Why the fuck does my car lock the front tires?

[Tiggie]

if the stock brakes are working properly, you should NOT lock either front or rear wheels under panic braking.

Guess that's good for me, I was reading all this wondering how in the heck some of you all were getting your brakes to lock up. Mine won't do that, it will just haul the car down from a stop ina quick manner. The '87 on the other hand will lock the fronts, but it's brake system is screwy anyway.

On my Ranger, the Rear ABS gets a good workout on quick stops, espeically in the rain. I have locked up the fronts on it occasionally.

[Lincolnmania]

i can stand on the brake pedal and my car just stops.....no locking

[phayzer5]

i can stand on the brake pedal and my car just stops.....no locking

It sure does

[Southern_Pride]

I just fail to see how MORE leverage would make it not lock as easy. I know the back brakes dont work good. they got 230k miles on em. Front brakes are in great shape, all brand new. Brand new high performance tires. My big tires never locked up. And they would less inclined to lock, not more so. Takes more force to stop a bigger tire. If what your saying was true my k5 should have locked the 44's everytime you tapped the pedal. It wouldnt stop at all hardly.

[phayzer5]

the bigger tire/wheel had more rotational weight helping to force the rotor to turn instead of a lightweight wheel/tire getting locked up

[Southern_Pride]

Thats what im thinkin. Same weight roughly, just concentrated differently.

[LTDMan83]

88Grandmarq is right,if the braking system is working properly neither the front nor the back brakes should lock on these cars under panic braking.

When I first got my 87,the stock rear 11in drum brakes would lock under "panic braking conditions",never the front.Learned how to properly setup drum brakes,did my rear drum brakes & adjusted them properly,now I can slam on my brakes going 60 and they wont lockup front or rear at all,The car comes to a perfect stop.This is on the stock brakes and rims/tires.

[Southern_Pride]

I may need to adjust my proportioning valve. I do have a messed booster though. Seems to be overactive.

[Blaze86Vic]

What ever you do, do not go to the point your rear brakes lock first, please.

The reason the factory designs the fronts to be so much more significant in strength is because in wet conditions, a brake setup that is "perfectly" balanced in dry will lock the rear in wet. This is a simple concept that is fact, not hear-say.

[Southern_Pride]

I know I dont want the rears to lock trust me. I drove my 5.0 capri with no front brakes. Scary to say the least.

[Lincolnmania]

jonny throw those fucking 15" wheels in my scrap pile......they are worthless shit......big brakes rock fucking ass!!!!!

[Archangel]

I may need to adjust my proportioning valve. I do have a messed booster though. Seems to be overactive.

How does one do that? I've had my rear brakes lock up on me several times when I've really laid on the brakes, even on dry pavement.

[mrltd]

Mike, I dont think comparing brakes on a fox body car is an accurate comparison. Fox body cars have some suspension geometry problems that keep the brakes from working well by any means.

That's why I also mentioned the 92-97 Panther chassis too. Rear discs with the small fronts. But I'm sure you can easily find plenty of examples in General motors car, ford trucks, and plenty of others that just do rear disc upgrades.

Rear discs are far superior, and require less maintenance then the drums. The adjusters on the drums don't work after a few years, and no one ever manually adjusts them, or checks the wheel cylinders or pads for that matter. And then you end up with threads like this.

[LTDMan83]

I think I'll stick with my 11in drums,they do an excellent job of stoppping the car,and they should never lockup as long as I keep them in check and adjusted,which I do.

[Southern_Pride]

Im gonna replace my brakes when I replace the rear end, which will be soon hopefully.