Brake Bias Valve Vs Std Rear Compensators

[Dream Weaver 2]

Well, this French s*itbox of a 205 has cost me another £500 this month having whole new rear suspension/brakes fitted.

 

pugtorque has done me a rebuilt beam, NS caliper and GrpN mounts, i've got new discs and pads and I bought a refurbed drivers side caliper for the other side (£68 bloody quid!!)

 

The final piece in the jigsaw is 2 new compensators as mine are both siezed, but at £70 for 2 its getting a bit silly price wise.

 

Which got me to thinking - a brake bias valve is a similar cost, so can I not junk the compensators and fit a single brake line to the rear with a bias valve fited somewhere? pugtorque and I are fitting all the new bits next Monday, so need to make a decision so i can get the bits ordered.

 

What are the pros/cons of bias valve vs compensators?

[Jonmurgie 2]

It's a track car yeah? If so then go bias as you will need to reduce the rear breaking to prevent the back end locking up lots (like mine still does, must fit my bias valve!).

[Dream Weaver 2]

Its a track based car, but also what i'll be using in the summer to get around, down the shops, post office etc

 

Is it perfectly feasible though to get rid of the compensators and fit the valve instead?

 

I noticed the PPC 205 had a valve under the bonnet on the brake pipes on the firewall.

[Butler 0]

I have a bias valve in my sensible everyday caged 205. How to fit has been covered loads.

[Jonmurgie 2]

Don't put the valve in the engine bay... unless you want to keep your brake pipes running externally that is. Normally they are positioned by the side of the drivers seat so they can be adjusted if needed, and internal brake pipes are easy to run

[smckeown 1]

you need to decide (or let is know) if its a predominantly road or track car. You say track based, but i cant help thinking its prodominantly a road car. Anyway, bias valve for the track and possibly no valves for the road, i'm sure anthony isnt running any on his car (will save you a few quid)

[Anthony 1,003]

possibly no valves for the road, i'm sure anthony isnt running any on his car (will save you a few quid)

Correct, although that'll depend on what front brakes he's running - works well with my GTi-6 calipers (and should be fine I'd imagine with 307 stuff), but definately don't even consider it with standard front brakes else you'll be spinning like a merrygoround....

[Phil 0]

My bias valve has just arrived today and i've been busy ordering all the fittings etc. But eBay.com is worth a look as they are very cheap over there, my Wilwood (I know I know it's not Tilton!) valve offers upto a 57% reduction to the rear brakes and cost £27 delivered (took one week to arrive) and the very same model sells for £70 + postage in the UK.

[Kitsune 0]

I paid that for mine. Did you get it from a company on ebay?

[DrSeuss 0]

i paid that for mine as well. They go for about 38 dollars, rally design sell them for 44 quid. It works out about 28-29 quid. A bargain.

 

On a car with uprated front brakes, is a bias valve really necessary. Given the weight distribution of the 205, with gti6 front brakes its still very forward biassed.

Edited March 20, 2006 by DrSeuss

[Dream Weaver 2]

you need to decide (or let is know) if its a predominantly road or track car. You say track based, but i cant help thinking its prodominantly a road car. Anyway, bias valve for the track and possibly no valves for the road, i'm sure anthony isnt running any on his car (will save you a few quid)

 

Its purely a toy really, not used for getting to work etc, but it will spend more time on the road than track, although it will be driven quickly on each outing

 

Correct, although that'll depend on what front brakes he's running - works well with my GTi-6 calipers (and should be fine I'd imagine with 307 stuff), but definately don't even consider it with standard front brakes else you'll be spinning like a merrygoround....

 

Fronts are just ATE Power/Ferodo DS2500 for now, but will be upgraded to GTI-6 in the summer.

 

I'm not looking for any advantage using the bias valve, just thought it may be an option to replace the compensators with it, then set it to bias as close to std and leave it there.

 

Its the same price as the compensators, and wont seize in the future like they do.

[smckeown 1]

unless you step over the line to a dedicated track car, then i wouldn't fit a bias valve that's close to the driver (i.e. meaning internal lines)

 

So options would be:

no compensator

replacement ones (new or 2nd hand)

firewall mounted one

 

If i were in your shoes i'd go for option 2, unless you step over that line

[Butler 0]

I can see absolutely no reason why you would not fit a bais valve.

 

You can move lines anywhere, plus its only one. For you stick it under the engine bay. Mine comes into the car at the back of the handbrake, feeds the hydualic handbrake and the vlave and back out. Its not something you will ever adjust once set up. I thought I would, but haven't. Just set it when you get it MOT'd and leave it.

[shepherdfte 0]

I fitted a Tilton one to my 1.6, which runs 1.9 rear disks, while I was doing intgernal lines. Ended up with it wound right in (which according to the spec means it is doing nothing - i.e. like no valve). Mind you, I do have 1144s and Tarox 48 grooved disks on the front, while the rears are rubbish standard stuff.

 

Andy