Catastrophic Brake Failure For Beginners

[@garymatthys3605]

I see so many 'upgrading' to rear disc brakes and then complaining about poor braking performance.

[@UncleTonysGarage]

Tell me about it! But yet. thousands blindly insist on doing it.

[@NMXhustla]

It depends on its application, I upgraded to rear disc because when I'm off road drums get real hot at low speeds and get a lot of dirt and water in them.

[@garymatthys3605]

@@NMXhustla I'm sure yours work great. Comment wasn't directed specifically at you. I'm on a couple forums and see quite a few guys doing this only to have worse brakes. Mis-matched parts, etc.

[@davidgalea6113]

probably because they are not using the right bore size in the master cylinder or the right pedal ratio or the right distribution block setup.. A disc brake swap can greatly improve braking performance if the conversion is done correctly..

[@nicholasagnew2792]

My Datsun 510 has stock brakes front and back, rear drums, its lowered a bit with decent tires...stops from 60mph in 70 ft

[@gurneyforpresident2836]

They 'drugg' themselves into and through the mud all by themselves. The entire car hobby got a punch in the face by the negligence and incompetence of those individuals.

[@MikeBrown-ii3pt]

That's pretty much what I was going to say. A video from the passenger in that cars channel (I don't know his name or channel name) popped up in my recommendations yesterday. I started to watch it but it didn't take me long to figure out that he was just making excuses so, I turned it off.

[@gurneyforpresident2836]

@@MikeBrown-ii3pt Yes sir, almost complete denial and lots of excuses. Go to AutotopiaLa and watch the live video they did. It's an act. They've been into muscle cars since they were teenagers and claim they were clueless on how to handle it.

[@akassasin5768]

I had to stop watching that guy years ago because when watching him all I thought was. This guy literally knows nothing about the way cars are built. He always had shiny cars and didn't know anything about the actual engineering.

[@rctopfueler2841]

@@MikeBrown-ii3pt great name dude, shocked i didnt remember making comment already lol

[@DScaglione.]

Plain & Simple: Absolutely! Sorry to say but of what I know & seen, this guy is Not a car-guy. A true car-guy (or gal) knows everything from bumper to bumper and Does everything needed to comply with whatever setup they want in the overall vehicle. Again, plainly and simply: 1,000-1,300hp should’ve ‘slapped him in the face’saying that he needed to upgrade the brakes before completing the build … oh wait … it did … after the fact.

[@jondeauxman]

I'm a lawyer and a gearhead. I did plaintiff's personal injury for years. Watching the AutotopiaLA video was infuriating, all those guys seemed to be worried about was themselves and the car. No concern for the two people they hit. Absolutely ridiculous and I sincerely hope the people they hit were OK, and if not that they sue them into bankruptcy.

[@maceurbi2842]

Absolutely! They could have killed someone, a good lawyer would have them for breakfast, and they would deserve everything they got

[@WildAzzRacing]

I agree. I hope that video is used against them in a court of law.

[@AmosMosesJr]

You should go Ralph Nader and sue ford and gm for building vehicles with steel brake lines that corrode.

[@yeboscrebo4451]

Classic lawyer stirring up trouble, feigning righteous indignation

[@mostlypeacefulmisterputin]

You sure you’re not Steve Lehto using a “burner” account 🤔

[@4570dylan]

Bottom line: If you don't know that your brakes will fail after riding them for a long time while driving then you have never pushed a car hard. If you have never pushed a car hard, then why are you driving a 1300hp car on the street?

[@The_Gallowglass]

If you're on the street you shouldn't be riding the brakes in the first place. My dad used to smack me, when I was learning. "Don't ride the brakes!"

[@tabbott429]

@@The_Gallowglass ahhh....those were the days.. when kids got disciplined as they should when they make life threatening mistakes. Now " its nobodies fault" lol

[@The_Gallowglass]

@@tabbott429 My dad is a mechanic and stationary engineer, so he always made sure I knew enough. When I got my first car he got a couple ammo cans and filled them up with all the tools I'd need for an emergency, tire plug kit, and threw them in my trunk.

[@MrTheHillfolk]

@@The_Gallowglass there's a time and place for it. Like at an autocross circuit. Ride em coming into the corner to keep the weight on front so it steers. But it's not needed on the street really.

[@The_Gallowglass]

@@MrTheHillfolk That's what I mean.

[@ExUSSailor]

I have experienced catastrophic brake failure personally. Shortly after buying my '73 Swinger, I was driving down the GSP, totally unaware that the brake lines to the rear had completely rusted through. Luckily, it was a low traffic, winter night, so, the only casualty was my soiled trousers.

[@yaboimax6356]

0:36 they did that to themselves. I love how the guy that made the video encouraged everyone to have proper harnesses in their vehicles. And yet he only had the lap belt on, the driver didn't have anything on at all. No precautions whatsoever. Absolute stupidity.

[@veronly2]

Proper planning prevents piss poor performance.

[@CarterAutoRestyling]

Well said! I used to work at a hot rod shop and every vehicle that came in got aftermarket "upgraded" brakes. Ironically one of the best stopping vehicles to ever come out of that shop was a 52 Chevy pickup with the original brake system completely rebuilt. While there are some good aftermarket brake kits out there, the majority of them are just an assortment of mismatched components that on a good day will work the same as a properly serviced Oem system.

[@jasonwakeman3821]

Drums stop great initially but are prone to heat up very quickly and fade. This guy drove through these brakes which I'm assuming are 4 wheel disc and that should have been a red flag. But you are correct in saying that drums stop better. That's why most semi trucks still have them.

[@ridestreet20]

This is a good video, I like it, but. In response to the original Comet video, the sticking throttle is the issue. Shut it down. Put it neutral. Don't wait for the brakes to fail.

[@petergrey7125]

Yep. True. 👍

[@hydewhyte4364]

When my dad taught me mechanics many decades ago he used a very simple mantra ... whoa, go, show. That's the order you work on your car. You don't spend time and money on the engine until the brakes are perfect. And you get it running well before you spend time on the car's cosmetics. His wisdom has stood me well all these years, and I share it at every opportunity ... Whoa, Go, Show.

[@The_Gallowglass]

Not too long ago my brake master cylinder said nope and I was doing about 80 on the highway, coming into Chicago. All I can say is thank you e-brake and downshift.

[@Kingcadillac816]

Truth I have 91 eagle talon tsi brakes and e brake need attention so it's parked until time to rebuild brakes and suspension 100%

[@richbon9904]

Exactly

[@invisiblekid7374]

I had that happen to me in a 91 Ford Ranger pickup. I went to flick my signal on and hit the brake to get on the exit ramp, and my pedal went right to the floor. So I shut my blinker off and pulled back in the right lane to keep going straight. Luckily it was a manual so I could down shift to slow down. Once I slowed down enough, I got on the shoulder and coasted to the next off ramp. Also this whole time I was pumping the pedal trying to get something, and I had just enough to stop at a gas station and get it off the road!!

[@toddrolland106]

@@invisiblekid7374 Most any auto can downshift as well

[@MisterTonyG]

@@toddrolland106 Engine braking is the difference. Not all autos have "paddle shifters".

[@Stereomoo]

Going from single to dual circuits is the only upgrade where I'd say do it if you can, and you want a bit more safety margin on an old car. For any other 'upgrades' wait until you know your tires have enough grip to outperform the brakes (unable to lock up or trigger abs with full pedal pressure).

