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Originally Posted by N2TRUX
Seriously? Your theory is why worry about being able to stop since my tires are unsafe anyway. I get it that you are not concerned with your own safety, but what about those around you? How cool are you going to be when your "tank" leaves four skid marks over some innocent child that chased a toy out in to the street in front of you? Leaving "four 20ft skid marks" is a perfect example of why you should focus on improving your braking system. Locked up brakes are NOT a sign that your system is working at maximum efficiency.
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I know everyone complains about drum brakes but they can be just as good as disc at lower speeds (under ~65 mph). Tire grip is just as important as having good brakes- if the tires don't hook up then the brakes attached to the tire doesn't matter. Same as having a 600hp car that isn't hooking up and you're wanting to add more power instead of more grip to accelerate quicker...
To prove this I have a '64 VW with all factory manual, single circuit drum brakes. Only upgrade is it has wider/sticky 195 wide tires instead of the stock 165 wide tires. From 60 mph it will peak at .97g stopping, right at the limit of locking up. Even with the grippier tires I could still stab the pedal and lock up the front wheels if I wanted.
I also have an '87 Mitsubishi Starion that has 205 and 225 wide tires, and four wheel power disc brakes and rear-only ABS. Looking back at the old Auto Week tests (and others) from when the car was new, it had some of the best brakes available when tested against the other Japanese sports cars it compared to. It also has an old set of tires that were on it when I bought it that don't have a lot of grip. The best I've been able to get is .87g max; it's much harder to keep it from locking up, and its not as easy to recover after they've locked up as the VW.
We used to have a '99 New Beetle with fairly grippy 195's and four wheel discs with ABS. It would peak at .99g, only .02g better than the '64 VW with manual drums.
I'm not saying disc brakes aren't good at all- they offer less upkeep and easier to change pads compared to changing shoes. From higher speeds they do better for sure. But a good drum system with good tires can be just as good (and just as safe) from normal speeds.
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