Brake Fade

[Galant Kid]

I've owned two 7th Gen Galants, and both cars lost some braking ability after running hard through the mountains. My first was a 96 with 14" steelies, and my current is a 95 with 15" alloys. (More air cooling the brakes.)

Short of doing any work on my car, (there are plans to upgrade brakes and suspension way in the future), are there any tips or tricks to prevent this from happening?

I've been to one DE last year where I got to sit in on class to learn a few things. Ever since then I've driven "hard in, easy out" so I don't royally cook my brakes, or even worse -crash! Yet I still have fade.

Technically, this is also a driving techniques discussion, but if there's anything I should do to my Galant so I can lessen brake fade, I'd like to know. Let's see what everyone comes up with. 8)

[n3oAcid24]

how old are the pads? have you ever changed them?

[Galant Kid]

The pads are less than two years old, but even in two years they only got a little more than one years use, since the car sat for months over a winter before I bought it.

[n3oAcid24]

maybe air in the lines. bleed the brakes and add some DOT 5 brake fluid.

[Galant Kid]

I'd use DOT 4 since DOT 5 isn't compatible with 3 or 4. I don't want to mix the two fluids since the car has had DOT 3 since new.

Good idea, though.

[pinoyesv6]

what kinda pads are you using? my brakes experienced brake fade so easily with my budget autozone pads. but after switching to hawk pads, not a problem at all

[Galant Kid]

what kinda pads are you using?

That's a really good question! I'll have to check it out, but I'm going to go out on a limb and guess that the old woman PO didn't but Hawks on.

[RedGalant2k1]

Try using stainless steel braided lines.

[seth98esT]

SS lines should help, also bleed the brakes if you havent done so.

[Galant Kid]

Alright, when I get the time and money I'm going to get on this. Thanks guys! In the mean time I'll be going a lil easier in the mountain runs.

[DOHCstunr]

bleed the brakes thorougly. use DOT 5.1. valvoline makes the highest "off the typical shelf" boiling point that i've found at any of the local parts stores. its like 486* r somethign lke that. if you want a top notch brake fluid that won't boil go for motul rbf600.
get all the dead weight out of your car when you are going canyon driving.
weight makes brakes work harder.

using more aggressive pads will help increase your braking power, but of course the beter they rake, the more heat will be generated faster. so you can actually fade from that.

see there are different typed of fade.
one is pad fade. this is where your pads and rotors are heatsoaked to the point where they are generating heat more heat than can be shed.
when you expeirience this you will still have a hard pedal, but no matter what you do the brakes don't slow you down. or... as you approach full fade the brakes don't work as well as they could.

then you have fluid fade.
fluid fade is literally when yoru brake fluid boils.(i've had this happen in the mountains in deals gap)
you are hitting the brakes hard over and over.... your brakes still work(usually at this point not well) but the pedal drops to the floor.
so basically since the moisture in your lines is boiling creating air posckets that render your hydraulic system useless.


bleed your brakes religiously. its easy... its cheap. it coudl save your life.... as well as saving dollars from getting long even wear/life out of your brake system.

get stainless lines. this just improves braking period... won't really help with fade though.

rear discs.
rear discs shed heat much better than drums. so get them. and with them will come more consistant braking.


as a driving tip.... and i know its hard to do this cause its jsut so much damn fun.....
but lay off the downhill portions of the mountain, i mean please by all means enjoy the twisties.. but keep yoru speed down.
cause its the downhill that you are going to really see the fade.

[Diamndsr4eva]

this is def a necessary thread. ive learned a shitload of thngs in 12 min. got a question tho, i want to do the rear disk conversion but would like to remain 4 lug. Where can i find a 4 lug conversion that is compatible with a galant?

p.s.Sorry for jacking ur thread galant kid 8)

[DOHCstunr]

my car is 4 lug. and i have rear discs factory.

you can get everythign you need from a gst. but re-use yoru factory spindles, and get the rotors for a 94 gs galant.

done

[Galant Kid]

I thought you couldn't use DOT 5 in cars originally filled with DOT 3 or 4 unless you ran alchohol or something through the lines. Something about ruining the effectiveness of the fluid and lowering the boiling point.

Thoughts? No one really answered it before.

From what stunr writes, I've got pad fade. It's good stuff, and thanks for the tip at the end.

[kolio]

get 5spd and down shift through the turns.

no breaks necessary!

[frag_daddy_2007]

get 5spd and down shift through the turns.

no breaks necessary!

x2!
actually i had my brakes go out on my car, i downshifted to slow the car and then when i got to 10 mph i used the handbrake to stop.

[DOHCstunr]

I thought you couldn't use DOT 5 in cars originally filled with DOT 3 or 4 unless you ran alchohol or something through the lines. Something about ruining the effectiveness of the fluid and lowering the boiling point.

Thoughts? No one really answered it before.

From what stunr writes, I've got pad fade. It's good stuff, and thanks for the tip at the end.

i didn't say DOT 5, dot 5 is silicone.
this is why its not compadable.

DOT 5.1 IS compadable.

downshifting is one thing, but where i drive the turns and cliffsides come faster than my engine can brake. even with a light flywheel

[Galant Kid]

I thought you couldn't use DOT 5 in cars originally filled with DOT 3 or 4 unless you ran alchohol or something through the lines. Something about ruining the effectiveness of the fluid and lowering the boiling point.

Thoughts? No one really answered it before.

From what stunr writes, I've got pad fade. It's good stuff, and thanks for the tip at the end.

i didn't say DOT 5, dot 5 is silicone.
this is why its not compadable.

DOT 5.1 IS compadable.

downshifting is one thing, but where i drive the turns and cliffsides come faster than my engine can brake. even with a light flywheel

Therein lies the difference, thanks. When the time comes I'll get a buddy and bleed my brakes with this stuff.