[@flinch622]

I was just thinking about all those people that bought new wheels, just to fit the new rotors/calipers they "had" to buy. There's more engineering than I can comment on, but notice what the latest and greatest [carbon] does: they behave like a reverse fade - more heat= more grab which means grab ramps up during stopping. That's a great control feature at 200mph in a drag car, and nearly worthless on the street for low speed driving.

[@woodendoorgarage]

@@flinch622 No to mention that big ass brakes and big ass wheels with big ass tires are will be heavier and will make the car drive like an ass.

[@auteurfiddler8706]

Agreed. Dual pot masters is the only way to go. But, I think you can safely assume the worst tires of today will grip better than the best tires of 1952. I got some used radial trailer tires to put on my 52 Chrysler and the tire guy had to admit it wouldn't be worse than the tube type bias 84 series tires it came with. (I used 1970's tubeless wheels.)

[@alexlandsberger1423]

I agree it's just the challenge of getting the right master. A 70 cuda has a different master than a duster even though they're basically the same size and weight

[@Horrible_Deplorable]

@@auteurfiddler8706 good point about the tires of nowadays

[@stevetaylor9265]

I have had to many of these close calls when I was 16-18 years old. All of them were my fault, I had a warning every time.

[@krazi77]

I've already done the stop with no brakes exercise. I was having brake problems with my wife's Durango many years ago. thought I could do the rear drums myself in my driveway. got the drums off and realized I had a bigger problem than what I could handle. I called my dad and he said bring it over and we'll see what we can do. put the drums back on and the wheels back on and went to drive it over there. brake pedal went to the floor and took it's time coming back up. so I put it in low and headed over there. dad said, "what would you have done if you had to stop in a hurry?" told him, "grab reverse and goose the throttle a little and pray." I wasn't going much faster than 10 to 15 mph, and I made it safely. thank you for making this video, I hope others can learn from it like I did.

[@stephenboitoult8774]

Hi from unusually sunny England. Been watching your channel for over a year now and am constantly amazed by what you lucky guys are allowed to get away with as regards car modding. The rules here are so much stricter (but still better than the rest of Europe) But back to brakes! I've been on the spanners for over 50 years and have now retired from commercial mechanics, but not from modifying cars. I kinda specialize in restomods and, though I don't go crazy with horsepower, I do like to up the ante a bit, so my current daily is a 78 Triumph Dolomite Sprint, a small-ish 4 door sedan of about 2400lb kerb weight with a 2.0litre 16v SOHC engine with a rated output of 127bhp. Not too shabby to start with (the standard car does 0-60 in 8.5 secs) Mine now has a GM 2.2 16v ecotec producing 147 bhp along with a 4 speed overdriven autobox and a 3.45 rear end. Plus a bit more as here i'm legally allowed to ditch the factory catalyic converter which the donor car originally carried (the Triumph is too old to need one here) It's quick enough to upset a lot of more modern machinery, basically cos it's seriously smaller and lighter. And with the EFi, high gearing, tailored for highway cruising, overdrive and light weight, it will show me 45mpg (British gallon, 25% bigger than a US one, not everything in 'Murca is bigger!) at a constant 80mph. Which is a boon in the UK which is currently enduring fuel prices of (if I did my sums right) $10.33 per US gallon for 99 octane E5! But the Sprint has a built in brake weakness, the original Dolomite Sprint is developed from and carries the exact same brakes as the Triumph Toledo of 1970 which was fine on the Toledo which had only 1300cc's and 64bhp on tap. As you correctly said, power doesn't affect brakes, EXCEPT that a lot more power allows you to go a whole lot faster. All these cars came from the factory with an 8" solid front rotor only 12mm thick with a twin 48mm piston caliper and the factory, cash strapped as always, didn't think to improve the brakes despite a nearly 100% increase in power. Not that they had much room under the stock 13" rims. But the problem isn't efficiency anyway, the standard brakes will stop a Sprint without serious drama from 100mph - once! Maybe twice! The problem is FADE and the cure is NOT to fit massive rotors with giant 4 pot calipers, it's simply to fit a slightly larger (8.5") VENTED rotor, along with a slighty larger 54mm single piston caliper. Which i've done. My car has all new hard lines, braided hoses racing brake fluid and i've converted to a (same bore) dual circuit master cylinder. But the rear drums are original size and cylinder bore, no need at all for rear discs. And it works absolutely fine. better than fine really, the brakes have gone from mediocre to awesome, but not overkill! And finally inspire confidence in the user to exploit the power available!

[@sijonda]

It's a great example of how to avoid people not paying attention on the road. Even today on my motorcycle I was coming around a long curve and an suv liked up to the curve on the outside at a stop sign, I could just tell they didn't see me and sure enough they started to go then hit the brakes and "she" was staring right at me surprised. I've avoided a lot of accidents paying attention by expecting everyone to not see me and it's a mix of nothing happening because they saw I was there the whole time, to the situation like I explained about today, to other people completely being oblivious to my existence and I have to take action to avoid hitting them. One thing I've noticed is I never got my horn, I maneuver to avoid the collision and keep going.

[@joe-hp4nk]

Our friend with the 1300HP lost his braking because he was riding the brakes and they heated up causing brake fade. It had nothing to do with the size of the brakes.

[@MrTheHillfolk]

It has everything to do with the size of his brain and whether it's smooth or not.

[@optimusprimer4392]

That brake fluid must have been just boiling

[@toddrolland106]

Bigger discs, slotted and/or drilled, may have made them not fade for a little longer.

[@toddrolland106]

@@optimusprimer4392 The surface of the pads literally melts, liquid/gas against metal doesn't provide a lot of friction

[@Yophillips3272]

@@toddrolland106 That's what I was thinking. Also brake fluid with a higher boiling point. 🤔

[@M_Phipps0520]

I once ruptured a brake line on a 1970 olds cutlass auto and drove 30 miles home with no brakes with no real issues. Just took my time and allowed plenty of time and room to stop or slow down!

[@DoktorJeep]

I had a Fiero with manual that lost it's back disc brakes and it was a mid-engine car. The transmission became the brakes for the rear.

[@alitheretrokid]

same here, luckily I was driving a stick and could use a whole lot of engine braking

[@scotcoon1186]

I went farther after blowing out a caliper on a 96 Cummins auto. Pulling a gooseneck. Amazingly still had enough fluid to hold it when I got back to the yard.

[@kirstenspencer3630]

Really good insights on the Krash", note: Not having seen the motor / brake vaccum booster my guess is the vaccum booster was plugged into the intake manifold OF A SUPERCHAGED MOTOR. No vaccum present to provide boost. General motors made diesel motors in the early 1980s so no manifold vaccum. GM installed a small external vaccum pump driven by a belt. Would work on a supercharged car to provide vacuum boost to Disk brakes. Drums do not require boosters as they are " self energizing" via primary and secondary shoes. A normally asperated motor under full throttle has no vaccum so if a booster is pumped it will purge the boost vaccum and loss of " breaking " vaccum assist. Thanks Uncle Tony, you give wisdom to to the many....

[@chrisneilson7221]

There used to be a thing called an emergency brake which morphed into the parking brake, which is now seldom used especially in an emergency.

[@Thirdgen83]

It was always a Parking Brake. Early automatic transmissions didn't have "Park", and of course manual transmissions don't. The Parking Brake can of course be used in an emergency situation.

