saxo brakes

[callaghan]

my car is lowered and my back brakes are kicking in too much. when the brakes are hit hard the back end locks and the car slides. the drivers side kicks out. how can i stop this happening?

[philandlil]

you need to adjust the variable load valve on the rear axle don't ask me where it is on a saxo but thats the only reason you would get more efficiency at the rear brakes. If it was lowered at a garage they should have adjusted it for you.

[Narolines]

Brake more gently.......

[Andy Boz]

Remove the ubiquitous baseball cap from the top of your head, and install a flat cap. In other words stop driving like a moron, and drive the car with more respect to other motorists. You have performed a modification to your suspension that by your own admission makes it dangerous, in order to look "cool". The manufacturers spend millions designing suspension that works, and then you lot come along and alter it so you get a harder ride. This in turn adds more stress to the chassis.

The response about brake bias may be true, but more than likely you have screwed up the camber angle of the wheels, and they need accurately shimming, before you become another road accident statistic, possibly in the morgue. Think about it!

[Andy Boz]

Oh andI take it you have told your insurance company? If you have an accident, they wont pay out, and you (personally) will be liable for the other party's damages.

[callaghan]

if someone asks how to fix their steering as it is not as tight as it should be would you tell them not to drive on bendy roads?! i dont go out driving like an idiot, even the best drivers will occasionally need to use the brakes hard (if not why is it part of your driving test?!) my car is lowered as it is the way i bought it. i am not a boy racer. thanks for your unhelpfull answers. cheers philandlil, atleast your answer was useful.

[Andy Boz]

OK perhaps with retrospect I was a little hasty in my answer, and I mistakenly assumed you were one of the morons of modern yoof, given that 1, you have a Saxo, and 2, it's lowered. 99% of lowered Saxo's are driven by boy racers round here, so I assumed you were too. For that I offer my apologies.

Solutions

1 Get the car set up right for camber and castor angles

2 Adjust the brake bias valve (if fitted!)

3 Lift the suspension back up

Regards

[philandlil]

forgot to mention last time if your saxo's fitted with ABS all the brake effiency will be controlled thru the ABS pump. If its fitted with discs all round ie VTR-VTS it could be possible that you have a seized rear caliper one one side so everytime you brake your only getting an application on one side. An easy way to check this is drop the rear wheels off and have a look to see if there is a large difference in the amount of wear between two sets of pads if not then its ok if one sides thicker then it could beseized.

As for caster and camber angles the back end of the saxo is on a torsion beam axle and lowering it wouldn't really affect this as all that is done is shorter stiffer springs are put in and the torsion bar tension is tightened.                             

[Narolines]

Likewise round my way - Saxo + lowered suspension usually = boy racer. Sorry if I offended you - quite unintentional.  With a bit more background info to your question I can sympathise, if not offer a solution. I have a rubber-bumper MGB roadster that suffers from exactly the same problem, but strangely it does not occur with my chrome-bumper MGB GT - which sits an inch and a half LOWER than the later roadster. I put it down to the inherently nose-heavy design of the MGB, and just have to treat the brake pedal with respect unless it's a real emergency.

[mootyster]

take your saxo to the main dealer to swap the sixty forty split back. or learn to use the edge you've gained over most of the boy racers that can't drive and succombe to the dreaded lift off over steer.

[ibbo20]

When U lower saxos there is a load sencing valve that thinks that the rear of the car has a lot of weight on it.
So to correct the problem you need to have a look in the left rear wheel arch (u may need to take the wheel off) follow the trailing arm from the brakes up and you will see a spring that has a bolt (10mm)go through it connects to both the arm and chassis u will need some good plyers and a 10mm spanner just un do the 10mm bolt a little. how ever be careful that u dont stop the rear brakes working altogether. It also sounds like u need to sort out the brake disks pads and make sure all calepers are working correctly after adjustment it could be a good idea to ask an mot centre to test the brakes on the rolling road

[millie1945-1979]

I have a Saxo VTR and no baseball cap it would look ridiculous on me anyway being .sixty years old.My son says I'm in my mid life crisis anyway this Sax of mine is lowered to an inch of its life and is modded [not by me I hasten to add] Anyway all the brake effort will go to the front causing the rear to move about, a bit dangerous this try it on a geared bicycle it will throw you over handle bars Having no rear brakes is very dangerous try looking at the pads as the other person said ,my Saxo is [or was] exactly the same no back brakes therefore only braking on the front, Take care mate the power that these little motors have will indeed throw you into the hedge sides..