In a non-ABS car (like mine) these big brakes will 'over brake' the front axle limiting the car's ultimate braking potential to the threshold of that axle. The car will have lower ultimate braking potential than it had with the smaller front brakes (assuming that its original braking proportion was near correct) because at the new point of front axle threshold braking the rear axle will be under its threshold limit. Significant rear axle braking potential will be unused. ABS will mitigate by preventing lock-up at the front axle but won't 'proportion' the braking effort differently. As road conditions deteriorate the disproportion will become more profound. Pedal feel and response will likely be more rewarding to the driver but the fundamental imbalance is lurking.
I have same upgrade on my daily driver 96 B4 (non-ABS), and have had them for about 9 years with absolutely no problems.
My understanding of non ABS brake systems is in line with the above if using bigger brakes on the front and not doing anything for the rears. In the end, since the car needs brakes up front, I ordered stock sized Zimmerman drilled rotors and Akebono pads. I am not really a fan of drilled rotors, so I guess I will see how the combo works.In a non-ABS car (like mine) these big brakes will 'over brake' the front axle limiting the car's ultimate braking potential to the threshold of that axle. The car will have lower ultimate braking potential than it had with the smaller front brakes (assuming that its original braking proportion was near correct) because at the new point of front axle threshold braking the rear axle will be under its threshold limit. Significant rear axle braking potential will be unused. ABS will mitigate by preventing lock-up at the front axle but won't 'proportion' the braking effort differently. As road conditions deteriorate the disproportion will become more profound. Pedal feel and response will likely be more rewarding to the driver but the fundamental imbalance is lurking.
. hopefully soon...Isn't stopping power limited by the tires' grip on the road surface? If not, what's the point of all that expensive ABS hardware?
If it were mine, I would go through the pain of sanding down the pads on some 80 grit emery cloth and getting them to a thickness that fits (with a little clearance).
Maybe 3 mm...
Steve-
That's right. And the steering ability needs preservation because any OEM brake arrangement in even remotely good repair is capable of stopping the wheels from turning. The car's braking capacity is determined by traction not swept area or pad compound. In an imminent collision situation ABS is necessary because panicked drivers push too hard on the middle pedal. Big brakes will only exacerbate this situation, particularly in non-ABS cars.
In what respect?