[@mostlypeacefulmisterputin]

Yea and there was once a time when nearly 80% of drivers knew how to drive a manual transmission, and it was even a separate category at most “drivers training” schools…..have you seen the “requirements” to get a drivers license (which is a privilege NOT a right)today? Contrast that, with the ridiculous hoops and infringements you “must” complete in order to receive a government approved “permission slip”, to exercise your INALIENABLE constitutionally enshrined 2nd amendment RIGHT; and now you have the issue everyone should be in the streets, irate about!!! It’s a terminal and national case of apathy, resulting in concern over the wrong (and basically irrelevant) non-issues, misplaced trust, misdirected anger and energy,, and really a misplaced ability of most people to actually think in this country!!!

[@mostlypeacefulmisterputin]

@@Thirdgen83 It was a “Parking Brake” because up until about 50-ish years ago, most cars were a manual… (actually the proper term is) STANDARD transmission Even if there was an optional Automatic, the charge for that option was way too high to justify, for most people who had more ability to do things that weren’t “the easiest way” than they had money, and as we should all know, there is no “PARK” gear on a STANDARD transmission!

[@mostlypeacefulmisterputin]

@@Thirdgen83 And I wouldn’t actually advise using the “Parking Brake” in an emergency…..especially if the car has any years on it, and you have never even touched the pedal/lever before. If it functions at all, it’s likely to just lock your wheels up, which can send an already sketchy situation completely sideways, very quickly!

[@Thirdgen83]

@@mostlypeacefulmisterputin Not if you actually know how to use it. On more than one occasion I've driven a car several miles after the master cylinder failed, using the parking brake to stop.

[@peterkovacs8654]

Getting beyond the “oh shit” moment quickly and making the necessary adjustments to stop the car is key. What ifs are crucial. Practice the what if scenario, a lot. And paying attention to what your car is doing at all times is important. Your safety and everyone else’s depends on it. Familiarity breeds contempt.

[@c103110a]

Always remember to turn off the key if things go to shit (throttle sticking, etc.).

[@arc00ta]

Unfortunately, most people have shit for brains and never consider what to do when this moment comes at all.

[@Dakiraun]

This is SUCH a good safety/awareness lesson for people. With every vehicle I've had, I always make a habit of taking it to some quiet road or parking lot and trying to get it to stop from common in-town speeds without the main brakes - just like Tony says, it's good to get to know how it feels and behaves in that situation. Every car is a little different too in that regard. And this applies to everyday vehicle use too - not just track stuff.

[@raywagner8016]

Your brake comments are incredibly valid Uncle Tony. Any braking system can fail due to misuse. I've upgraded brakes using factory components but have yet to buy aftermarket brakes for anything.

[@ericjswindle]

I think having a properly functioning parking brake is essential. I’ve seen too many guys build nice cars and not install a parking brake, primarily when they use an automatic trans.

[@optimusprimer4392]

I've only seen problems with manuals not having parking brakes

[@volvo09]

@@optimusprimer4392 that's usually with parking. When driving a manual is far better. But it all depends upon the driver and the car. I've had complete brake failure and was very happy to have a manual (and a parking brake). I would have hit the car in front of me without good engine braking and a working parking brake.

[@piedpiper1172]

@@optimusprimer4392…is it possible to have a manual without a parking brake? Admittedly, I’ve never owned an automatic, and I do alway park my car in gear (R if facing downhill, 1st if facing uphill) to prevent rolling, but I’d never ever walk off without the parking brake engaged and the car in gear.

[@squishycakes9087]

Not to take anything away from you, but this is one of the reasons you are so successful on KZbin. To have to explain these physics to the "new" car guy now days is mind blowing to me. I'm a kid of the 70's and this was pretty much common knowledge to even the most passive car guy back in the day. Hats off to ya Tony. Keep educating the new guys.. and gals, nobody else seem to be doing much about it.

[@ShakeYourFist]

Cool to see that you are addressing a very important topic. Let me add my two Pfennig. 1. The two guys in the video were ignorant idiots who had no idea what they were doing and ignored signs that put them in a bad situation. 2. From my experience, they not only glazed the brakes, but as you noticed in the original video, (if it had disks), boiled the fluid. 3. I am the guy in the shop that is responsible for working on all of the US cars. Imagine that. Lots of red Mustangs come in the shop with disk brake conversions. Two of the conversions on a 66 and 67 has no proportioning valve installed on the line for the rear drums. 4. My favourite customer car is "Wild Thing," one of the cleanest 68 Road Runners I have ever seen. She has manual drum brakes, and stops on a dime. The guys at the shop all laughed at the brakes. I told them that the brakes were designed to stop the car at the end of the 1/4 mile, not for Le Mans. The point is that the brakes need to be designed for the purpose and the way the car is used. 5. I would like to hear your take on silicone (DOT6) fluid. I look forward to the rest of this topic, it is great to go fast, but also to be able to stop, especially in an emergency. One last thing is about shifting into reverse on an automatic as an emergency solution, you might want to clarify at what speed one can do this safely. That reverse sprag is not all that robust.

[@1notgilty]

The two words that I most hate to see in car sales ads are: "INVESTMENT QUALITY". Everything changes when owning classic cars becomes part of people's investment portfolios. I prefer to go to car shows and cruise nights and be around people who love their cars and know a lot about them, rather than where people consider their cars as bragging rights and extensions of their bank accounts. It's a whole different scene and vibe.

[@MrTheHillfolk]

I'm here to have fun. And if having fun costs thousands of dollars,so be it. I'm building a Smyth Ute conversion from a VW Jetta ,and I know I've got 5 figures in it (10k) And that's "cheap fun $ these days compared to a musclecar. And I know I won't get my money back. Well, actually these Ute conversions do bring a good buck and you can get your investment back, but I've gone full show car so that's not gonna happen.

[@joshuagriego1562]

The time my M/C failed in a 68 C10 at 45, I pulled the cable brake, shifted the power glide into first, and ran the tires against a curb. It was enough to save the day, but I got pretty pedantic about my brakes after that.

[@natec4359]

I learned while building my mud truck. It's a Nissan hardbody with IH 304 that has Scout axles. Made the Scout master cylinder work with it and put in individual check valves per line. Didn't realize that the front lines on a hardbody didn't have the volume to push the front calipers. There's definitely a bunch of science that people need to go through to switch to "bigger" brakes.

[@Anthony-qj7qe]

Yep that Mercury crash was a perfect teaching tool of..... what not to do. The sticking throttle was bad enough but That guy knew his brakes we're subpar and still drove it anyway. SMH

[@IronChief]

I agree 100%. The fact the video was posted on KZbin is the last nail in the coffin if he ends up in court.

[@Horrible_Deplorable]

They were subpar for driving around in traffic with a stuck throttle while riding them.

[@c103110a]

The driver of the Mercury did teach me one thing: Wear your shoulder straps. I have 5 point harnesses and had only been wearing the lap belts. This weekend, I went to a car show and buckled the shoulder harness for the first time. It was cumbersome, but I'll continue to buckle it. 1967 Nova.

[@Horrible_Deplorable]

You might end up thanking yourself one day

[@piedpiper1172]

The shoulder straps are very solidly in the “have it and not need it” camp.

[@Hemingray1893]

The first day I got it, I had to drive my Chevy Caprice home without brakes because one of the rusted lines had blown. The biggest problem I encountered wasn’t the lack of brakes, it was the amount of people that thought I was letting them in because I was keeping so much space in front of me!

