Contour Enthusiasts Group Archives Forums Modifications Brakes 99% Front Brakes!

I think I have a major brake bias problem on my 99 SVT. After a hard stop, I can touch the rear rotors and they feel maybe like 110 deg F. The fronts are nearly smoking hot (pretty technical eh?) and sizzle when snow is tossed on them. I wouldn't dare touch them.

Sorry but I don't have an IR temp guage.

I just replaced both rear calipers, probably unecessarily. They are bleed and have new pads and rotors.

Is the front/rear bias built into the master cylinder? Is there a separate proportioning valve? Has anyone else had this issue?

Thanks! (yes I searched and searched)

The front brakes do about 80% of the braking so they do run hotter than the rears.

How does the car stop? If it stops OK, you probably have nothing to worry about.

yeah, the front breaks get extremely hot, the rear ones dont... the front does about 80% of the slowing, the rear pick up the extra slack and make it a nice controlled brake. Rather then stopping hard and having your rear end freak out... I remember when I was only running on front brakes because one of my brake cylenders had blown... Such crappy braking.

Thanks - I certainly realize that the fronts handle a majority of the braking (>70%) but that fact doesn't mean a case can't arise where the backs are still far under-biased from where they should be.

Which is exactly the situation I have.

I'll have to collect some IR temps from other 4 wheel brake vehicles. But on a new Freestar the temps in the rear were very similar to the front. Both "sizzled" with the caveman snow test on the rotor after heavy braking.

I would also think the anti-lock braking system would allow more rear braking than typical, since it can prevent a lockup and the resulted instability that non-ABS vehicles fear.

Any other ideas? Has anyone installed an aftermarket proportioning valve?

Also - my pad wear in the rear is tiny compared to the front.

Bottom line - my rear brakes are useless and I can't figure out why.

2 things.
Don't f#$K with the bias and don't be throwing snow on your rotors after hard stops!

Your ABS wil not even be involved unless you are braking hard enough to invoke it. When you do you will hear a rumble as well as fell a very rapid brake pulsation.

On some of the Contours, the rear brake pressure bias is controlled by pressure reducing valves in line where the steel brake line connects to the rear brakes hoses for each individual caliper. I wouldn't mess with them unless you like having the car swap ends on hard braking. When these valves act up, they cause that one caliper to not fully release. The valves are different between ABS and non-ABS and are not interchangable.

If you can find a shop that is willing to loan the gauges (if they have them, and they are expensive) you could read the rear brake caliper line pressure and find a like car to compare it with.