You've never tried it then. The fuel pump solenoid failed on my old Mk4 Tranny and the engine died at 50mph on a twisty back road. Sheeeeeeeeeeeeeeettttt. By f*ck, it took some effort to steer that bastard to a halt and it's not something I would have undertaken at normal towing speeds.
It dated back before discs. Dunlop disc brakes used a separate calliper. Probably to save money since their systems were very expensive to make. But other makers soon made rear calipers with a built in handbrake mechanism. The drum inside a disc type is later still. However, as I said, plenty older cars had a lot of shared parts. Far more than just the shoes/pads drums/discs.
Independently actuated just seems to refer to a mechanical brake rather than hydraulic.
The only time I've ever needed a tow, it was a shaft seal failure on the coolant pump; I suspect cooling system-related faults make up a fair chunk of cases too.
I've been in a fair few AA flatbeds with dead vehicles on the back at ridiculous times of the night - but never my own :)
That's pretty much the setup I have with the truck - the original steering wheel was huge, but made from some '60s plastic-type technology which doesn't hold up well over the years; one of the spokes had split, so the previous owner had put the much smaller modern wheel on. I don't mind it at normal road speeds, but it's a bit of a lump to haul around at a crawl.
I'm keeping eyes peeled for an original (or repro) replacement so I can put it back how it should be (well, unless I find a PAS setup for it, I think it's pretty much a bolt-on if I can find a '70s donor).
I don't think many people have driven a car where the PS has stopped working.. sure they are very heavy when stationary, that's because you are trying to move a couple of patches of tyre in contact with the ground.. once it is moving, even slowly, it is much easier to turn as you are no longer having to overcome all the tyre friction.
Parking is a pain if you can't control the clutch and creep slowly.
You aren't allowed on if the vehicle can't do 25 MPH IIRC (there must be exceptions as some loads that travel on the motorway are slower than that). Of course you can drive slower than that if conditions demand it. But that is true even if the road has minimum speed limit signs (blue speed sign).
Lots of people assume so. But its not how it actually works. Dual circuits are no more reliable than single. The advantage is the ability to vary the relative pressures to some extent as the back end rises up.
2 wheel braking on rear only is always going to be limited, but it was enough for normal driving, barring emergency stops. It surpsised me how fast the old drum brakes lost effect going down a gradient.
2 wheel braking on the front only gives a good 80% as much braking as
4 wheels, and is found on some very old cars. It works pretty well.
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