What is This?

[NP SHO]

I was under the car today and noticed this. What exactly is it and what does it do? It appears to be broken.





It just kind of moves around and squeaks a lot if I grab onto it. I appreciate the help guys.

 

[SHOmethewayhome]

brake proportioning valve.

 

[Off Road SHO]

And to expand a little on what Donovan said...The heavier the rear of the car get loaded down with crap, the more this little valve lets the rear brakes work. The lighter the rear end, the less pressure it sends to the rear brakes.

Tom

 

[SHOmethewayhome]

I had one for a while that was rigged for full power braking to the rear and it made things interesting.

thanks for expanding Tom, I was browsing from the old iPhone.

 

[NP SHO]

So doing the bias plugs would be a bad thing? I seem to find differing opinions on this...

 

[SHOmethewayhome]

depends on what you want out of the car.

do a search, there are plenty of threads i remember lurking through about the bias plugs and their function. I used some safety wire and tied mine off to see what it would do with full power braking in the rear (as if I had a full load of weight in the trunk and the back seat) and it made the car prone to breaking loose a bit in the back under hard braking.

of course i also had my ABS disabled too.

 

[NP SHO]

Well I use the car as a DD in the spring, summer and early fall. I have my two sons in it quite a bit so I wouldn't want to do anything to make the car unsafe or unstable. How exactly did you tie it off? I'd like to experiment with it for a little while when it's only me in the car.

 

[Art5]

YOu don't want it to work full power, belive me!!!! HOw I know?http://www.cardomain.com/ride/2548068/1992-ford-ltd
check pics at the end of the page.

 

[32MTX]

I have no ABS and have bias plugs

it works perfectly fine, and stops a lot better when u really push down on the pedal.....

overall I think braking performance is better because the rears are helping out more, the only time I've locked them up is when the brakes would have locked up without the bias plugs anyways......... in fact I think I can use the brakes harder now before I get anything to lock up.

Normally my fronts are the first to lock up, if I get my rears to lockup at all I really have to be on the brakes, which is typically around 50-70mph standing on the pedal as hard as I dare, and only then u might hear slight skid out of the rear for a brief second. It is hardly uncontrollable.

I got no idea what the **** these guys are doing who act like bias plugs are totally hazardous....... I think its their driving and the situations they are in that is the problem.

 

[SHOmethewayhome]

never said it wasn't my driving that wasn't causing it.

for what it's worth OP. i'd leave things the way they are if the car is a DD, and just make sure the rest of your brake system works properly. especially with littles riding in the car.

not saying that bias plugs or tying off the valve makes it a ticking time bomb or anything.

i just don't see any benefit in your situation over how the system already functions in stock form. perhaps looking for an upgrade in swapping to the 96 front upgrade and better pads would be more beneficial.

like I said though, run a search and read some of the other threads too.

 

[Art5]

I agree with some points, such as : this is how yo drive, not only how your car is. Well, I stepped ******* my pedal one time going in a turn and didn't even notice how my car started fish tailing. On the track I think I would want my rear to lock up a little earlier, to make the back sliding into turns and not to loose too much speed. But track like that is too far from where I live and My car is also DD sometimes. I just posted that link to show what can happen if you mess with rear brakes o DD.

 

[SHOCH]

I removed the bias and installed plugs when I changed to adjustable rear control arms. I havn't locked up my brakes more than twice and wanting it to lock up is silly. I track my car HARD, street drive it and don't have much of a problem. I DON'T brake going INTO a turn, I brake before, unless I'm in a slide/drift and want it to come around a little more.
If it works don't change it, it's there for a reason.

 

[NP SHO]

My question was not because I was looking to upgrade. My brakes work fine as they are. The question was because I noticed the spring assembly looked like it might be broken and was more or less looking for preventative measures to ensure there were no issues with the brakes while I had my boys in the car. Thanks for all the info though!