Touchy Brakes

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TedH

Filing Flight Plan
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Jun 23, 2020
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Tedh
I have a Grega GN-1 Aircamper with disc brakes (heel brakes). Each brake has it's own master cylinder . The brakes are very touch with no free play and only about 1/16th of an inch of movement before engaging. They are either all on or all off. Is there a way to make them less sensitive? I would like them to be a lot looser, so that I can get on them without putting the machine on it's nose.

Thanks
Ted
 
place a piece of 100 grit sandpaper between the the pads and sand a little bit off.
OR
allow a drop or two to leak out of the bleeder fitting.
 
I had thought about your number 2 Idea. Thanks.
 
maybe nothing wrong with the brakes...... just too much brake for the airplane ?
 
Change the attachment between the heel brake pedal and the master cylinder by moving the connection further from the pivot so you have less leverage. It will mean less travel, but it will require more force for a smoother feel. Alternately, smaller master cylinders. Do you know what kind you have now?

I did just the opposite on my ride - moved the connection further in and a bit higher up to change the angle of the toe pedal and let me brake harder. Only an hour or so of cutting / fabricating / welding.
 
CPT Geoff
I am not sure that will work for me since I don't have any brake travel right now, I am not sure I could work with less.
 
TedH said:
CPT Geoff
I am not sure that will work for me since I don't have any brake travel right now, I am not sure I could work with less.
Click to expand...
Is the problem lack of travel or too much brake with just a little foot pressure? I think it is easier to modulate foot pressure than foot position. But, it's your airplane.
 
I presume this is EXP so could you reduce size of the brake pad?
 
We had a similar issue when we got the STC for Cleveland brakes on the Cessna 195. The problem was that the piston diameter of the brake master cylinders was too small which resulted in too much pressure being sent to the caliper pistons. The solution was to install master cylinders with a larger diameter plunger/piston.
 
CPT Jeff
I guess it is a little bit of both. I have purged a small amount of fluid from each brake and that has helped some.
 
Touchy brakes sometimes come from oily brake linings. If that caliper is leaking, oil can get on the lining and with dirt and lining material you get a sludge on the disc and lining, and that sludge gets really sticky and the brakes get grabby.
 
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