Can Brake Balance Be Maintained E32 Master Cylinder?

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  • 88Sedan
    Wrencher
    • Apr 2023
    • 279

    #1

    Can Brake Balance Be Maintained E32 Master Cylinder?

    I have a brand new ATE stock size MC and entirely refreshed brake system. All calipers were stripped, cleaned, and rebuilt and the rears were upgraded to solid bushings. New stainless hoses all around. My brake feel is absolute spongey hot garbageness. I've bled everything a bunch the old school way. No leaks anywhere.

    Brakes are functioning how they should, no issues. I think my ABS is still working too. The pedal feel is laughable in a bad way. While bleeding pedal stays nice and firm, but once engine turns over back to soft. The first 1-2 inches of pedal movement does very little.

    I had read about e32 master cylinders as an upgrade before replacing my MC but figured the bad brake feel was caused by my old failed MC. The brake balance disturbance of the e32 MC was/is a turnoff for me.

    On a different car I accidentally created extra rearward bias with a caliper swap and it absolutely affected performance/driveability. On that car if I went down steep enough driveways or dirty roads and applied moderate brake force the rears would lock up way too early.

    Has anyone using an e32 MC WITH ABS corrected the balance? I want to retain ABS.

    I've never really understood how a brake line restrictor works because with constant brake pressure doesn't the fluid pressure distribute evenly accross the line? Imagine just one single brake line under pressure. With a restrictor that effectively makes the brake line smaller in one area (like most proportioning valves do) wouldn't the line pressure be the same before and after the restrictor? Since the fluid molecules are all "together" still?

    I'd love to see clean examples of an e32 MC install that maintain proper F/R balance on ABS cars. I am also open to anyones' input if these cars have adjustable booster pushrods or something to eliminate the dead zone at beginning of pedal travel. For a car I've worked hard on tightening up to modern ish standards the brakes are killing the vibe.
  • 88Sedan
    Wrencher
    • Apr 2023
    • 279

    #2
    Well I have been doing a lot of reading on the function of simple single line brake proportioning valves (knob style etc). I am really trying to avoid major brake line alterations whilst maintaining F/R balance.

    I believe I am right to be concerned about the efficacy of using a prop valve in a brake system. The more detailed explanations I've found confirmed they are sort of a band aid solution. They tend to allow the system to act as if no restrictor is there until a certain pressure threshold is met.

    Now I am considering if I can achieve better brake feel by swapping only the stock ATE booster for one of the other compatible boosters. My issue is it seems like no one does the booster swap without also changing the master cylinder size/type.

    So to change course a bit, is anyone using a 944 or other compatible booster with a stock master cylinder? It would be a huge waste of time/$ if swapping boosters makes only a small difference in feel.

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