[DeTomaso] Wilwood brake problems

[JDeRyke at aol.com]

In a message dated 8/3/08 3:04:22 AM, wdemelo at cogeco.ca writes:

> 1) I have Wilwood calipers and rotors and they were squealing real bad. I 
> machined the rotors and sanded the pads. It's not as bad, but they're still 
> squealing. Is this normal?
> 
Its likely the pads; most Wiwoods come with hard street pads and many Pantera 
owners substitute Porterfield 4-S pads. 

> 2) The car pulls to the right on braking and the right tire will lock if I 
> brake hard. I don't have a propotioning valve. The caliper is working fine. 
> What could it be? The rotor thickness between right and left is only .01 
> apart. Opinions?
> 
Pulling means one piston or pad is not as much getting line pressure, or not 
working as efficiently as the other side. To narrow the problem down, swap the 
rotors, pads and finally the calipers from one side to the other, road 
testing after each component change. If the problem changes sides, its somewhere in 
the last component you changed. If it doesn't, the 'pull' is a blockage in the 
brake lines or the shuttle valve being stuck, or something like that in the 
car's hydraulic system. When swapping calipers, be VERY sure the bleed screws 
are all pointing upward so they can be fully bled of air. If they aren't now, 
that could be your problem. Rotor thickness will have no effect, but 
occasionally, a 
single replacement rotor comes fom a different batch of cast iron with a 
different coefficient of 
friction.
 
> 3) I hear/feel noises from what I think are the pads in the calipers. 
> Anyone else have this problem with Wilwoods?
> 
Wilwoods are racing calipers and don't have anti-rattle springs on the pads. 
Or, the noise could be associated with your pulling problem. Otherwise, get 
used to it. Good luck- J Deryke


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