Mini-van has bigger brake disks than GMC!

RF_Burns

RF_Burns

Super Moderator
Staff member
Sep 7, 2008
5,152
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Ontario Canada
We recently bought a new Dodge Grand Caravan. It has 17" wheels and I noticed the brake disks pretty much filled the entire wheel space. So I looked
up the disk size and they are 13" disks with dual piston calipers all-round. It doesn't list the new disk thickness, but the discard thickness is
just over an inch and they weigh 22lbs each. Pretty beefy brakes for a 3,800lb vehicle and yes they worked pretty good in the mountains in Mexico
last week!

The GMC has 11" front disks... the larger the disk the more mechanical advantage the brakes have and the more swept disk area per revolution. The
one-ton front end has 12.5" front disks.

Just an observation while sipping a margarita!


--
Bruce Hislop
ON Canada
77PB, 455 Dick P. rebuilt, DynamicEFI EBL EFI & ESC.1 ton front end
http://www.gmcmhphotos.com/photos/showphoto.php?photo=29001
My Staff says I never listen to them, or something like that
 
Engineering specs that ASME has adopted possibly has been moved up.
Keep in mind most do not drive the MH aggressively and we do have 6 brakes.

On Sat, Feb 1, 2020 at 7:00 AM Bruce Hislop via Gmclist <

> We recently bought a new Dodge Grand Caravan. It has 17" wheels and I
> noticed the brake disks pretty much filled the entire wheel space. So I
> looked
> up the disk size and they are 13" disks with dual piston calipers
> all-round. It doesn't list the new disk thickness, but the discard
> thickness is
> just over an inch and they weigh 22lbs each. Pretty beefy brakes for a
> 3,800lb vehicle and yes they worked pretty good in the mountains in Mexico
> last week!
>
> The GMC has 11" front disks... the larger the disk the more mechanical
> advantage the brakes have and the more swept disk area per revolution. The
> one-ton front end has 12.5" front disks.
>
> Just an observation while sipping a margarita!
>
>
> --
> Bruce Hislop
> ON Canada
> 77PB, 455 Dick P. rebuilt, DynamicEFI EBL EFI & ESC.1 ton front end
> http://www.gmcmhphotos.com/photos/showphoto.php?photo=29001
> My Staff says I never listen to them, or something like that
>
> _______________________________________________
> GMCnet mailing list
> Unsubscribe or Change List Options:
> http://list.gmcnet.org/mailman/listinfo/gmclist_list.gmcnet.org
>
--
Jim Kanomata
Applied/GMC, Newark,CA
jimk
http://www.appliedgmcrvparts.com
1-800-752-7502
 
Just put new pads on my '11 T & C. Big disks, single piston calipers. Wonder when they went to dual piston - and why. The singles have enough
brakiung power to light up the anti-skid.

--johnny
--
Foolish Carriage, 76 26' Eleganza(?) with beaucoup mods and add - ons.
Braselton, Ga.
I forgive them all, save those who hurt the dogs. They must answer to me in hell
 
Mark Series Lincolns of the same era as our GMC's - Frank Cannon's Lincoln

Interesting trivia about Frank's Mark series Lincolns, from 1975 onward ( just prior to the show ending ) the Mark series had 4 wheel discs, total
braking force for the approx 5,000 lb. auto was 9,816 lbs of brake force, at the same time our GMC with OEM brakes had approx. 6,900 lbs. braking
force according to Frank Condos, Manny's calipers & P-30 master cyl. yielded about 7,500 lbs. braking force BUT we are talking about a 11,700 lb.
vehicle so when folks claim that the OEM GMC brakes are fine , it might leave one with a twinge of doubt ? ( LOL )

'Franks, Mark series Lincoln with 11.8" front rotors & 3.11" calipers AND 11.5" rear rotors & 2.6" PB calipers plus 1100 psi hydro boost!'

Albert B.
78 Barbi
The 23 foot Birchaven
 
Rich,
Those who have on-ton front ends immediately notice improved braking due to the 12.5" vs 11" front brake rotors. If the tires were losing traction,
then the wheels would be easy to lock-up with the OEM brakes.

The back wheels lock-up easy because the brake torque on the rear bogie unloads weight off the rear wheels.

