Is It Ok To Remove The Brake Compensators?

[tidypug 5 2 Cars]

Hi all, I've got willwood 4 pots on the front and standard discs on the back with the standard 1.9 rear compensators fitted.

I find that when heavy braking the car feels very unstable and twitchy like its going to spin. When the car was in for its mot they said that there was very little effort from the rear, also one caliper is wearing unevenly.

So my question is, would I be better to service the rear calipers and leave it at that, or could I remove the compensators out of the brake lines to get more effort to the rear and just link the pipes back together. Would this give a back too much braking force making it even worse?

[Anthony 1,002]

Never tried it with Wilwoods, but certainly with GTi-6 brakes on the front you can run with no rear compensators and it works very well - very stable and planted under braking in all conditions, and no problems with MOT's either.

 

Lack of effort to the rears can certainly cause it to feel unstable under braking

[welshpug 1,645]

Try it, worst that'll happen is the rears will lock easier

[Stu 18]

Just to echo what Anthony says, i too havent experienced the wilwoods but i run a '6 front setup with no compensators and find the balance to be nigh on perfect.

[All Praise The GTI 3]

mine used to lock up very easy with 6 fronts and no rear comps

[eafertynyne 1]

mine used to lock up very easy with 6 fronts and no rear comps

 

Yep... I had the same set up and my rears locked up too...

[Baz 421]

One of mine was too, Wildcards old car, as MOT'd by Carl/MechanicalRepairs/CG Cars of Leics (somehow ) and was mega dangerous under braking as the arse end just wanted to over take the front - but that was standard 1.9 brakes all round, & no compensators. I wouldn't advise it, or using that monkey.

 

But, with better/upgraded fronts, they're usually fine. It's a suck it and see issue IMO.

[Anthony 1,002]

One of mine was too, Wildcards old car, as MOT'd by Carl/MechanicalRepairs/CG Cars of Leics (somehow ) and was mega dangerous under braking as the arse end just wanted to over take the front - but that was standard 1.9 brakes all round, & no compensators. I wouldn't advise it, or using that monkey.

Standard front brakes and no compensators will lock up the rears first, no doubt of that

[Baz 421]

Yup, i discovered that a few years previous from my old Cherry Non-sunroof, hence i knew almost instantly what the problem was on the maiden voyage in Wildcards' 205 after i bought it... Luckily i wasn't going more than a gentle speed in a built up area or with any other traffic as it stepped out rather violently coming over the crest of a hill into a slight right hander!

Edited February 8, 2010 by Baz

[tidypug 5 2 Cars]

thanks for the quick replys guys, as helpfull as ever

I'll see if i can get some connectors so i can take the comensators out.

[MerlinGTI 3]

Why not run a Bias valve? Garanteed brake balance happyness (once you have finished tweaking that is)

[tidypug 5 2 Cars]

I'm getting a bit too lazy tbh