Why not 4 calipers up front?

So here I am freezing my butt off in Pennsylvania in this drafty old house, and every winter I start to think too much. So here's this years installment of my possibly misconceived thoughts. I read an article about a guy that took the hydroboost system off a wrecked cummins pickup and installed it on his gas powered ramcharger, with amazing results in regard to braking. I wonder why that hasn't been done on a larger scale on gas pickups.

Later the same day, I read an article about a Mustang drift car that had 2 rear calipers on each side, using a custom caliper bracket. Apparently in drifting locking up the rear brakes is the whole show. That got me thinking, if someone is running a 73-76 front sway bar setup (or possibly aftermarket), they could cut a pair of 11.75 caliper brackets and weld them together, allowing for calipers on the front and rear of the front spindles. The calipers and pads are cheap as heck, and it would seem to me the hardest part would be figuring out how to get a master cylinder capable of pushing a bunch more fluid without a big increase in pedal effort, and plumbing the front brake hoses. I know these calipers are heavy, but I wonder how a setup like this would fare against say the drum spindle viper setup some folks are using. Aside from my 68 barracuda, I have an 87 D100 pickup, and unless I'm missing it there is zero out there for upgrading those brakes. I would have to think 4 front calipers or hydroboost would make a big difference for pickups.

Anyway, I was just curious if anyone else has pondered on this stuff. There are definitely some talented craftsman on our site that could pull this off without too much difficulty.

Turn up the electric blanket and pass me the popcorn.....the movie is getting ready to start....and it's chilly in here.....

Ken in PA

The factory stuff is good for multiple stops from 60 mph no problem, and from 110 at least once every 10 minutes, lol, in a 3500 pound 68 Barracuda, and can lock up 235/60-14s at 30 mph, so
what's your application? That 87D?
I have an 84D100 that stops just fine empty,lol. I don't haul much with it. The occasional motorcycle or quad.
But as to dual calipers;
First there's the traction issue. Just cuz you can loc up the rotors any old time doesn't mean much if the tires are locked up.
And then Secondly,there's the heat issue. If you put enough rubber under there to prevent loc-up, then you have to get rid if all the heat those pads are gonna make.
And Finally there's the strength issue.I think too much brakes will just rip off the wheels;that force has got to go somewhere, and before it gets there, it has to go through the BJ-pins, the UCA-bushings, and the strutrods.

Hydroboost doesn't improve braking or stopping distance, it just makes the pedal easier to push. Just like any power braking system.

Drift cars have a 2nd caliper in the back because they work them independently. The primary caliper works like your normal rear disk brakes and is hooked into all 4 wheels. The 2nd caliper is operated off a completely separate system, plumbed independently from the 4 wheel braking system, so the rear wheels can be locked up without any brakes on in the front. They're usually actuated with a hand lever. Basically doing an e-brake slide but with a lot more control and precision.

As for a second set of rotors, just get bigger calipers and pads. Adding a second set of rotors would just add a ton of weight, plus the complications from plumbing them. And as AJ pointed out you still need to have the tire and the traction to make it worthwhile. You'd be far better off adding a 4 or 6 piston aftermarket caliper with larger pads.

This idea sounds like the thoughts of a person that needs to find a willing woman.

Kern Dog said:

This idea sounds like the thoughts of a person that needs to find a willing woman.

Click to expand...

I have the woman......willing is a whole other story. Thanks for the input fellas....

Well, I might say don't take no for an answer if you're married, else what did you get married for? I mean, I could cook, and clean, and do my own laundry,wth, and grandkids are just somebody elses wicked selfish bullying brats, for far too many years,..... but if I did say something like that, some sad,vindictive,ain't getting any,saggy old,selfish woman, might come at me with a scissors; So; I wouldn't say that to any woman not even my own dear wife, of 40 years.

Gawd would that weigh a freakin' ton, You'd need truck shocks to control the unsprung weight!