Brake Testing at DMV on a Brake Machine

[Cranky]

Does the car pull one way or the other under moderate braking? @bobfake

 

[sam dupont]

View attachment 1348965
Man, the overbearing governments some of y'all put up with just boggles my mind...

It would be nice if a guy could utilize that machine to test his machine anonymously so he could go home and fix it. An issue that doesn't reveal itself at lower speeds becomes potentially deadly at higher speeds. Knowing our car needs attention might save us from destroying it on a deer that jumps out on the highway.

 

[gdrill]

I think the program is directly related to an equation that is based off of vehicle weight vs amount of brakes vs size of brakes vs brake pressure. If your vehicle was half the weight recorded, which it obviously is, your brakes could possibly be strong enough for the required passing percentage.

Just a guess on my part.

 

[Lefty71]

Man, the overbearing governments some of y'all put up with just boggles my mind...

Comes along with the privilege of living in highly populated areas.

How did I even type that with a straight face lol?

 

[Daves69]

We had that brake safety stuff in Illinois for trucks and pick-ups. Ya' even got to pay for the test. They quit testing cars before I started driving. They stopped testing P-Us in the early or mid 80's IIRC.

@bobfake ..... did you by chance turn the drums? At one point in time it was fairly common to arch brake shoes to conform to drums. That could throw some "dust" in the air.

 

[sam dupont]

It could be that a 4,000 pound car doubles the weight on the tire patches when panic stopped at 20mph

 

[Cranky]

It could be that a 4,000 pound car doubles the weight on the tire patches when panic stopped at 20mph

If you had a pair of scales under the front wheels and jacked up the rear to the same point of heavy braking, it wouldn't surprise me to see 8k. I've noticed how low the front end gets whenever a wrecker truck picks up a car from the back.....

 

[sam dupont]

We tend to focus on the "go" and less so on the "whoa". I prefer stock looking sleepers and have to admit I wasn't thinking much about brakes.

Then a guy told me a story of pulling out to pass a line of cars and stretching the legs of his Mopar. He said he was doing a hundred on the two lane when he realized he had miscalculated the room he had and jumped on the all drum brakes. When they faded to nothing, he took to the ditch.

I'm adding 150 horsepower to the stock 325 and think there are discs all the way around in my future. Factory discs in front and aftermarket rears aren't that much more money than a top restoration of the original parts. Not for what is gained.

 

[moparedtn]

It would be nice if a guy could utilize that machine to test his machine anonymously so he could go home and fix it. An issue that doesn't reveal itself at lower speeds becomes potentially deadly at higher speeds. Knowing our car needs attention might save us from destroying it on a deer that jumps out on the highway.

I agree - but lots of things in this world are great ideas to be chosen to do...
but not mandatory, forced down our throats "for our own good."
Big difference.
Huge even.

 

[kiwigtx]

Did these guys do the testing ?

One fail in that test is that the percentage difference side to side is too great to be safe.
Normally within 10% of each other is acceptable.

 

[khryslerkid]

Did these guys do the testing ?

View attachment 1349242


One fail in that test is that the percentage difference side to side is too great to be safe.
Normally within 10% of each other is acceptable.

That's Methed Up!

 

[1 Wild R/T]

This seems to do the best job of explaining the info of the stuff I found online..

https://ottequipment.com/wp-content/uploads/b4007-brochure.pdf

 

[bobsgtx]

I wonder how often it needs to be calibrated and if the state actually has it done?

 

[bobfake]

I wonder how often it needs to be calibrated and if the state actually has it done?

My thought exactly...I'm going to DMV tomorrow and ask for a supervisor to explain to me what the report means and therefore what I need to do to get that brake correct. If they can't tell me, I'm going to ask that they simply pass the car, as everything else passed.

 

[Fran Blacker]

Do you think you could give DMV guy a ride and see if he hits the windshield when you brake?

 

[sam dupont]

My thought exactly...I'm going to DMV tomorrow and ask for a supervisor to explain to me what the report means and therefore what I need to do to get that brake correct. If they can't tell me, I'm going to ask that they simply pass the car, as everything else passed.

They aren't going to do that as it would make them responsible for anyone hurt by your car that appears to be malfunctioning.
A brake drum car should lock all four tires in a panic stop.

What have you checked or changed since failing?

 

[bobfake]

Do you think you could give DMV guy a ride and see if he hits the windshield when you brake?

After I set his a$$ back in the seat!!

 

[tonysrt]

Comes along with the privilege of living in highly populated areas.

How did I even type that with a straight face lol?

Back in 64 Dover De. was not over populated when I had to do that test. Today when I pass through there I don't recognize Dover at all. Coming from NYC it was the boondocks to me back then. There was no toll road and we had to drive up Rte. 13 to get to NJ Turnpike and cross the De. Memorial bridge. Back then Rte.13 was backed up for miles on a Friday night to cross that Bridge. That's why they built the second span while I was stationed there.

 

[bobfake]

Hi all…just to lose the loop on the thread, I stopped by DMV and asked to talk to an inspection supervisor. I’m glad I did. I was totally misinterpreting the graph and now understand what I need to do to get the brakes in order to pass.

Thanks for all the input!!!
Bob

 

[Billccm]

Hi all…just to lose the loop on the thread, I stopped by DMV and asked to talk to an inspection supervisor. I’m glad I did. I was totally misinterpreting the graph and now understand what I need to do to get the brakes in order to pass.

Thanks for all the input!!!
Bob

Specifically?