Brake overhaul complete -- thoughts

[mdrburchette]

Yes, you use your m/c. You need to disassemble the booster to get the actuating rod out of it and make a plate for the m/c to mount to.

[ventura ace]

You're only stopping 2000 lbs. Honestly, there's not that much difference and it's my left leg that has an iron calf cuz of my racing clutch.
Alvon drove both my cars in Detroit FFO last year. He didn't even realize one of them had no booster.

Denise,
Thanks for your feedback regarding the 13" version of the WHOA brakes.


'Tis true that I drove Denise's 2 cars, both with and without the booster (the WHOA brakes were not installed at that time of summer 2007). As I recall, I noticed the different braking feel when I first got in the car, just like you would with any car, but it was nothing extraordinary that I needed to compensate for. I drove the car along a nice tour for about an hour, that involved a fair amount of braking, and I more or less forgot about the different 'feel' after the first couple of stops. Of course, I was skwunched up like a pretzel, since the seat was permanently fixed to fit Denise's proportions, but that would have made braking even tougher if there really was an issue with it -- which there wasn't.

You could get a rough idea of what the car would feel like without the booster by just plugging up the booster vacuum line, I believe. Why don't you just give that a try for starters. Or even easier, just shut the engine off on a stretch of road and try braking without the engine running (be careful not to lock the steering and cause an accident!).

Alvon

[mdrburchette]

Of course, I was skwunched up like a pretzel, since the seat was permanently fixed to fit Denise's proportions, but that would have made braking even tougher if there really was an issue with it -- which there wasn't.
Alvon

You'd have had more room if you hadn't kept the helmet on, Alvon.

[ventura ace]

You'd have had more room if you hadn't kept the helmet on, Alvon.

Oh yeh, forgot about that. That was a different day . . . Sunday . . . tooling around through the busy suburbs of Detroit following the autocross event. If you want to attract a lot of attention, try driving your spider around, top down, with a racing helmet on. Just smile back at them. It's fun!! Thanks for the memories, D. I'd forgotten about that.

Alvon

[pressonregardless]

I kinda have to go with what I read on another post. We (although I am new to the Spider community) all need to support those business that support our interests. IAP, Vick's, Bayless, Bruce's Parts bin, and the like need us as much as we need them. Let the Chevy and Ford guy's keep Kragen in business. Just my thoughts. Charlie

[nicktheviking]

I kinda have to go with what I read on another post. We (although I am new to the Spider community) all need to support those business that support our interests. IAP, Vick's, Bayless, Bruce's Parts bin, and the like need us as much as we need them. Let the Chevy and Ford guy's keep Kragen in business. Just my thoughts. Charlie

That's great and everything, but I'm not about to drive an extra mile and pay twice as much for eggs from a mom and pop store just on principle.

Typically, I'll find the least expensive source for a quality part--and I won't discriminate.

[So Cal Mark]

it all comes down to how valuable or important it is to you to have the mom and pop vendors. When they all go away, Kragen and Autozone will be the only sources of parts, just as Home Depot and Lowes have cornered the hardware market. And if Fiat parts aren't a top seller at Autozone, don't count on being able to pop in and buy them for very long. When I have a supplier that is crucial to me, I make sure I support them. Lowest price isn't the only consideration

[mdrburchette]

You'll be surprised to find the Fiat vendors' prices are better in most instances than the chain stores. Since I'm not known for my patience, I tried Advance Auto for several parts. I found them to be more expensive:
Centerlink IAP - $25 Advance - $80
rotors IAP - $15 Advance - $25
magnetic pickup IAP - $32 Advance - $40