Description & Operation
The braking system is a diagonally split, dual circuit design featuring front disc brakes and rear drum or disc brakes with anti-lock control available on certain vehicles. The hydraulic system provides separate circuits for each pair of diagonally opposed wheels (left front, right rear and right front, left rear). The brake system operates by transferring effort applied to the brake pedal by the driver to the brakes at each wheel. The braking effort is distributed to each wheel, using a hydraulic system. The system is assisted using a vacuum brake booster that reduces pedal effort and increases hydraulic pressure.
The front calipers, mounted on the wheel knuckle, are single sliding piston design which makes sure that equal effort is applied through both brake pads. See Fig 1. The pads in all cases are asbestos free.
The rear drum brakes are of conventional design. See Fig 2 and Fig 3 . They feature one primary and one secondary shoe with bonded thick/thin asbestos free linings. The thick/thin linings allow the shoes to wear at proportional rates. The brakes self adjust during foot brake operation.
2.0L Duratec SVT models use front and rear disc brakes. The rear disc brakes consist of a full-cast solid brake disc hydraulically-activated pin slider-type disc brake caliper assemblies. Rear calipers include integral mechanically (cable) operated parking brake mechanisms. See Fig 4.
The master cylinder is of a tandem design and is linked to a brake booster to reduce the brake pedal effort. The tandem design will make sure that in the event of one brake circuit failure the other will remain fully operational. The master cylinder and brake booster are located on the same side as the steering wheel. The booster operating rod is connected directly to the brake pedal. See Fig 5. Vehicles fitted with the basic braking system have Pressure Conscious Reducing Valves (PCRVs). These are fitted between the master cylinder and the brake tubes to the rear wheels. The PCRVs control the hydraulic pressure applied to the rear brakes thereby reducing the risk of rear wheel lock-up under braking.
The parking brake system is cable operated and controlled by an independent hand operated parking brake control. The parking brake system operates the rear drum or rear disc brake system with an independent hand-operated parking brake control lever actuates the rear brake shoes or pads directly through a cable system. See Fig 6.