[@kramnull8962]

That's the pisser. Even when you are allowing distance, here come 3 cars merging in front. The last of the 3 is saying "oh I see you got 3" to spare"... Here you are unknown to him with a brake pedal that looks like a 5 year olds front toof wiggling.....

[@fuffoon]

I had that experience also.

[@ivanpejovic382]

Thanks man! Once I had brakes on my car very hot going downhill and I was barely able to stop when needed. I pressed that pedal hard! Learned a lesson, I downshift and let the motor do the braking whenever possible, keeping the brakes cool for when they are really needed.

[@SweatyFatGuy]

I learned about overpowered brakes in a light car with low traction with my first car. My 1967 Cougar has four piston power discs up front. I lived on a gravel road and had to drive at least 3 miles to get to pavement. Most of where I went was on gravel for the first 3 years of 'legal' driving. What happens when you push the pedal with kick ass brakes, 225 wide tires, in a light car on a gravel road? They lock up almost immediately. I nosed into a few ditches in my time driving that car. Dry pavement braking was like bumping into a rubber wall or something. The 72 GTO had single piston discs, it was heavier than the Cougar, and I still drove on gravel most of the time. My GTOs stop quite good to be honest, and they don't want to lock up on gravel. Much easier to drive the GTOs. Then I have my 10th Anniversary Trans Am, they had every option you could get in 1979 as standard, for the most part. That included WS6 which was heavier spring rates, different sway bars and bushings, and four wheel disc brakes. That car is damn near 4000lbs and I drove it with 255s all around. The wheels are crazy heavy too, put some steel wheels on and I picked up nearly a full second in the quarter mile. 14.7 to 14.0 with a wheel change. However, that car made me overly confident, because it handled predictably, it would go around corners VERY well even with 70 series tires, and the brakes on even wet pavement were all about stopping RIGHT FREAKIN NOW. Dry pavement was eyeball plucking if you really stomped the whoa pedal. Tons of fun for an 18 year old. Pontiac did their homework with the WS6 package. No 67-81 Camaro could come close to that TA going around corners, stopping, top speed handling, etc. The Camaros all floated above 110, the faster that TA went the more stable and deliberate it felt. I really need to get that thing up here and make it a driver again, it hasn't moved from the spot its in since 1988. It was the only car I had with working AC from the first car in 1982, until I bought an F150 with functioning AC in 2002.

[@Kingcadillac816]

Can't quit picturing smokey and bandit 180 by locking up the brakes that 180 was 90% braking

[@auteurfiddler8706]

I don't understand. Was it the extra total weight, the extra unsprung weight ,or the extra rotational inertia of the steel wheels that made your car faster? Or , are you saying the steel wheels were lighter than the cast aluminum? That would be a first. I've only see that (steel wheel weighs less that aluminum wheels) on wheels smaller than, say, 14x6.

[@ryandavis930]

Mike Tyson's philosophy 101 Learned that lesson when I was 16 with an 89 S10 iron duke with cheap pads...

[@replica4132]

Good video, I followed that logic when I got my IROC, everyone kept telling me to put a huge brake kit on the car when the parking brake didn't work. Instead of that, I tracked down a factory rebuild kit and fixed up the original brakes, stops like a champ :)

[@fastinradfordable]

I see ALL time ppl literally want to RE-ENGINEER Thier car. Rather than maintain it. WTF is up with that. Too many eat capitalist bullshit only. Me: a persons value should not include wealth. It should measure your value as a person: TO a 3rd world country.

[@williamstamper442]

Solution to frequent brake failure... Drive a manual transmission vehicle! My ole rusty 1991 chev k1500 work truck lost the brakes on a pinhole in the rear line about midship. It was about 1130pm and had to go to work next day. Up at 430am, drive one hour, be on time for a 6am start. I planned it out in my head, knowing traffic was light and most was expressway driving. From previous experience I knew I had 3 solid hits on the brakes till they were gone. I paced the lights on Telegraph rd, made the ramp onto i-94, zero hits to the brakes so far. Using that worn out old 5 speed with the super long truck shifter I controlled my speed and engine braking the whole trip. Made it to the Saline plant with plenty time to spare. Used one brake hit to enter the lot. Second hit to park properly. After my shift I replaced the line in the lot and went home like nothing happened! Even had one hit left on the brakes that morning.

[@MegaDrewsdad]

The absolute best video about brakes... I know so many that add disc and are like thats the only way to go....i totally agree and thanks for saying it...my third build and left drums on rear...major horse power increase and your aweaome ....brakes still work...no accel when hitting brakes. They still work....thank you!! The best videos ever ...watch every day!! And your videos are always applicable for all makes for the most part!! Awesome!!

[@JB-ro3sz]

I lost brakes on two different occasions in two different vehicles and lost steering on a different occasion but by the grace of God, I didn't crash in any of them. I did learn a lot and it changed my deriving habits quite a bit. I keep my distance from cars in front of me, I check my brakes as soon as I lift off the throttle to slow down to make sure there is something there and I am very attuned to the vehicle I am driving so I can possibly feel or detect a problem before it becomes a life or death issue, after all, I am responsible for the safety of my vehicle and the danger it poses to those around me. and a driver should know the capabilities and limits of the vehicle they are operating if they plan on playing around with it,

[@Horrible_Deplorable]

I lost brakes on 2 occasions in the same vehicle and lost steering in another. Didn't crash, Thank God. Either way, It can be a funny feeling when your butthole puckers up like that.

[@zanewakeup]

I saw the driver pumping the brakes, so yea, I remember doing this on my ford f100, it was worn seals in the master cylinder, but a stuck throttle you have to kill the ignition, and roll it into the ditch😧

[@Robert-yc9ql]

0:35 Agreed. Drivers ed was mandatory for graduation at my high school. This topic was covered before we even got on the road. Thank you for this.

[@livewire2759]

Driver's Ed has become a joke. My oldest son took it a while back, they didn't teach him anything but traffic laws. 100% of the course, the tests, and even the actual in-car instructions and tests were all about traffic laws, nothing whatsoever about how to actually operate the vehicle or what to do in emergencies. Luckily, I spent a whole summer before hand teaching him how to drive, not just how operate a vehicle, but how to DRIVE. I told him the most valuable lesson he could learn from that Driver's Ed course is that the vast majority of people driving don't know what the hell they're doing, so you MUST drive defensively 'cause you never know when someone else is going to have a problem that they can't handle.

[@CamaroAmx]

@@livewire2759 all we got taught was traffic laws, watched a few videos, not to drink and drive and we never left the classroom and it was stuff in a textbook. You almost couldn’t fail that class if you tried. And most of us already had our license by the time we took the class.

[@auteurfiddler8706]

At one point, the driving instructor in my public school drivers training class turned off the ignition while the car was on a steep downgrade after saying "this is an advanced technique." My classmate was behind the wheel. He fancied himself a future Air Force Reserve fighter pilot. He had to muscle the steering without power steering and muscle the brakes with no vacuum assist because the engine was off. He brought it to a safe stop. Much to his delight. Car was a 73 Malibu or something similar. I'm still jealous the teacher he didn't think enough of my progress to do the same torture test with me. In fact, he nearly failed me. He passed me only after consulting my father and getting him to promise to give me lots of road time to build up confidence. Now, of course, there is nothing like this offered to most kids at their school. You can go to private driving schools, but that is too expensive for may families. Your only choice is your fretful parents, which , in many cases, never build up your confidence in anything.

