My brakes work just fine whenever I am driving down the road but when I am reversing down an incline, the brakes struggle to stop the car. I have to really push down on the pedal to get the car to stop! What would cause the brakes to not work in such a specific way? Has anyone else experienced this?
Brakes struggle to stop car in reversing down an incline
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Try searching the LSPV (load sensing proportioning valve).
inkpot
SILVER Star
When you are backing down a hill all your weight is on the rear axle. So the LSVP directs most of the braking action to the rear brakes, which are not nearly as good as the fronts. Fronts try to lock up since there is very little weight on them. Crappy braking in the best of opportunities when backing down hill.
ppc
M Go Blue
Also if you have rear drum brakes there will less braking capability than rear disc brakes. Rear shoes may need replacement.
maxamillion2345
Franken-80
Drums work excellent if adjusted correctly and all parts in order and they typically last far longer than a set of pads
Theres reason to want disc breaks but stopping distance or capability isn't really it
Theres reason to want disc breaks but stopping distance or capability isn't really it
lumbee1
Native American
I removed my LSPV and installed a union. The brakes work incredibly well and are always consistent. Best yet, I still have my ABS pump so panic stops are not a problem.
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MMM not been my experience. Drum brakes are adequate not excellent. Disc brakes offer better clamping force and dissipate heat far better than drum brakes. That's the name of the game: converting kinetic energy into heat. The more efficiently a braking system can dissipate that heat the better braking performance you have and disc brakes are far superior at dissipating heat than drum.
maxamillion2345
Franken-80
Makes sense in a front application. Look at the Tacoma. Rear drums. Best in class stoppping distance. Pickups the world over have drum rears. You're not driving a sports car. Drum vs disc on an 80 series is almost entirely moot in terms of stopping.
maxamillion2345
Franken-80
But really what I was getting at is that the OPs problem is not caused by having drum brakes. Its not normal, its not to be expected. Its not just how drum brakes are. Drums can and will lock up tires just as well as disc brakes.
^^^^^ I agree, until they get wet.
Drum brakes certainly have their 'place' and applications.
I'd prefer disc brakes in almost every circumstance though.
Another draw back to drum brakes is the number of springs, pins, clips, adjusters, etc...it takes hold the components in place. If you live in the 'rust belt' it probably wouldn't hurt to inspect those parts from time to time. I'll bet some of the younger folks here have never seen a drum brake set up....(unless they've been into the parking brake assembly).
We have a 59 Studebaker and a 70 GMC K2500 4x4, both with drums on all 4 corners.
Both will lock up all four at speed wet or dry. Big trucks use drums. There is a LOT of braking power in drums, but there IS more maintenance and attention required.
For the newer cars that get ignored most of their life, the discs are an improvement for those that do not take car of their vehicles. yes there are some performance gains and cooling, but we are not talking about race cars here.
No, a cruiser should not have issues when backing downhill in reverse. I too would point to the LSPV adjustment and operation.
How loaded is the vehicle during this time? Has there been a recent cargo change to induce such a problem? (Add / delete rear seats?)
Both will lock up all four at speed wet or dry. Big trucks use drums. There is a LOT of braking power in drums, but there IS more maintenance and attention required.
For the newer cars that get ignored most of their life, the discs are an improvement for those that do not take car of their vehicles. yes there are some performance gains and cooling, but we are not talking about race cars here.
No, a cruiser should not have issues when backing downhill in reverse. I too would point to the LSPV adjustment and operation.
How loaded is the vehicle during this time? Has there been a recent cargo change to induce such a problem? (Add / delete rear seats?)
There is also a possibility that there is a bolt (or more) missing in the calipers. Probably the front bolt (usually if it is a rear, the caliper locks and you cannot move forward due to binding with a wheel)
Does it pull hard one direction or the other during braking going forward?
Does it pull hard one direction or the other during braking going forward?
lumbee1
Native American
Tighten all the calipers bolts. These are the bolts that hold the caliper to the wheel hub. With heat cycling, they tend to loosen up and come out at the most inopportune times. Any time I mess with the brakes, I put a breaker bar on the caliper bolts. I don't go crazy with torque, just more than I can get with a traditional half-inch ratchet.
BTW, check out pads and make sure you're getting even wear on the material. The steel pad back should be parallel with the rotor surface and the driver's side pad thickness should be fairly close to the passenger side pad thickness.
Take this for whatever it's worth, but I think the LSPV is a piece of useless gadgetry and see no need for one. I disconnected the arm at the axle side, cut most of it off, and fixed the stub in the "all the way up" position (which equates to full rear brake power) with zip ties. After I did that, I was amazed at the improvement in braking. I had been driving around with pretty much no rear brakes before I did the mod, which caused the fronts to be overwhelemed, overheated and wear prematurely. That would also contribute to your "backing down a hill" scenario.
If you don't like the idea of disabling or removing the LSPV, start by adjusting it. I personally think an 80 is better off without it.
inkpot
SILVER Star
Why not just turn around on top of the hill?
