Advanced Braking

When the vehicle brakes are applied, the Centre of gravity of the vehicle shifts in the direction of travel. With less weight over the rear wheels, the available grip is reduced and the risk of locking these wheels is increased, reducing the braking effort applied between the tyres and road surface. The front tyres will have some extra grip due to the weight transfer and as long as the driver maintains or increases braking effort, the vehicle’s deceleration will be quite acceptable in most situations. The most dangerous effect of locked rear wheels is the loss of directional stability and a dangerous spin is very likely. For many years, motor vehicle manufacturers have employed various types of hydraulic valve to control brake balance between the front and rear pairs of wheels in order to prevent rear wheel lock up under heavy braking conditions. These valves are generally referred to as proportioning valves. Now that manufacturers are routinely equipping their models with ABS, the proportioning valve is effectively obsolete as this system can do the same job of controlling rear brake line pressure to prevent lock up during weight transfer. Electronic Brake Force Distribution (EBD)