[@CamaroAmx]

@@auteurfiddler8706 my friend went to a private driving school. He passed with flying colors. He wrecked his truck within the first 2 miles of driving it by himself (took a tight turn at way to high of a speed and went sideways through an oak fence).

[@auteurfiddler8706]

@@CamaroAmx Mr AMX, 1. what year is your AMX? 2. How much road time did your friend get? Driving too fast is almost unheard of in kids. City kids at least. My problem was probably driving too slow. Kids do that. But get more normal speeds as they gain confidence in where the edges are, especially in a bigger car. Also, the somewhat unspoken rules about merging, and how to turn left at an intersection after the light has stopped on coming traffic and before it turns totally red as if there were an imaginary left turn arrow. Also, what to so if you miss an exit , or turn the wrong way on a one way street.

[@Broken_Yugo]

Very common problem in rusty Michigan cars, usually one of the lines feeding the rear brakes blows out. Step 1 is to stand on the pedal and see what happens, that's the point of dual circuit brakes. Though this can be exciting on the highway in a modern car with cross split brakes. I once popped a rusty line when a semi cut me off, I probably had to scrub 20mph off in a few seconds. I kept it in the lane and slowed down in time but it was scary how much the car wanted to rotate around the remaining front brake. Someone not as on the ball might have gotten the car sideways, I prefer the front/rear split.

[@lasskinn474]

Power does affect max velocity, which affects brake design by manufacturers quite a lot.

[@WhiteTrashMotorsports]

Gearing, aero and rolling resistance dictates max velocity power just affects how quick it get there. My take on it

[@2lotusman851]

@@WhiteTrashMotorsports Mostly power and aero, (Coefficient of Drag, and frontal area). Assuming that the engine is working in an efficient part of its RPM band. If the car has good suspension, a powerful engine, and sticky tires to get around corners,( and the potential to pull more Gs in braking), it can hold a higher average speed around a given track, which means it needs bigger brakes that can shed more heat.

[@Horrible_Deplorable]

To an extent. You can have as much power as you want, if it's a bus then it's only gonna go so fast. No matter how much power you put down. Being able to keep the car planted at high speeds is more important.

[@gods_soldier971]

Neutral to reverse and repeat. That is new to me, I'm the furtherest from a mechanic, good to know. Thank you!

[@user-ut4vw6qp3o]

HEY TONY, any seasoned guy who has been around cars of old has had a brake failure sometime in their life. I have owned 50 cars over the years of all different brands. I have lost brakes a few times but with different failure modes. 1) aged single master cylinder (20 yrs old) 2) upstate NY rust due to salt filled roads rotting out the brake lines which under pressure blew out 3) Booster failure on a 91 Cougar where at 55 mph I touched the peddle and the booster sucked my peddle to the floor on a busy road and scared me to death. That being said, those experiences taught me to always make sure the EMERGENCY brake is functional. For instance ... in the 80's I owned a 1964 Galaxie, Big block, 4 speed, single bowl MC. On the way to work it failed. I used, as you mentioned, down shifting to slow down then the emergency brake to stop. I made it to work and then later home being careful and driving like an old lady. Then I had a 71 Duster with a 318 ... in the driveway I pressed the peddle and a line blew out due to rusty lines. But the scariest was the opposite issue. instead of no brakes I had too much. I was driving at 55 mph, going across a bridge, during rush hour, I touched the brakes in my 91 cougar and the peddle was sucked to the floor by a failed booster system which virtually brought me to a stop! Overall, being seasoned, I was able to control the car in each situation. So ... Your suggestion for practicing a brake failure is valid and could save a life in a catastrophic brake failure. Thanks. PS - those guys were idiots ... just pull over the moment something seems not right. Also, ripping hard on a busy street is a recipe for a crash.

[@boilerroomed3682]

The anti-lock system in my '90s Lincoln Towncar saved me from rear ending a semi once. It's worth every penny for just that one panic stop, 60 to 0 in two or three heartbeats....

[@buggs9950]

If you swerved around the semi whilst using full braking then yeah ABS helped you. In a straight line ABS invariably increases stopping distance.

[@cameronpierce5188]

@@buggs9950 abs decreases stopping distance vs fully locked up but if you can threshold brake then you can outperform abs

[@boilerroomed3682]

@@buggs9950 No chance for that. It was a blind ass highway exit I'd used hundreds of times before and I was going too hot, it was all stacked up....

[@roberthunholz2931]

I grew up in Minnesota and in the winter time you have learn how to drive on ice and stopping is a real problem. I learned that by putting the transmission in reverse it stopped the car faster and more effectively than ABS brakes

[@77superjet68]

And when you do use the parking brake keep the button pushed in or the lever on the left pulled so you can apply and release the parking brake and make it work for you.

[@eric5250]

I recently acquired an 83 mustang that was parked in 1996 and the first thing I replaced was the brake hoses. Having had a brake failure happen when I was 14 while moving a big Toranado for alternate parking. It has become one of the most important thing to me since that incident. Luckily no one was at the intersection.

[@NBSV1]

There’s nothing quite like that feeling when you hit the brakes and there’s nothing there. Doesn’t seem to matter how fast you’re going, it’s just that immediate sense of out of control danger. I see so many people in traffic and can only think they’re driving like they’ve never had brakes fail before.

[@jayvalentin018]

You need to demonstrate that Neutral reverse. I’d love to see that. Great video. Learned something new. Also if you could make a video on all the factors to consider when upgrading your brakes that’d help alot of people too

[@5sapaches25]

Something in the car don’t need any unnecessary changes. Good tips on Brakes system 101, thanks.👍👍👍👍

[@adamturner8634]

I'm helping a friend rebuild his 72 f250 and I'm trying to convince him to just rebuild the stock breaks and just leave it alone they've functioned just fine for almost 50 years they'll continue to work fine for another 50 years

[@mattgeiger2627]

I know someone whos brakes failed over an freeway overpass (downhill) approaching an interaction in a big ol chrysler c body. They swerved into a parking lot and went over a 4 foot pole and bent the unibody. The brake hoses failed. I Learned its much more important to stop then its to go. Its literilly my highest focus on my classics and balanced wheel weight. Then engine oil control. Those are the two things i would consider most important (other then safety) for builing a performance classic driver. Great info thanks utg.

[@lgude]

The first automatic our family had was a 53 Sea-island green Ford and dad told me that the new Fordamatc could be shifted into reverse at slow speed unlike the automatics from other brands. I just never questioned it so even though I got really good at downshifting (manuals too) in snow to avoid rear ending the car in front of me because I never was game to try putting it into reverse to finish stopping. I understand that putting in Park isn’t going to help. I have used what Americans call The Emergency Brake to finish, so I learned something new today.

[@IronArmPanda]

My 98 ram 1500 had a blow out on the rear wheel cylinders, if not for the mass amount of fluid flung on the rims I might not have noticed. The proportioning valve did it's job and kept fluid in the front lines and probably saved me a lot of headache as the parking/e brake was lost long ago. Live in the salt belt so it's always a good idea to keep checks on your lines and fluid level.

[@CoopersRepair]

I used to have a 1986 f150 and the rear brake line was rotted off (behind the gas tank like every f150) and i drove it for 4 years with pretty well no brakes and never had an issue because i drove like i had no brakes. However that experience has helped me many times since when i get in something without brakes or have a loss of brakes while driving.

