Technical Tips - Balance Bar

Setting Up and Adjusting Your Balance Bar

In our experience, one item that people often get "wrong" is the balance bar. As this component is central to the overall efficiency, and performance of the braking system, listed below a few pointers that should help you to set up, and adjust the balance bar, therefore obtaining maximum benefit and optimum performance from your brake system.

The side to side end float of the balance bar within its housing should be approximately 2mm. To obtain this clearance, one of the clevises should be screwed on or off the bar as required.

Push rod adjustment. This must be carried out with the brake system bled, and the pads fitted. The object of this exercise is to ensure that the balance bar lies square within its housing, and at 90 degrees to the master cylinders when the pedal is depressed. To obtain this setting adjust the pushrod lengths, which normally means the front rod being 6 to 10mm longer than the rear. Then with a normal load applied to the pedal, the push rods should appear the same length, and the balance bar square to the pedal, The above settings are very important, and once set should not be disturbed.

One other important point, when carrying out the above adjustments it is essential that the master cylinder pistons return fully, with the push rods back against their retaining washers. Check that there is no interference on the pedal such as stoplight switch that prevents the master cylinders coming fully off.

Setting the brake balance. Before this can be done it will be necessary to bed in the pads and get the brakes up to a normal operating temperature Brake balance can vary from driver to driver, but for tarmac rallying or circuit use most drivers prefer to have a slight bias towards the front. This is best achieved by carrying out a series of stops (high speed is not necessary).

To adjust your brake balance, the bar is screwed towards whichever cylinder requires more pressure. Therefore to increase the pressure on the front brakes for example, a greater length of bar would be visible adjacent to the front master cylinder.

Remember, adjusting the master cylinder push rods does not adjust the brake balance!!!