XC60 - Need information on AWD

[Tannaton]

Originally Posted by JJJ

Then, the SD4 guy came with googled information that the Evoque's braking system is an uprated version - better brake boost - of the Freelander. He also stated that from his car, when the brakes are warm, the TC is more responsive. At the time, I had Ferodo Premium brake pads fitted and I know from experience they were too hard for the car - they had to be deglazed frequently. If a set of front brake pads on a 1.9ton car lasts just under 100000km, you must know something is amiss.

So all this confirms your statement above, and something I find logical.

Here we go on another one....

And the reason why the Evoque did better (even with road tyres) is that it has a electronic parking brake (EPB), the LR2 does not.

Why?

On vehicles that have electronic parking brake, there must be a mechanism of bring the car to a halt from speed if the mechanical side of the service brake system fails. Hence if you have a car with an electronic parking brake, and you press the button over around 5mph, you will find the vehicle slams the brake on all four wheels and feathers the deceleration using the ABS system. Don't try it if anyone is behind you....

To enable the above, the electronically commanded application of brake ("brake boost" as you referred to it) needs to be much stronger, so the systems are upgraded, and this improves also the effectiveness of the traction control/AWD system when it needs to apply the brakes to balance power across an axle.

This may not be the same across all manufacturers but I'm sure it's relevant to Ford/Volvo/LR/Jag etc. Another point is that the above feature does not utilise the parking brake system, it's all done though the hydraulics. The same system is also used on those cars to facilitate "auto hold" - i.e. you wont roll back on a hill when setting off.

So - if you have an old XC90/XC70 that's known to frequently cross-axle - overhaul your brakes with quality parts...

FYI I love Cooper tyres - have them on my XC90 and Ford Ranger. Good value, perform well, road and off road variants.

EDIT: The XC60 has a EPB...