[@widewinger1454]

Had the rear brake hard line fail in our Mountaineer, went to take a left at a stop light & SLAM to the floor the peddle went, made it around the corned parked it in a USPS center & had a look at all the brake fluid all over the rear end. Even had to drive it home on the highway, just had to double pump to build up pressure on the remaining fronts. Hung that hard line above the door from the garage to our home....conditions could have been different & things could have ended in bad shape. Had a piece of hard line in the garage, bent it up added new fittings to each end, had that line replaced in 4 hours & drove the Mountaineer to work the following day like a BOSS.

[@bustergonad69]

i couldn't agree more with the unforeseen knock on effects of upgrades to braking. Did it to a charger for track work and saw oil surge, diving left and right , bent radius rods and trail braking through corners

[@slickline4576]

While running a SS/DA CLASS NOVA at an NHRA track members of the team decided that loosening the brake adjusters would lower rolling resistance I found out the hard way at over 100 mph at the lights. Yes my A hole puckered. No one was hurt nothing was bent....Thank God

[@pete540Z]

Good stuff Tony. My guess for the 2nd video is you are going to say that old brake fluid with a low boiling point caused the system to fail after having to constantly hold back the engine that wouldn't return to idle. I've had that happen on a road course, because the fluid was not totally fresh and the road course and New Hampshire International Speedway had a lot of elevation changes. Many DIYers put off brake bleeding/flushing because it's a pain. I just use the gravity method, while I'm working on other parts of the car.

[@DerrangedGadgeteer]

My first car was a 100,000+ mile 35-year-old Dodge Dart. I had a master cylinder failure on the highway, and it went as well as you could ever wish. (No accident) A brake failure at speed changes the way you drive forever.

[@XLesky]

I'll admit I was starting to watch less UTG lately, but this probably the best video you've done. Where I live in Australia, brakes are taken seriously enough that annually we have them inspected and then tested with an accelerometer to ensure they generate enough stopping force. If you modify a vehicle like the Mercury Comet that started this conversation, you need to get a mechanical engineer to sign off on the changes and they also test the brakes on a sliding plate brake dyno with all four wheels braking and then also test with different lines deactivated to make sure it has safety margin in case of a brake line failure

[@Thirdgen83]

Yep, and you get your vaccines and wear your face diapers or else get arrested and sent to a concentration camp. Nothing to brag about.

[@camaroguy2919]

Tony you are right. I'm doing a rear disc brake conversion on my 91 camaro I have a rear brake kit . but I still have to change the front master cylinder and the proportioning valve to make it right.These things matter...

[@Carstuff111]

I had the throttle stick in my 2003 Pontiac Grand Prix because a friend and I forgot to put the cable back into the stock location after doing a tune up. Most people would have freaked out about that. I simply shut the key off and popped the transmission into neutral. Came to a stop and fixed the issue. I plan for brake issues as well because I have known some people with sketch vehicles......

[@ripvanrevs]

My brother put a "bare foot" on the gas pedal of his first car (70s). A couple times it got stuck. I learned before I even started driving to just turn the key off if the engine was out of control.

[@ios6605]

Thanks uncle Tony ❗️❗️❗️ I’m glad you commented on this I was hoping you would, my first thought 💭 was throw it into neutral and then kill the ignition

[@damienmikkelsen6056]

I’ve been hearing that from my pops since I was a kid. Love your videos Uncle Tony!!!!

[@alantuttle492]

Things like making Shure the backing plates don't have grooves worn in them or rearcking the shoes on drum brakes can make a huge difference.

[@Horrible_Deplorable]

Rearcking? Did you mean cracking?

[@808ecobeast7]

Yup I remember my 66 Chevelle at the end of the 1/4 mile had 2 good pumps of the brakes before massive fade ... good times!!! 4 wheel drum brakes ... gotta love em!!!

[@mostlypeacefulmisterputin]

I feel like I have to address a couple of things that are being completely overlooked and/or misunderstood. Not just on brakes in general, but even your past situation with your lightened Challenger, and the braking issues you experienced due to “loss of weight in the rear of the car” First, what’s almost universally misunderstood by the general public, and doesn’t seem to have been considered here, is that it’s not the weight of your car, that is responsible for your wheels remaining “planted” to the pavement” (not entirely) The primary function of the shocks/struts of a vehicle, are not (contrary to popular belief) to keep the vehicle from having “too much bounce”…it is to keep your wheels “planted to the pavement” not just when braking, but also while going down the road and through corners. Dead/discharged shocks/struts, are also a huge cause of vehicles “hydroplaning” on wet roads. This is why you start to see a “chopping” wear pattern almost universally across the tread width of a tire, and around the entire diameter of a tire, when you have a bad/dead shock or strut. Obviously I cannot make a diagnosis or determination as to what your specific circumstances were suspension wise, but hearing you tell the story and just jump straight to the weight reduction being the cause of your braking problem, and never even mentioning the shocks….well gives me pause. Also, as someone who has almost 3 decades in not only the service side of the automotive industry, but also working in the engineering departments, validating service procedures (that were initially written by designers/engineers) and having to mark them up and rewrite them on a daily basis, performing labor time studies, working in the warranty departments, and also the tech assistance centers for GM, Ford, and Chrysler (up until the merger with Fiat….I also have a great story of accidentally meeting Sergio Marchionne one day when he happened to be at our building, and I had snuck out for a cigarette, only to find him outside having snuck away from the meeting he was there for, to smoke a cigar)…you’re giving the engineers, designers, team leads, federal regulators, and NHTSA WAAAAYYY TOO MUCH CREDIT AND TRUST! And I should probably leave it at that.

[@Horrible_Deplorable]

Makes sense that the weight reduction is what caused the problem. The shocks were tuned to a vehicle that weighed considerably more then. That would make them behave differently after weight reduction, no? Besides, I think it would be tied more into the spring rate than the shocks. The fact you mentioned nothing about spring rate gives me pause.

[@sethallison5682]

Better/wider tires could help too, if you’re consistently locking them up. I’m not talking about anything ridiculous but just “better” Many muscle cars, especially likely on muscle cars back when Tony was a kid like in the story, had thin tires mounted on 14 inch wheels.

[@mostlypeacefulmisterputin]

@@Horrible_Deplorable Because the function of springs/torsion bars is to set ride height…pause all you want, but you don’t understand the basic fundamentals of the function of suspension components. Feel free to provide some actual research or a shock/strut manufacturer who has released information to prove that I’m wrong…just because you don’t want to believe something, and protest against it…doesn’t make it any more of a debatable topic. 👉🏼 kzbin.info/www/bejne/pH2TfoiYn9eripY

[@mostlypeacefulmisterputin]

@@Horrible_Deplorable As far as the weight that the shocks were “tuned” to, again you’re just assuming that the shocks were brand new and in perfect working order….however (and here’s that pesky life experience talking again) I’m willing to bet that if he was cutting the car up to shave weight off of it, it was probably already showing some significant wear and tear on the suspension as well as the rest of the car! This is why I initially said “obviously I cannot make a determination as to the condition and specific circumstances of your suspension”

[@mostlypeacefulmisterputin]

@@sethallison5682 A wider tread pattern is typically better on most vehicles, however if the shocks/struts are dead, or has 1 that is semi-charged and 1 that is completely dead, it could also create a pull, in the direction of the stronger shock, which is going to maintain the most contact between the tread and the road

[@nickbonvino]

Knowledge is king, and Tony has a lot of it!! Great video!!

