SAFER BRAKES

NZV8: Hi, John. We’ve got a project car that came with four-wheel drums and a single-circuit master that we’ve just shoehorned 600 horses into under the hood. Our LVV cert. man has said that the stock drums are going to need a performance upgrade. What would be your first suggestion to increase performance?

John Begg: There are multiple aspects to consider, but, first up, you’ll really want to upgrade the master cylinder to a modern tandem master cylinder. This will split the brake circuit into two parts, which will provide significant added safety. The split can be either front/rear or diagonal, depending on the vehicle and set-up. Having a twin-circuit system is important and used on all modern vehicles. If you should lose one brake circuit for whatever reason (rusted lines or punctures can cause this, for instance) then you still have a second circuit to stop the car. This becomes especially important while on the track or coming down a big hill. Secondly, swapping out the drums for some disc upgrades either in the front or all around will give the car a bit more stopping power.

Now, it’s very important to mention you don’t just go ahead and upgrade the stuff down by the wheels and leave the hydraulics alone. The master cylinder must have the capacity and hydraulic pressure to match the brakes. If you’re just changing your friction