What's the Scoop on Changing the Brake Bias Spring ? I Believe Ecklers or someone sells them? Supposedly helps it Stop Quicker? Anyone using one?

 

it supposedly gives the rear brakes more stopping power. i don't know if this is true, i heard it second hand from someone a while back.

 

DRM BrakeBias Spring

Good things often come in small packages. A lot of thought and successful racing experience went into the design of the DRM BrakeBias spring. Easily installed, this spring effectively puts more rear brake into your Corvette, giving you shorter stopping distances and more equalized front-to-rear brake pad wear. Also by having the rear pads do more work, front end nose-dive is reduced. This results in greater stability and vehicle control under extreme braking.

On the C5, the DRM Bias Spring easily installs in the junction block, and on the C4, it installs in the front of the master cylinder.

1987 - 96 Corvette ABS 10-100 $12.95
1984 - 86 Corvette non-ABS 10-101 $12.95
1997 - 00 Corvette 10-102 $12.95

 

well there ya go!

now the question is does it really work?

 

now the question is does it really work?


The answer is...YES...absolutely the best mod for the dollar you can put in your C-4

 

let me ask a question. when you install the new spring, do you have to drain the master cylinder or not? how is it installed properly?

 

I Remove the master cylinder to keep all parts clean and then bench bleed. I understand that you can replace it in the car but you still have to drain and bleed. I did it when I was putting on SS lines so the brake mess and system bleeding was done all at one time.

Get DRM's spring, I know it works. Not sure if others are selling their spring.

 

Absolutely!!!

You won't have the rear end getting all squirrely under hard braking with the bias spring.

 

For straight-line stopping sounds good.

My question would be -- might this increase the chance of the rear tires locking-up on a curve which could cause a loss-of-control?

Presume though that if more braking pressure is directed to the rear, it is robbing it from the front.

Recently read that the springs are most helpful when upgrading the front brakes (e.g. J55 or C5's), to 'equalize' the improvement to the front by transferring some pressure to the rear.

Otherwise, if the rears are not working correctly (i.e. some revived old/new brake threads) -- the bias spring may not solve the problem and only result in less front braking.

 

Of course it does work but it is not the magic bullet for braking problems. It was originally designed to re-balance the braking system so the front does not dive as much. It was designed to be used when additional braking was added to the front wheels. If no adjustment was done the car would be over braked in the front. The spring allows the crack pressure from the proportional valve to give the rear more braking sooner thus rebalancing the brake system.

When I went to the J55 brake system I added the spring.

The spring dies not affect front breaking performance. And since most of the braking is performed on the fronts, adding a little braking in the rears can’t probably hurt. But probably since the rears do little for real stopping power, the additional gain is probably not going to be much in regard to total performance.

Anyway I would like to hear the results anyway.

The amount of rear braking to begin with is not a great deal due to at least one basic factor and that is the small pads, and they don’t even cover the rotor. The design from GM is such that the safety factor for braking the rear is very high and so possibility of the rear coming around is real small. I think a small amount of additional braking would keep you still within the safety envelope.

In the reality world, try rolling 10 MPH and pull the emergency brake. You will get a real good idea of how those brakes work. Give yourself lots of room. ( I’m not talking about the vetts that use the drum for the brake).

 

I upgraded my front to C5 and slotted rotors all around, Hawk HPS pads, steel lines and the DRM spring. I just completed a two day driver development course at the Mosport track in Ontario, canada. The brakes worked perfectly, now if the driver can get his crap together it will all be worth it!

John

Driving it real hard does enter another factor, it runs HOT!

 

I don't usually watch Nascar programs but they were running at Infineon (Sears Point). Anyway, they showed the interior of a car with a nice big **** on the dash that changed the front to rear balance for braking.

That looked like the best solution? Is that available?

 

Unless you know how to pipe that "big ****" and then know what to do with it, you're asking for a world of problems. It could be flat out dangerous.
My suggestion would be to put that "big ****" on your dash board, don't hook it up to anything, and put in a DRM bias spring!!!

Steve, I hope you know I'm just funnin' with you.

 

So what's the bottom line? Is it Safe? Better Braking? Best for the Street? A Big Improvement? etc.

 

It's safe, DRM used them in their race cars and has sold them for years.

Under panic stop conditions you will notice a slight change in a street car. During normal stopping you will notice zero difference.

On a road course or auto-x, you will notice a significant decrease in front end dive.

 

What He Said!!!

 

"During normal stopping you will notice zero difference"

So...Is it or is it not worthwhile doing on a Street Car?
Thanx

 

The short answer is YES...

Under "normal" conditions you won't notice any difference, but in a panic stop it will prevent the nose diving and thus lessening the grip your rear tires have to brake with.

As stated earlier, it also evens out the wear on the pads front/rear.

 

Gotcha !..I'll Do It.

And Thanx For Irradicating My Ignorance.

 

No problem