[@brkooduh66]

in 1993 when i first bought my 1966 Barracuda, single master cylinder. i was going 65+mph, traffic abruptly stopped. i had a second to stop. I slammed on the breaks and at that moment a wheel cylinder popped & blew out all my fluid, brake-foot went to the floor. Immediately downshifted to 1st and pulled the E-break, and steered to the shoulder with relative control of the vehicle. I continued my 100mi drive like described in this video. The next day did the proper changes to the car to use a 1967 dual mastercylinder. It's been that way since (still have the car, never been wrecked)

[@chrishorst6993]

With modern brakes it is easy to have to much brakes on lighter cars. I totally agree with Uncle Tony all all he said

[@mikebrunello243]

Tony I love the 225 👕 shirt

[@brandonthompson8413]

I am no means a mechanic. I enjoy watching good mechanics on youtube to see what i can learn. That's why i love your channel. i feel like im always learning something beneficial. Thanks for making awesome stuff.

[@craig8187]

Blindfolded you should know how to kill ignition (without engaging steering lock if fitted!), you should know (practice it) where every main control is. When it is ingrained to memory and an emergency happens you can react properly.

[@CAROLDDISCOVER-FINDER2525]

I am so glad you're covering the brake aspects of the car and such detail. Now over a decade later I walk with only a little bit trouble. Sometimes my over 6 ft body has to be pulled up out of the chair or out of the bed. That's just a little bit problem. If I get down there look underneath the car then I have my little boy hold me up at least setting up right or sometime completely too my feet. I don't have the ability in my lower back to do those things. By the way little boy is over 250 lb and well over 6 ft. They grow quickly. Anyway it wasn't brake failure she just blew up behind me on a ramp doing excess of 60 miles an hour and smashed it back into my vehicle which was parked because of construction on the ramp and the interstate. The traffic is backed up. She wanted to say that dollar a minute penalty for being late to pick up her other child. Her baby was sitting in the back of that Mercedes. Fortunately that baby was not hurt. I'm hoping that baby who is driving age now learn better driving habits because I found out she had done this before a number of times. So they do all the surgeries physical therapy century etc I get out of that wheelchair until Walker a couple of canes a single cane and nowadays not so much it cane. I saw the whole thing happen from a rearview mirror and it looks like she went to hit the brakes and swerve but there's no place to go after she looked up and whatever had distracted her in the car. Everything else is pretty much similar to the failed brake issue that you're referring to with that mercury comet. By the way it did take about 15 years and it will never end. They tell me I'll be back in that wheelchair. I did leisurely six and a half minute mile a week before the accident. Back when I was 20 I could run a 4:15 mile! I literally ran with all Americans Olympians including Maurice Greene. So what my dad told me and everyone should take the heart is; it doesn't matter how fast you can go if you can't stop it faster! Words to live by. Hey I woke up breathing this morning that's better than some people in my circumstances. So thank you maybe on behalf of all those who've been on the receiving end of such crashes. Thanks for taking so much time to discuss brakes. After all the life one may say is their own!

[@unclemarksdiyauto]

You have great suggestions as to practicing situations. When I had my learners back in the early 1980’s, my buddy would take me to a new part of the city that was going to be developed. No houses at all, just the paved streets and bays etc. He had me practice lots where I would be going around a curve and out of no where he would grab the hand brake so the car would go into a slide. (Winter works good for this) I learned how to steer out of those situations and have never forgotten. The no brakes situations as well. I hope I still have some of these skills if a situation come up in real life.

[@paulshea2560]

Excellent video Tony ,Well explained on the misunderstood brake system. Original oem stuff is always more likely to available as well .Most Auto parts stores will have your parts in stock that day..

[@dougbillbeaver]

Those little cars with the hand brakes. It was great fun to be riding passenger and pull the brake when your buddy (the driver) least expected it.

[@Lecherous_Rex]

well said, my miata came with an aftermarket master cylinder brace to prevent firewall flex in the pedal feel. I intend to upgrade to braided lines and fancy pads. It's got no anti lock so the first real scare I clutched, and mashed the brakes simultaneously. Slid to a stop inches from a bumper, stopped quick but that experience woke my ass up on my morning commute for sure

[@308dad8]

Hopefully taught you why you need twice as much space or more as you think you need.

[@Lecherous_Rex]

@@308dad8 I was 2 car lengths from the guy in front of me doing the speed limit and someone tried to pull out from my left in front of me, by the time they were accelerating out of the turn I was coming to a stop at their bumper. People have a hard time seeing miata's, nearly got run off the road in a two lane straight section, gonna have to get some hideous paint so people can't miss me

[@308dad8]

@@Lecherous_Rex It’s good you avoided it but every time I get on a road I witness wreckless drivers tailgating (they think they’re drafting and gaining HP or fuel economy by endangering the lives of my children, my wife and me) but in reality they’re just being retarded and should lose their driving privileges. I once had to write an essay on the dangers of speeding and do you know how hard it is finding any resource that cites speed alone as a danger? Failure to maintain control? Yes everywhere online. Following too close? Again hundreds of google pages dedicated to that topic but just speeding without any other factors? Speed alone doesn’t hurt a thing. Driving too close at 15MPH puts you in extreme danger of causing a collision. Waiting until the last moment to start braking creates the extra potential to hurt the people in front of you. People have come to forget the deadly potential 1,000-8,000 pounds of moving steel getting away from you. When my brake line ruptured there was no warning sign it just happened, during a stop that I didn’t slow down and allow extra room for and I went through the light in gear and quickly remembered downshift to neutral then hand brake it.Thankfully nobody was hurt and I learned a valuable lesson, allow more than double what you think you’ll ever need. Driving on public roads anymore is anxiety inducing, LE is only concerned with speeding and DUI tips not at all concerned about people risking the lives of other motorists by tailgating or waiting until they almost hit you to begin braking.

[@davidferreira7243]

Thank you so much Uncle Tony, that was a great video. A video on how to shake down a classic car for road use after it’s been sitting for a few decades and revived, would be much appreciated. I’m trying to avoid the same situation you had with the 440.

[@Impactjunky]

Excellent advice here! After several hairy no pedal situations in my Satellite and my Trailduster I consider myself a seasoned "no brakes" expert. My two cents, its good to keep your parking brake hooked up and working properly if your car has one. My 68 Satellite has one and it can stop the car slowly in an emergency. And to add to the bit about weight transfer, I read some basic handling tips that said full on stiff suspension is usually not ideal and it is surprisingly easy to overspring a car for the level of traction/tire you have. They said with street tires a car actually needs a bit of body roll to put weight on the tire and handle right and that a stickier tire can run with a stiffer spring and less body roll.

[@BareRoseGarage]

As a kid we built a "Dune Cycle" (the 3-wheeler atv's of the 70s) and put a Yamaha 125 engine on it with a live axle, but never got around to putting brakes on it. I rode that thing for years with NO brakes (Zero-Nadda) and I'm glad I did. It taught me years before I drove a car, how to do EXACTLY what it is that you are talking about, and I never once hit anything. And I never used my feet to stop until it was almost stopped (look up Dune Cycles and you will see why, you stick your feet down to stop those back tires run you over and try to pull your legs off). I've done a lot of "will it run" things (long before You Tube & Video) and there are times that those brakes that worked when I got in, Don't Work once it gets going. Again, I've never had problems or hit anything, because I learned those lessons years ago driving something with no brakes at all. GREAT video UTG! really good video and it hits on ALL the points man!

