH YEAH, 4-wheel disc brakes, & guess what THEY recorded for 60 -0 stopping distance???????????? ONE HUNDRED FIFTY feet..... MT did describe the Bendix's stopping ability thusly: " 11-inch-drum brakes, with bonded, extruded asbestos [NOT MINE: Horrie's got 'modern' linings, and this winter will get Firm Feel's "Super-Duper" linings] linings, gave powerful [ I should say-so! ] stops, with good control, little nose dive." MT also tested a 'stripper' 64 Plymmie 2-dr sedan Savoy ; weight: 3,440 ; base price: $2.332.00 ; price as tested: $2,590.80 ; tires: 7x14" 2-ply rayon-("wonders"); brakes were the Bendix's but in size 10x2 1/2" (front & rear). 60 -0 stopping distance was 156' (ho, hum, "SAME" as a CURRENT Fxxx truck!!!) 30 -0 was 34' . I wonder "how" the Bendix's would "do" , with P225/75R14 tires (& modern brake fluid--if that makes any difference??) , instead of 'with' skinny, rayon, bias-plys? And, NO, I'm too poor/cheap to lock-up Horrie's 'ground-down-sidewall', wide-whitewall radials , merely to measure his stopping distance--I just know that those suckers STOP (@least once-in-a-row) the car, so that you'd better be wearing your seatbelt. To install the 11x3" front brakes, you first gotta find a "donor" 1963 -1964 Chrysler (rear brakes are another-story, previously-discussed). I REALIZE that apples are different from tomatoes, [meaning: car-types/weights/equipment/tires ] but has AAJ published any stopping distances, on its fabulous brakes?? Horace (wearing Bendix shoes) -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- Over 25,000 pages of archived Forward Look information can be easily searched at http://www.forwardlook.net/search.htm Powered by Google!
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