Topic: Adjustable proportioning valve

[neale_rs]

Has anyone here installed an adjustable proportioning valve?  Should it replace the existing valve or be added on the line to the rear brakes after the existing valve?  How did you deal with the low pressure brake warning light?

Thanks

[Jeffy]

Has anyone here installed an adjustable proportioning valve?  Should it replace the existing valve or be added on the line to the rear brakes after the existing valve?  How did you deal with the low pressure brake warning light?

Thanks

Are your rear brakes locking up before the front?

The way, most do it is to take the poppet out of the existing proportioning valve then to add the new proportioning valve right after it.



If you've getting a light and no other issues, I'd make sure the light switch is working properly.

[Bounty Hunter]

My understanding of running an adj. prop. valve is to remove the stock prop. valve and run the front brake lines straight from the master cylinder.  Then use the adj. prop. valve on the rear line.  KISS brakes.

[oldjeep]

My understanding of running an adj. prop. valve is to remove the stock prop. valve and run the front brake lines straight from the master cylinder.  Then use the adj. prop. valve on the rear line.  KISS brakes.

That's the way I had my CJ setup.   It does make adjustment of brake bias very simple. 

[neale_rs]

Right now I'm still using the stock proportioning valve and no light is coming on.  The only problem is that the rears lock up before the fronts.  The good thing is that it had steered well even when this has happened.

I guess I'll have to remove the stock valve and just use the adjustable one.  And the brake light will just need to be disabled?

Thanks

[Jeffy]

Right now I'm still using the stock proportioning valve and no light is coming on.  The only problem is that the rears lock up before the fronts.  The good thing is that it had steered well even when this has happened.

I guess I'll have to remove the stock valve and just use the adjustable one.  And the brake light will just need to be disabled?

Thanks

Are you're rear brakes different then stock for some reason?  Have you checked the front brakes?  Proportioning valves aren't really known to break.

If you remove the stock proportioning valve you won't have enough length in the hard line to connect it back to the master for the front.  You'd have to use a coupler and then either reuse the stock line or make a new one.

[neale_rs]

I have a rear D44.  The rear brakes have locked up before the front brakes ever since the swap.  I think the stock proportioning valve is OK, but just doesn't bias enough with the D44 rear brakes. 

Jeffy,

I know you also have a rear D44.  Did you have this problem?  Do you think it would be worth trying changing all the brake pads and shoes to similar materials/brand to see if the rears stop locking up before the fronts?

Thanks

[Jeffy]

I have a rear D44.  The rear brakes have locked up before the front brakes ever since the swap.  I think the stock proportioning valve is OK, but just doesn't bias enough with the D44 rear brakes. 

Jeffy,

I know you also have a rear D44.  Did you have this problem?  Do you think it would be worth trying changing all the brake pads and shoes to similar materials/brand to see if the rears stop locking up before the fronts?

Thanks

Mine have been working fine.  You might want to readjust the shoes.  Dial them out and readjust them so they're not too tight.  Do you have enough slack on your e-brake cable?  If that's too tight then it will pull the shoes closer and they will lock up faster.

[neale_rs]

I played with adjustment (both ways) for a while but it did not work for me.  I got a new master cylinder put in a few months ago and the shop told me they had loosened up the adjustment on the rears because they were too tight, their adjustment didn't help either.  The pad material is very different on the rears, a sort of fibrous texture to it (maybe asbestos, don't really know).  Maybe that could be the cause.

[Jeffy]

I played with adjustment (both ways) for a while but it did not work for me.  I got a new master cylinder put in a few months ago and the shop told me they had loosened up the adjustment on the rears because they were too tight, their adjustment didn't help either.  The pad material is very different on the rears, a sort of fibrous texture to it (maybe asbestos, don't really know).  Maybe that could be the cause.

Made from dead cats perhaps?   

The cheapest thing might be to swap the pads then.  If you ditch the stock proportioning valve, you'll have to readjust it again if you change the pads to something different.

[neale_rs]

Ok, I think I'll try that before getting a new valve.   Thanks.

[Jeffy]

Ok, I think I'll try that before getting a new valve.   Thanks.

You might also want to tale a caliper and measure the thickness of the shoe and the shoe material and compare it to a new shoe.  Maybe they went too thick?  Although that should be adjustable through the brake adjuster.

[neale_rs]

Just an update. I finally took out the asbestos shoes (you can get these remanufactured here in Mexico very cheap) and installed some Wagner shoes to have something more similar to the non-asbestos front pads.  The braking is great now, just slightly weaker than with the asbestos rear shoes but with no rear lockup.  Overall, this is a much safer braking behavior.

Thanks again for the comments and ideas.

[sharpxmen]

asbestosssssss.... yummy. Oh, the good ol' days when the pads were cheap.  don't cross the border or you might end in jail for transporting hazardous materials