Just this farm-boy shade-tree mechanic way of seeing things.

--
Bruce Hislop
ON Canada
77PB, 455 Dick P. rebuilt, DynamicEFI EBL EFI & ESC.1 ton front end
http://www.gmcmhphotos.com/photos/showphoto.php?photo=29001
My Staff says I never listen to them, or something like that
 
quick n dirty test. If the fitted brakes on a vehicle will skid the front wheels or light the antiskid if fitted, it has all
the brakies it can use. This doesn't say the brakes are the best - they might be quite hard to hold on the threshold of a skid which is where you
want them for best stopping power - it just says the system has the power to stop the wheels with the existing load and tire.
Remember, you're dissipating a hell of a lot of energy as heat when you put on brakes on anything. Bigger discs should dissipate it more better.

--johnny
--
Foolish Carriage, 76 26' Eleganza(?) with beaucoup mods and add - ons.
Braselton, Ga.
I forgive them all, save those who hurt the dogs. They must answer to me in hell
 
The Mopar vans have bigger rotors, attached to paper mache front end parts with no grease fittings.
--
John Lebetski
Woodstock, IL
77 Eleganza II
 
Rich... its when you come over the brow of a hill at 90Km/hr and there is a traffic light just down hill. With only about 5 seconds of yellow light to
come to a full stop, its a real pucker moment with the OEM GMC brakes. I have a one-ton front end and its larger disks have eliminated much of that
"pucker factor".

Read Albert's specs on the OEM brakes and you will see they were not much better than a car's.

--
Bruce Hislop
ON Canada
77PB, 455 Dick P. rebuilt, DynamicEFI EBL EFI & ESC.1 ton front end
http://www.gmcmhphotos.com/photos/showphoto.php?photo=29001
My Staff says I never listen to them, or something like that
 
When the GMC was made, all vehicles pretty much stopped at the same rate of
deceleration.
Times they have changed. Cars stop quite well today. They have bigger,
more efficient braking systems, anti-lockup technology, etc.
But the GMC is still same old, same old. Good enough back in the days
it was designed and manufactured.
It behooves us to try to improve the braking system in our coaches to
try to even the score. Hard to do. Weight is a huge factor. All that mass
has to be overcome by braking energy. Least we can do is keep all 6 tires
planted firmly on the pavement so the brakes we do have can do their job.
So, the reaction arm brakes are a giant leap forward. So are 11" brake
rotors on the front wheels, along with improved calipers. Different sized
hydraulic cylinders on the rear bogies, vs. the front bogies help prevent
rear-seat wheel lockup. Metallic and ceramic brake linings help some. 6
wheel discs help some, too.
The rest is up to the driver of the coach. Tailgating is a huge NO-NO
in vehicles of this weight. Eyes down the road ALL THE TIME you are moving
is absolutely essential to avoiding rear end collisions.
I won't go into distractions like additional gages that scream at you
to look at them instead of the road, or another of my pet peeves, Cruise
control. Driving too long lulls us into complacency, kinda dream state. Be
safe out there, we can't afford risking the loss of any of these old
coaches, or their drivers and families either, for that matter.
Jim Hupy
Salem, Oregon

On Sun, Feb 2, 2020, 11:36 AM Bruce Hislop via Gmclist <

> Rich... its when you come over the brow of a hill at 90Km/hr and there is
> a traffic light just down hill. With only about 5 seconds of yellow light to
> come to a full stop, its a real pucker moment with the OEM GMC brakes. I
> have a one-ton front end and its larger disks have eliminated much of that
> "pucker factor".
>
> Read Albert's specs on the OEM brakes and you will see they were not much
> better than a car's.
>
> --
> Bruce Hislop
> ON Canada
> 77PB, 455 Dick P. rebuilt, DynamicEFI EBL EFI & ESC.1 ton front end
> http://www.gmcmhphotos.com/photos/showphoto.php?photo=29001
> My Staff says I never listen to them, or something like that
>
> _______________________________________________
> GMCnet mailing list
> Unsubscribe or Change List Options:
> http://list.gmcnet.org/mailman/listinfo/gmclist_list.gmcnet.org
>
 
> its when you come over the brow of a hill at 90Km/hr and there is a
> traffic light just down hill

That's why the laws in Germany say: Only drive as fast, so that you can
stop at half the distance you can overlook. Unfortunately, nobody
follows that rule.