[@donteblack7294]

That is nothing but experience talking. A lot of people my self included buy parts or what ever to go fast or just better than stock and have no clue what that change or upgrade has done to the car. Their is a whole engineering and science in these cars. It is true for every action there is a equal opposite reaction. Everybody has a plan until you get punched in the face. Great video and knowledge Uncle Tony 👍🏾👊🏽

[@stevenhobbs709]

Reminder, I am behind in my brake servicing schedule. Tony makes good points as always

[@lostwill86]

For a regular daily I 100% agree. Maybe better pads in that scenario at best

[@MaxNafeHorsemanship]

The best way to deal with ANY problem in life (not just cars) is to prevent it. Almost all problems are preventable. This is the point that most people will start to argue with me because most humans refuse to accept responsibility, but if you look back far enough, there almost always something you could have done to prevent the accident. Yes, I have experienced several brake failures over the years, but none even resulted in an accident. Being proactive has prevented a failure in may years.

[@brokenbiker09]

I like the advice I heard once. The best brake upgrade you can make is better tires, tires that suit your road conditions and offer the best grip. Better grip lets the brakes work at their best. Also, totally agree with the idea of taking the car or bike to quiet area and practicing panic stops, etc.

[@worldssickestmedia2713]

I called up a speed shop that specializes with old school hot rods and land speed cars because we had some old school drum brakes on a early 1960s period correct Model T Ford. I think the brakes were from a 59 Mercury or something like that. I don't fully remember now. But when I asked the guy working there about getting brake parts for this car his reply to me was "Son this is an old style speed shop. We don't sell any parts to slow a car down, unless you want a parachute".

[@GamePlayWithNolan]

My first car was a 1948 pontiac I bought from a man I worked for when I was 16. I was dumb as hell and took it to the hilliest part of my town specifically to test the brakes and oh no. Brakes went out. The only thing I tried was to pull the parking brake but it was not connected. I didn't shift down or anything I just kept trying to pump the brake and there is a mill at the bottom of the hill so it's just a concrete wall. I am not very religous but at around 55 mph I somehow turned that boat of a car more than 90 degrees onto a hill going up where the engine died and I turned the wheels to the curb. I will never forget that and I really should have died at 16 doing everything wrong but I somehow didn't... I really appreciate the advice and I think you're gonna save a life

[@hairylarry6167]

Ya know what has always puzzled me Tony? We had a 65 Dart GT and that car had drum brakes on all four wheels. Yeah the fronts and rears. The problem we experienced with this was the front brakes were always burning up early. The car had a 225 slant six. That engine and tranny had 250,000 plus miles on it when we got rid of it. It was a fun car to drive.

[@Horrible_Deplorable]

My take is its because drums get really hot. After a point, heat becomes the enemy of your brakes.

[@georgecurtis6463]

I went through the Audi brake issue when it happened. Car not stopping when throttle is stuck open. Was a mess for Audi. I had several customers that had Audi's and they came to me about it. I told them it was fake. I then took them out in a clear road near our shop, industrial area, and got up to at least 70, held my foot down on the accelerator and easily came to a stop. Then I drove around the block and repeated it again. Came to a complete stop in a short distance again. I did this with my other customer also. It was later found that there was nothing wrong with audi, the folks claiming this failure were lying as I knew.

[@NBSV1]

As I understood it the only problem was they had a skinny brake pedal like on a manual car. People would miss the pedal and mash the gas. Then they’d panic and just keep the gas held down thinking it was the brakes.

[@Tommy_Mac]

I learned more about driving at a 3 day open wheel driving school than I had learned in the previous 10 years of driving. Everyone thinks they know how to drive until a professional pokes holes in your skills. Very humbling. Has kept me safe in multitudes of roadway near-misses. Best basic brake improvement I know of is using higher grade DOT brake fluid and flush out the old fluid to prevent fluid "boiling".

[@buggs9950]

I worked in a garage who would only change brake fluid if it 'looked dirty' regardless of age. I no longer work there.

[@scotcoon1186]

Always Leave Yourself An Out Always be watching for an alternative path in case something happens to the viability of the path you're on

[@70Superbird]

Great video and brake lesson Uncle Tony. I hate to admit it but I'm one of those guys that "upgraded" my front brakes to Wilwood disc brakes on my 68 Charger. My thought was disc brakes are better than drums. It originally had drums at each corner. With only putting the front kit on and nothing else I quickly discovered that under hard braking, the rears lock up long before the fronts start grabbing. It took the fun out of driving that Charger. I still need to correct the issue but not sure exactly what to do. I've heard lots of suggestions, but not sure which is correct. Keep up the great videos and stories!

[@hotrodray6802]

Manual proportioning valve. Or Better, a combination valve like the factories use. Proportioning valves limit it MAXIMUM pressure to the rear. Combination valves retard/delay the BEGINNING of the rear brake application AND the max pressure. They also have the failure light switch in them. ALL the 70-90? front disc Ford's used them and I install them on hotrods. Sometimes both valves to balance the big/little tire. G1+2 Mustangs get late 70s Granada c-valves.

[@70Superbird]

@@hotrodray6802 Thanks for the info!

[@mikebrown4429]

Driving an 18 wheeler , empty and loaded will teach you a lot about brakes

[@codyreynolds6333]

Thats exactly what I've always done the neutral reverse I've had to slam it into reverse and light the tires to get one to stop but it did the job and my 52 merc always slid to a stop never thought of the weight

[@Richie_the_Fixer]

Slamming a moving car into reverse will often just snap the hook off the reverse band .

[@MrTheHillfolk]

@@Richie_the_Fixer Nah, we abused a 78 Impala station wagon for a whole summer of that. Get up to 45-50 and drop it in reverse and nail it. One spinning tire to stop a car was hilarious,it would take like 800 feet to start going backwards. Anyways ,we floated the valves so many times that it has such little compression you'd have to start it floored ,and it would only rev to 3500 in neutral. The standoff fog above the carb was like a foot high.

[@Richie_the_Fixer]

@@MrTheHillfolk and I've broken the reverse band in two different Ford C6s rocking my F250 To get it out out mud . (we're "rocking" with a little more than the 5-6 mph Tony spoke of)

[@garyb.4080]

This comment comes early on before you get in to the video. When I was in my 30s I was getting off an off ramp to go to work master cylinder failed, immediately hit the e brake,and turned off the key. Everything turned out fine, except for the brown spot in my pants! This was about a 15 sec ride. That guy had brakes until he didn’t. I’m guessing he had an e brake he could have used it. The main takeaway is you don’t drive cars with stuck throttles, case closed!!!!!!!

[@maxpowerta3183]

Not to belittle you, but your missing the whole point of this video which is to point out how a lack of knowledge of the operation of automobile systems can get you into big trouble. Turning off the key because your brakes failed was the last thing in the world you should do, not only do you lose all power assist but if you turn the key back too far in a panic you will lock your steering wheel as well. And in the case of those yahoos in the Mercury the ebrake might have helped assuming it was hooked up or the brakes may have been so overheated it might not have done anything. But yeah continuing to drive with a known stuck throttle was criminally stupid.

[@dogsense3773]

He had no E brake in the mercury