--
Best regards

Olly Schmidt
PGP KeyID: 0x4196BF22
'76a 26' Eleganza II - Virginia, US
'73 23' Sequoia - Schleswig-Holstein, Germany
 
Same thing with “keep right except to pass”. Not enough people follow that
one either.

Sully
Bellevue wa.

On Sun, Feb 2, 2020 at 1:44 PM Olly Schmidt via Gmclist <

> > its when you come over the brow of a hill at 90Km/hr and there is a
> > traffic light just down hill
>
> That's why the laws in Germany say: Only drive as fast, so that you can
> stop at half the distance you can overlook. Unfortunately, nobody
> follows that rule.
>
> --
> Best regards
>
> Olly Schmidt
> PGP KeyID: 0x4196BF22
> '76a 26' Eleganza II - Virginia, US
> '73 23' Sequoia - Schleswig-Holstein, Germany
>
> _______________________________________________
> GMCnet mailing list
> Unsubscribe or Change List Options:
> http://list.gmcnet.org/mailman/listinfo/gmclist_list.gmcnet.org
>
 
At one of the get togethers, someone put 55 MPH in white shoe polish on the back window.

Probably gets better fuel mileage too.

Dolph

DE AD0LF

Wheeling, West Virginia

1977 26’ ex-PalmBeach
Howell EFI & EBL, Reaction Arms, Manny Transmission

“The Aluminum and Fiberglass Mistress"

>
> Same thing with “keep right except to pass”. Not enough people follow that
> one either.
>
> Sully
> Bellevue wa.
>
> On Sun, Feb 2, 2020 at 1:44 PM Olly Schmidt via Gmclist <

>

>>> its when you come over the brow of a hill at 90Km/hr and there is a
>>> traffic light just down hill
>>
>> That's why the laws in Germany say: Only drive as fast, so that you can
>> stop at half the distance you can overlook. Unfortunately, nobody
>> follows that rule.
>>
>> --
>> Best regards
>>
>> Olly Schmidt
>> PGP KeyID: 0x4196BF22
>> '76a 26' Eleganza II - Virginia, US
>> '73 23' Sequoia - Schleswig-Holstein, Germany
>>
>> _______________________________________________
>> GMCnet mailing list
>> Unsubscribe or Change List Options:
>> http://list.gmcnet.org/mailman/listinfo/gmclist_list.gmcnet.org
>>
> _______________________________________________
> GMCnet mailing list
> Unsubscribe or Change List Options:
> http://list.gmcnet.org/mailman/listinfo/gmclist_list.gmcnet.org
 
> Same thing with “keep right except to pass”. Not enough people follow that
> one either.

On any two+ lane street (if it is not a city road) the rules here are:
If you can move to the right and not need to move back to the left
within 20 seconds, you have to move to the right. If you don't, and
police catches you (and they do do that), you get a fine of 80EUR.

--
Best regards

Olly Schmidt
PGP KeyID: 0x4196BF22
'76a 26' Eleganza II - Virginia, US
'73 23' Sequoia - Schleswig-Holstein, Germany
 
Georgia is enforcing that.

--johnny
--
Foolish Carriage, 76 26' Eleganza(?) with beaucoup mods and add - ons.
Braselton, Ga.
I forgive them all, save those who hurt the dogs. They must answer to me in hell
 
Oklahoma also, to some extent!

D C "Mac" Macdonald​
Amateur Radio K2GKK​
Since 30 November '53​
USAF and FAA, Retired​
Member GMCMI & Classics​
Oklahoma City, OK​
"The Money Pit"​
TZE166V101966​
'76 ex-Palm Beach​
k2gkk + hotmail dot com

________________________________
From: Gmclist on behalf of Johnny Bridges via Gmclist
Sent: Monday, February 3, 2020 07:20
To: gmclist
Cc: Johnny Bridges
Subject: Re: [GMCnet] Mini-van has bigger brake disks than GMC!

Georgia is enforcing that.

--johnny
--
Foolish Carriage, 76 26' Eleganza(?) with beaucoup mods and add - ons.
Braselton, Ga.
I forgive them all, save those who hurt the dogs. They must answer to me in hell

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